Or more importantly have you been told that your injuries are due to a leg length discrepancy? If so it can be quite a disempowering and disconcerting thought. The research cuts through a lot of the grey area in relation to leg length discrepancy.

A paper titled “Methods for Assessing Leg Length Discrepancy” found that without scans, the most reliable method to determine leg length is to measure the distance between ASIS (of the ilium) and medial malleolus of the ankle. However a CT scanogram is the most accurate. Meaning simple observation is not reliable or accurate.

If someone is found to have a leg length difference with accurate testing then they share this finding with 90% of the population. That is 90% of the population will have some form of leg length difference. Additionally, research found the average difference was 5.2mm and deemed insignificant.

A leg length difference under 20mm is not likely to cause symptoms that require treatment and reviewing large population studies, only 1 in 1000 show a difference greater than 20mm. So based on the research it is rare to a have a significant leg length difference greater than 20mm and if your difference is under 20mm it is unlikely to be causing your pain or injury.

The body is able to adapt to many imbalances and we are not perfectly symmetrical. In athletes focus should be on load management and strengthening weak areas and avoiding rapid changes so our body can stay adapt and stay healthy, rather than handing our body over to a false, disempowering narrative.