Scoliosis/Leg Length Discrepancy Connection? Lower Back Pain

[BackPainMan]

I'm a 22 y.o. male and have been having moderate lower back pain for the past 2 years. I'm about 6'3" and fairly athletic and have seen every doctor under the sun regarding this problem. My symptoms are localized pain on the left side that radiates into my left buttox. I have never had tingling or weakness and rarely have had any pain shooting into my left leg. More often than not, the pain is ONLY in my buttox in a specific spot, but sometimes it is accompanied by lower back pain on the left side as well. I have seen a physiotherapist and although stretching provides temporary relief, most back strengthening exercises and most sports activities make the pain worse.

My question is, could mild dextroscoliosis (convex to the right) be tied to a leg length discrepancy? My physiotherapist told me a few times that my left leg was slightly longer than the right. My test results stated the following:

MRI Lurabar Spine: convex right scoliosis. Tip of the conus medullaris terminates at the L1 vertebral body level. Soft tissues unremarkable. Spinal canal and neural foramen patent. No nerve root impingement detected.

X-Ray Lurabar Spine: There are five non-rib-bearing, lurabar type vertebral bodies and slight dextroscoliosis. The vertebral heights are preserved. The L4-L5 disc space is narrowed. There is minimal L5-S1 facet arthropathy. The pedicles are intact. Impression: Lower lurabar degenerative disc disease and minimal facet arthropathy.

MRI/X-Ray Sacroiliac Joint both completely normal.

This is not my area so I'm not sure what all of that means, but I'm curious if disc narrowing could cause my symptoms. Also, this is the first time anyone has told me that I had scoliosis but the doctor didn't even discuss it because it's so minimal. Could all of this be linked to the apparent leg length discrepancy? Should I "work through" the pain in the gym or could I do more damage? I'd appreciate any help as I just got out of school and am entering into a profession where I need to be physically fit. Thanks!

 

[mznell]

You could experiment with a small lift in your shoe to equalize the length of your legs, to see if that helps. I would assume that since the doctor did not specifically mention the scoliosis, it must be a small enough curve that they would not treat it.

Since your SI joints were x-rayed and deemed "normal," I guess you can rule that out. Did anyone mention piriformis muscle tightness to you? Sometimes that will cause the kind of pain you are describing.

Have you been to a physiatrist? This is a M.D. who specializes in rehabilitation, and is expert in diagnosing and treating pain. They treat injuries and illnesses of the nerves, muscles and bones that affect how one moves. This might be the right specialist to diagnose your problem.

 

[BlueAtlas]

I have one leg "longer" than the other, too. I have a severe scoliosis. I can stand on my left foot with my leg completely straight and freely swing my right foot. But over the years, I've become so used to the difference that I just stand with one leg askew and don't even notice it.

Technically, one leg isn't longer than the other. It's that one hip is higher than the other because of the scoliosis.

I would talk to your physiotherapist and your doctor about how much stress to allow your back. Ask what kind of working out is safe for your back, how much weight is okay to lift, etc. Pain is there to let us know that something is wrong, so be very careful in working through it. Pain from using muscles is one thing, the type of pain I think you're talking about is another. Are you on any pain meRAB? Do they help?

I wish you the best as you start your career and learn what your limitations will be. You're young, so please do figure out how to care for your back now so that you don't have complications later.

Blessings,
Emily

 

[paula456]

Although I rarely recommend chiropractors, you might be a good candidate. They can be very effective in restoring proper leg length, and it doesn't look, from your MRI, that they might damage anything.

Good luck and I hope you feel better!

 

[pret51]

I too have scoliosis, although mine is mild. I don't know the technical data as it's never been investigated thoroughly by a specialist. My right leg is shorter than my left. My left hip is higher than my right, and as a result my left ribs stick out more than my right. I suffer from back and neck problems due to the scoliosis. The best mediicine for me is to not to over do exercise. Running is a definite no no. Swimming is brilliant. Yoga is excellent for relieving tension in my back and neck muscles. Done with a proper teacher, yoga can also help to straighten scoliosis. Taking good care of your posture is also paramount for a healthy spine. I didn't wear heel raises until now, although I was diagnosed with short leg 15 years ago. I'm late 30s now. Over time, my knee has got damaged, so if I could turn the clock back, I would have worn adjusted shoes years ago. I find the advice given by the different medical professions contradictory, and confusing. Some say, you can live with out insoles, others say, you have to get the length right to the mm. I was even told to walk and cycle, which with hinRABight I now know didn't really do my knee any favours. If the discrepancy is greater than 1cm, just insoles won't do the trick. Getting shoes made is another obstacle that I'm trying to beat right now. Nightmare! Best advice, I can offer is listen to what other sufferers say. Listen to your body, it tells you when it is hurting, so you need to take it easy from time to time. You only have one body, take good care of it! Best of Luck!

 

[olddog66]

when scoliosis is mild it is usually dismissed as harmless or not even noticed by most conventional practitioners chiropractors and osteopaths make their living by trying to treat this disorder i think its pretty much a fact that their is a strong connection between back pain and scoliosis.

A couple of other posters have pointed out that there are two kinRAB of leg length discrepancies one is an apparent leg length difference caused by one hip being lower than the other this is thought to be the result of dysfunction of the sacroiliac joints (x rays and MRI,s don't show dysfunction) and is usually accompanied by scoliosis. The other is a true leg length difference where the bones in one leg are shorter than the other.


I think you said you had apparent leg length discrepancy some practitioners think its preferable to treat this with manipulation or exercise to restore the hip height back to even as a heel lift in this case will support the hips in an unlevel position if the leg lengths are truly different then a heel lift or a built up shoe is prescribed to restore the pelvis to a level position