MissL Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Does anyone here have a leg length difference? I've had sciatica in the past, bad hip pain etc. seen doctors, physios and even a great specialist. Had inner soles made for my walking shoes but nothing has helped. I still get the hip pain (in the leg that is longest). Ballet and Pilates actually help. However there are certain ballet moves especially stuff en pointe that I find harder because I feel my hips are wonky lol. Chaine turns en pointe especially difficult as I constantly feel wonky and unable to keep my balance for long. I'm interested to see how other dancers cope with a leg length difference. I was offered cortisone injections in my right hip but I decided not to due to the side effects etc. I was also told my right hip has a more shallow socket. I have a very tight piriformis Muscle on the right side too... No stretches etc seem to loosen it. I'm considering going to an osteopath? I saw a chiropractor but it was all a lot of nonsense for me personally. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 I don't see Osteopaths or Chiropractors. IMHO it's not good for the body to be jerked, crunched or popped! I know you've seen physios, but I wondered if you've actually seen a dance physio? A good one should be able to loosen up tight muscles and tailor exercises to help you. Cortisone injections are often fine and very useful; it is recommended that you have no more than 3 in any one area, and as with any procedure there can be side effects. If you're hesitant though, I'd try a good dance physio first. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie 2 Milner Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 Martin had a huge problem with his periformis. huge. He saw physios and osteos. It really restricted him. I vividly remember hin at the Tun Wells dance festival due on stage for a Wells summer school scholarship contest. He was in tears and I honestly didn't see how he could dance. He did. The physio had assured us that he couldn't damage himself. His issue was flexibility , think it was his right side. But the physio did work or maybe it was just time who knows. Cortisone was never suggested for us. The physio we saw was a dance specialist but was a sports physio. He was brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpybearzuk Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 Hi I hope you don't mind me just asking a question now you have brought this topic up:) my 9 year old daughter has been told that one of her legs is 1cm longer than the other and she does get some pain with it. She loves her dancing and is a elmhurst associate will this affect her in her dancing and does anyone have any advice ? went to doctors and he wants to see her again in 6 months and said he might have to get it x rayed! Completely clueless here!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 It could well be temporary and as a result of growing. Has she grown recently? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpybearzuk Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 Hi she has grown in the last year. her ballet teacher who is also a physio noticed she was leaning over to one side last year and checked her out she told me not to worry as hopefully it will catch up and that she is still growing but now a little worried if it doesn't what will happen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 My dd has been growing unevenly - first one leg is longer, then the other, for about a year. This seems to be very common! Now her growth spurt has slowed right down, she's evened up again. As your dd is only 9 I really don't think you should worry too much! :-) It might be worth double checking that the pain is just "growing pains" though. I'm sure they are but always worth getting pains double checked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpybearzuk Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 Thank u spanner and pony when doctor examined her you could see the length difference . I think the pain was why her teacher recommended we get her checked out will see how it goes it goes in 6months then . Thank you x 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chasse Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 This is my first post so hello everyone! My DD's teacher told me she thought she had one leg longer than the other about a year ago. I could definitely see some asymmetry-one shoulder higher than the other, one trouser leg longer and her hips looked different. I was really concerned so went to a chiropractor who said one hip was rotated. She saw him for a bit and there was little improvement. She then went to a lady, twice, who did myo-fascial release. She said that it was tight muscles causing the 'twisting' in the trunk. Since then I've concentrated on doing stretching with my DD, especially her QL muscle and around the neck area and she now doesn't have the trouser length difference and her shoulders are more even. We're waiting for an appointment for the orthopaedic consultant, but to be honest, she's looking more symmetrical now, so I don't think they'll do anything. DD is 10 and does ballet 4 times a week as well as tap/modern. I wonder whether she ended up 'tight' because her teachers don't do any stretching after lessons? I don't know. It was hugely worrying at the time, so I totally feel for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdance Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Hi all, I'd just like to point out that most people have asymmetries in the body and it is totally normal. If someone is having pain at any joint in a leg, or in the back it might be related to a leg length discrepancy at which point a good musculoskeletal physiotherapist can do muscle or fascial release techniques or manipulations or mobilisations to address the issue. Or you could be given a heel wedge for the shoe, or orthotics which would then address the LLD but further release or strengthening of muscles further up the body would also be needed to retrain them following compensation. Growth is not only asymmetrical, but also different structures of the body grow at different rates eg bone before muscles so things can get pretty difficult to deal with for teenagers who rely on knowing what their limbs and muscles etc are doing! the main thing is not to be concerned over anything that doesn't cause pain. Awareness of a LLD can help with technique but until the growth spurt is over there's no point intervening long term as things can change the next day. Finally - this is my personal opinion, and I'm sure there are people who disagree with me, but if a healthcare professional gives you some kind of vague statement such as "your ribs are out" or "your hips are twisted" make sure you ask what is causing it, and ask them to show you the anatomy on a model. And if they perform a lot of hands on clicking and clunking and profess to have straightened it all up instantly, I'd be wary. Without muscular work, everything will return to how it was after a day or so and you'll have to keep going back and paying more money! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Welcome to the forum, Chasse! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 I would just like to say hello Chasse and welcome to the forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chasse Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Thanks Spannerandpony and Janet! Totally agree with Drdance - especially your last paragraph - spent a fortune at the chiropractor! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balletla Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 I have spent a fortune on physios over the years with very little resolution of my issues. More recently I have found that chiropractors seem to resolve my problems far quicker and the best ones are also trained in muscular work as well, so can treat the whole problem more effectively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 I took my dd to the osteopath when she was about 10 because she seemed to be getting a lot of backache and headaches, especially during growth spurts. One of the very first things the ostoepath asked about at the initial consultation was had there been any problems during her birth. It had been a bit difficult, and it turned out that her skull wasn't sitting properly on her neck at the top of her spine, all due to her coming out at a funny angle, and it had been like that all those years! After some manipulation and crunching, (horrible to watch - and listen to ) she put her head in the right place, and she's been fine ever since. As dd is hypermobile, we go and see her osteopath about every 6 months, just for a checkup, and she tweaks her here and there. I would really recommend osteopathy and it has worked well for us. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anjuli_Bai Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 My cousin (RIP) who was a medical doctor (generalist - at a time when that was known as the all round family physician and the first doctor one consulted), told me that the most difficult part of medicine is diagnosis and that it was as much art as science. As a GP he got to see everything from start to finish. The medical art at that time was to treat the entire patient - and that's where a good GP even today is an important part of medical practice. All too often we see specialists who are knowledgeable (most of the time) in their field but each gets to see a piece of us. And many do not keep in mind the first rule: Do no harm. Second rule: The greatest healer is usually the body itself. Third rule: Doctors don't deliver babies - mothers do. It always strikes me as enormously arrogant when a doctor says "I've delivered 89345873048400 babies. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 ....although I must give credit to the lovely doc who did indeed deliver my beautiful dd by emergency c-section, saving her life. I couldn't have done that myself! ;-) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anjuli_Bai Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 (edited) ....although I must give credit to the lovely doc who did indeed deliver my beautiful dd by emergency c-section, saving her life. I couldn't have done that myself! ;-) Granted. But, you did your share. He/she helped - you still produced a baby ... Edited April 13, 2013 by Anjuli_Bai 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBG Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 On 13/04/2013 at 16:23, Anjuli_Bai said: The medical art at that time was to treat the entire patient - and that's where a good GP even today is an important part of medical practice. The trouble these days is trying to get an appointment with the same GP to follow through diagnosis and treatment!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BalletcoForum Moderators Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 A number of posts on this thread have been hidden whilst they are considered by the moderators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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