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Foot levelers ??

Aggravated the sciatic nerve again couple weeks ago, ya lots of pain. Broke down and decided to try getting adjusted and they did an x-ray. Before they even did anything they were pushing these orthotics by feet levelers. After the x-ray they were saying see your hips are off cause one leg is shorter than the other.

Been googling the crap out of this subject with no clear answers. So I decided I needed expert advice so here I am.

First question, anyone have a short leg and do you have levelers?

Second, does anyone know if the short leg can be fixed by stretching? Some places on the web have this as the solution.

Third, is depending on orthotics just a crutch that can lead to other issues. I have been working the last few years on building up my feet and legs to do what nature intended them to do.

Thanks in advance for any info you guys are willing to share. Only 5.5 months until screaming bulls, got to get on with my training.

I have had sciatica surgery 10 years ago. Relief was immediate. I still have issues now and then but Aleve takes care of it. Nothing like presurgery. I had a reoccurrence a couple months ago. Doc prescribed an anti-inflammatory and prednisone and it did the trick. The core exercises in CrossFit help also.

I would go to the Doc and get help. If it’s bad enough push for surgery. Insurance will make you try pain management first but if it works then it’s a win. You have time to get right before season.

Sciatica is no joke…very painful. I feel for you.

Thanks for the reply and I did go to the doc yesterday for steroids and it's already kicking. Fingers crossed, I think I will be able to sleep tonight. Been going to work around 2 am the last few mornings just to get moving. It's been about four years since I had this the first time so I hope to just get everything lined back up and keep going. Scared to death of any kind of surgery around my back.

My hips are not level due to bulged discs and crooked lumbar region spine. Sure makes it feel as though one leg is shorter than the other. Lots of daily stretching and traction excercises keeps my sciatica in check pretty well.

Scrappy, you can have a leg length difference due to the two halves of your pelvis rotating, unless you broke one of your legs around the growth plate when you were younger? If you’d like you could PM me and I could send you some exercises. I’m a physical therapist and see this on a fairly regular basis.

Thanks Demuth, pm enroute.

Many of my symptoms were alleviated by no longer walking barefoot on the hard floors in the house. Try wearing trelic brand Sandles My pediatrist recommended them they are wonderful

Kevin, I've called ya but your Voice Message is full---------->

Good luck, Robb

I broke the ball off the neck bone of the hip. When healed my leg was shorter than the other. I used a heel lift in one work boot. It helped some, until I got my hip replaced. I had sciatica Surgery 2 yrs ago to shave the disc to relieve the pressure on the nerves in my back. Nothing helped before the surgery, tried PT, exercise, injections, ect...Could not sleep, or sit. Very painful stuff. Best thing I ever did was to have the disc shaved down. Good luck

After 50 years of walking just fine, I went to see a podiatrist about my plantar fasciitis. In the process of getting orthotics, he determined that one leg was shorter than the other and put in a heal lift on the short side. 6-7 months later the piriformis muscle on the offside became grossly inflamed. That caused sciatica. No joke, that's a pain in the butt, and I couldn't hardly walk. I'm convinced the lift caused the issue and never used it again. Long story short and several incompetent docs later (not the podiatrist), back/hip issues were ruled out. Ice, stretches and exercises eventually solved the issue. I tell you this so you can thoroughly research and investigate the problem and ask the right questions and get answers. I didn't-didn't even think to do so, not only of the podiatrist, but also of several doctors later who seemed to have no organized or rational methodology to help me solve this issue. Thankfully, I eventually got with a couple of fantastic docs who knew exactly what to look for and what needed to be done. Good luck. It's a tough issue to deal with on a lot of fronts.

Lawdog this is the exact reason I started this thread.

Got about 1.5 hours of sleep last night. I thought the steroids were going to be my magic bullet. Thanks for all the help here guys.

Hope you get it figured out, Scrappy. That sucks.

Same here Scrappy, hope all goes well. Its amazing how debilitating even a small nerve pinch can be. I cant imagine how bad sciatica can be and I hope I never find out. Good luck!!

Scrappy, the docs first ruled out hip and back issues with a hip x-ray and lower spine MRI. Once those were ruled out, ice, PT, etc was what I needed. My wife also had sciatica-bad. Her's was caused by disk issues and sclerosis in the lumbar area. She eventually required back surgery to correct the issues. Same symptoms but very different causes. She went through steroid injections etc for several years-thank you insurance company-before the surgery for little to no lasting effect. If you have to go the surgical route, no one but a neuro-surgeon should do it. She had a tiny little incision, healed up quickly, and no longer has an issue. Like you, it kept her up nights. That's why I feel that it's extremely important to identify the cause of the problem. Without identifying the cause, you're shooting in the dark as to how to resolve it. My first docs didn't seem to want to do that.

Lawdog this exactly were I'm at right now. Get to the root cause first, thanks for the good info.

I had plantar fasciitis and a Dr tried to send me to a place called The Good Foot Store and what a rip off,they wanted 600.00 for some insoles.I went to a foot Dr got a shot that hurt like hell and he made my insoles all for co pay no problem since. So be careful out there

After years of back pain and no help from doctors I found a chiropractor. 1st thing he said was 1 leg longer than the other, then explained it was because my back and hips were so jacked up. 2 sessions and the sciatic pain disappeared. Since then if I screw up my back or neck I visit a "one and done" chiropractor.

We all have one leg shorter than the other, just depends how much. My left leg has always been 3/4" shorter and I have had an insert since I was like 10 (50 years ago). When leg length discrepancy is large (i.e larger than 1/4"), you are going to have issues all the way to your head. Legs unlevel, hips compensate, shoulders next, and then your neck. You won't fix it with roids, therapy, etc. Get an insert (you are calling it a leveleler) and get to a good chiropractor and get to where you are proactive with chiro even after he gets you in adjustment (i.e. go in every month even if good just to get checked). I have been able to battle it for 50 years and still chasing elk (albeit in a little more easy NM vs MT). Good luck!

We all have one leg shorter than the other, just depends how much. My left leg has always been 3/4" shorter and I have had an insert since I was like 10 (50 years ago). When leg length discrepancy is large (i.e larger than 1/4"), you are going to have issues all the way to your head. Legs unlevel, hips compensate, shoulders next, and then your neck. You won't fix it with roids, therapy, etc. Get an insert (you are calling it a leveleler) and get to a good chiropractor and get to where you are proactive with chiro even after he gets you in adjustment (i.e. go in every month even if good just to get checked). I have been able to battle it for 50 years and still chasing elk (albeit in a little more easy NM vs MT). Good luck!

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