All my lower leg injuries have been on my right side, and typically involves the achilles and hip flexor. For years I’ve battled this, done all the foam rolling, stretching, strength training, PT, etc with limited success. Ive seen my GP and got an MRI - all checks out. Never been able to fully run pain free once I start going over 10 miles or so.
Well, I was finally able to convince my GP to order X-rays to check for leg length discrepancy. Turns out, my legs have the same overall length, but the right femur is .5cm shorter than the left, and the right tibia is .5cm longer than the left. (below is a cut/paste of the results). My GP says this may explain why I experience pain when I go over 10 miles, but only said to stop running once pain sets in. So she’s not super helpful is offering advice for continuing to run marathons, etc.
Anyone else seen something like this and have some insight if this discrepancy could be causing the lower leg injuries on my right side? Or if there’s something I can do to minimize the effects?
Cheers
** FINDINGS **:RIGHT: No degenerative changes identified on limited evaluation. Femur: measures 55 cm from the top of the femoral head to the medial condyle. Tibia: measures 42.5 cm from the medial tibial plateau to the distal tibial articular surface. Overall, the right lower extremity measures 97.5 cm. Other: None. LEFT: No degenerative changes identified on limited evaluation. Femur: measures 55.5 cm from the top of the femoral head to the medial condyle. Tibia: measures 42.0 cm from the medial tibial plateau to the distal tibial articular surface. Overall, the left lower extremity measures 97.5 cm
My right femur is 1cm longer than the left. All my bike fits in the past overlooked this issue since I always was fitted looking at the right side. I semi corrected the issue myself via x-rays and research. The best solution for me was to stager my cleat position to get my pelvis in-line on the saddle 90 degrees. My left hip is more forward than the right on the saddle without staggered cleats. This caused chronic back pain that I struggled with for years. My left glute and my right quads were over over activated causing a lot of muscle imbalances. Try moving the cleat back 5mm on the right or 5mm more forward on the left. You shouldn’t need shims since your total leg lengths are equal. My left femoral head is also 6mm longer than my right. I also put my left cleat 6mm inward to put my left foot an extra 6mm away from the crank. Good luck. Trial and error fitting worked best for me vs professional bike fits.
Thank you so much for this reply, and I’ll certainly try these suggestions for the bike! Cheers
Is there anything you do for the run? I find the pain/injuries typically arise primarily from running, although I imagine experimenting on the bike is an avenue that will help as well.
Thank you so much for this reply, and I’ll certainly try these suggestions for the bike! Cheers
Is there anything you do for the run? I find the pain/injuries typically arise primarily from running, although I imagine experimenting on the bike is an avenue that will help as well.
I have 2 extra insoles in my running shoe on my shorter leg. But my left leg is 1.2cm shorter in total. You my be good without any changes since your total leg length is the same on both sides. You could have one glute weaker than the other from asymmetric bike riding. You may want to try an extra insole on the shorter leg if your hip drops while running and work to strengthen the weaker glute (longer femur side). Aim for a horizonal pelvis on the bike and run.
If you need shims for Shimano cleats I’ll GIVE you a bunch, I have packs and packs and packs of them.
Let me know
RLTW