Lately we have had a few athletes who have been having trouble with anterior hip pain & lower back pain with running. A number of these clients are in their mid to late 30’s or older & have never had trouble before. Most of them have found physio & chiropractic care beneficial for only a short period. During our assessment a very subtle leg length difference has been found & when we accommodate this small difference – as small as 2mm – with a flat insole in their shoe, the hip &/or back pain has reduced significantly & stayed away. This is also enabling the physio or chiropractic treatment to last longer.
So if you are having trouble with ongoing hip or back pain then have you leg length assessed correctly or ask your doctor to arrange a leg length CT or x-ray. You may hear from a number of health professionals that anything under 10mm is not worth treating & is normal. But I have personally found & am finding for my clients 2mm can make a huge difference. Of course seek professional advice from your podiatrist, physio or chiro before trying to accommodate the difference yourself. There are other factors that may need to be addressed such as your foot mechanics, muscle &/or joint tightness, the wear on your shoes etc.