Expert: J.R. Strecker, B.S., D.C. - 8/24/2008

Question
i am 20 years old, and i have scoliosis. i notice one of my hips is higher than the other, based on my xrays (shown below).

my problem is, when im doing sports activities, my right leg/knee/foot hurts so much, i have to stop.

could i benefit from using a heel lift in one of my shoes? if so, which shoe would need a heel lift, left or right?

here is my xray:

http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/1439/77737373737kw3.jpg

Answer
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Hello D.,

That’s quite a curve you have.  I cannot actually give you any advice, such as where to put the heel lift, for liability purposes.  That aside, I would still need to evaluate you in person before properly determining where to put the lift, if one is needed at all.  On your film, the hips are not off too badly.  However, I would prefer to see a bit more of the pelvis on the film.  And it doesn’t appear that the small amount of hip discrepancy is great enough to cause spinal curves as severe as yours.  So even if you did put in a heel lift, it may have little to no effect on your curves.  You really should be evaluated by a chiropractor in person.  The chiropractor can look at your x-ray, as well as measure your leg length, and see how your legs are functioning in relation to each other.  The leg length measurements and functional assessment will tell your chiropractor important findings not revealed by an x-ray.

As a side note, I am one who rarely lifts my patients.  I don’t typically lift unless there is clearly a significant leg length discrepancy.  It’s not often advised to lift unless there is at least a 2 mm difference in length.  The reason why I don’t lift unless the leg length is significant is because it can be a real nuisance for the patient to make sure he/she is always wearing the lift.  Every time the patient changes shoes, the lift must follow.  And if the patient is walking around barefoot at home, then it can defeat the purpose.  If the patient is not faithful with the lift, wearing it only in certain shoes and during certain times, then it can create some instability in the pelvis and increase the back pain.  So keep this in mind when you are evaluated by your chiropractor.  

It doesn’t seem like a great deal of change will occur if you lift, but I would need to evaluate you personally to make a better judgment call.  More than anything, you should talk to your chiropractor about some scoliosis stretches and exercises if you haven’t received any yet.  The scoliosis exercises will be a bit more targeted at helping you with your condition than a lift.  I hope you find this helpful.

Best of luck!
Dr. J.R. Strecker, D.C.