Migraines can be caused by having a short leg. According to a study by the US military, about one in ten people have a real difference in leg length.
Myofascial (muscular and soft tissue) pain experts, Drs. Travell and Simons said a leg length difference of 1/8 inch or more puts you at risk for pain and dysfunction. Why? Because your body automatically does things to try to correct, adapt, or accommodate that difference, like leaning, twisting, or turning. These positions can cause a migraine.
There are two types of “short legs”. Both can cause migraines.
One is an actual anatomical difference that could be caused by severe injury, polio, or nature and can be measured on X-rays. It could be the upper or lower leg bone.
The other type is a functional difference in leg length. That means all the bones are the same length, but the muscles in the body cause one hip to rise. The hip bones can move independently of each other, so it is possible to have one hip higher or more forward than the other.
People with a difference in leg length often get migraines because walking at an incline puts a lot of stress on the muscles at the base of the skull. It causes a rotation (slight turning) of the head. That can affect the nerves and blood vessels that play a role in migraines. Those people may also have other pain, such as hip pain on the short side of the leg or low back pain or TMJ dysfunction.
What is the solution?
Good news! There is a relatively easy solution so you don’t have to go through life “off balance” and with migraines.
anatomical short leg:
Raising your entire foot on the short leg side enough to even out your hips will go a long way toward making you feel better, have fewer migraines, and less neck and muscle problems.
This requires that you only wear certain shoes. They should have a solid thick hard rubber sole. A shoemaker can split a firm rubber sole and add a layer of neoprene rubber for short leg lift. This does not work with air or gel type shoes.
Also, if you have a very skilled shoemaker or cobbler, they may be able to remove your entire sole and replace it with a new, thicker sole.
It may seem like a lot of work, or you may not want to give up your fancy shoes, but the benefits to your body are enormous.
functional short leg:
A skilled massage therapist can help relax and release tight, unbalanced muscles that are pulling your bones out of a neutral position.
How do you know if you have a leg length difference?
Perhaps one pant leg is always longer than the other. That was the clue for my 91 year old client who had back pain and migraines for over 70 years. His doctors never looked for or told him that he had a difference in leg length, but he told me, “My tailor always said yes!” The anatomical difference in leg length for him was approximately 2 inches.
Maybe when you look in the mirror you can see that one shoulder is higher than the other or that your head sits to the side instead of dead in the middle of your body. That is also a clue.
Or, when you look in the mirror, does your belt line always sit lower on the same side?
How do you know how much lift you need?
A doctor can take x-rays of your legs and hips and measure them for you. Or, you can “estimate” by placing notebooks or magazines under your short leg and adding or removing pages until it feels level and looks level in the mirror. Many neuromuscular massage therapists are also trained to measure leg length differences.
When you get rid of a real difference in leg length and stop leaning and twisting your body to try to make corrections, you may have fewer migraines.
What else can I do?
There is a lot of information and misinformation about migraines. Doctors are mainly looking to help you get rid of them rather than find out where they came from. Here’s a hint: there are things your body likes and things it doesn’t.
In addition to leveling out your hips (what your body likes), you can take steps to relax the muscles around your head and neck (what your body likes, too). You can also do simple, gentle movements to help correct your posture and relax your back (which your body likes, too).
There can be multiple causes for your migraines, but the more causes you can eliminate, the less pain you’ll have.
PLEASE NOTE: Whenever you do neck movements, always do them carefully, slowly and carefully. Pay close attention to what happens so you don’t aggravate your tender neck and trigger a migraine.
