Leg length difference can cause joint pain, mobility issues and an increased risk of falls as it impacts on your walking ability and overall body alignment.
A leg length difference over 2cm is more physically noticeable, with compensations such as a limp when walking. A leg length discrepancy under this can be harder to detect but can still cause ankles, knees, hips and lower back pain and instability.
Some leg length differences are structural, which means the bones in one leg are physically longer or shorter than the other one.
Functional leg length discrepancies may be from rotation or misalignment of the joints and compensations such as one foot rolling in more than the other and therefore shortening.
It is very important for treatment to have any leg length difference properly assessed by a podiatrist to determine if your leg length discrepancy is structural or functional, as treatment will vary between the two.