From the August 2004 issue of Runner's World
Are your legs uneven? Leg-length discrepancies are rarely the result of having one leg bone that's truly longer than the other. More often than not, they're caused by a tight hamstring or iliotibial band that jacks up the other side of the pelvis. Runners with this imbalance tend to overcompensate by favoring their "longer" leg, which can lead to injury. Could this be happening to you? Take this test to find out.
1) Lie on your back, on a flat surface with your legs together, feet bare. Have a friend place the palms of his hands on your hipbones, one hand on the left and one hand on the right.
2) Ask your friend to gently rock your hips back and forth, pressing left, right, left, right, until you are relaxed (about a minute).
3) Now have your friend look at your feet to see if your anklebones are even.
4) If they're not, visit runnersworld.com/whartons and do the 15 range-of-motion exercises there.
5) After doing the series of exercises, repeat steps one to three.
If, after doing the 15 exercises, your anklebones are even or closer than they'd tested, good news: You don't have a leg-length discrepancy. The not-so-good news is that somewhere between your back and your feet, you have an imbalance caused by muscles and connective tissues that have been weakened or tightened. Adopting the flexibility program on the Web site will resolve the difference and prevent injuries. If, however, there's no change after these exercises, consider seeing a sports-medicine specialist to see if you have a true leg-length difference.
