If you’ve read our previous blog What is Chiropractic you’ll know that chiropractic is focused on the nervous system; the master control for all of the body’s functions. (If you need a quick refresher, click here).
When vertebral subluxations occur, they affect the nervous system in multiple ways, one of which is through the dentate ligaments. These ligaments are what attach the spinal cord to the vertebrae and allow you to move without stretching & damaging the spinal cord itself.
As a result of a vertebrae’s improper position (i.e., the subluxation), these ligaments can be stretched unevenly from one side to the other. This uneven tension affects posture and balance through the vestibulospinal tract (the pathway in the spinal cord that regulates equilibrium and balance through body position). This is why you may often see individuals walking with a lean, have one shoulder higher than the other or, as you may have guessed from the title, even have leg length imbalance. The body is trying to keep the individual’s head upright (called the righting reflex) even if it requires dramatic distortions further down the spine. These effects will continue even while a person is laying down and can assist with identifying potential areas of subluxation.
When a chiropractor adjusts the spine, the vertebrae is put back into proper position and reduces abnormal tension on the spinal cord thus balancing the leg lengths. Research has shown that even individuals with true anatomical leg length, whether born that way or acquired through surgery or trauma, can still be tested in this way up to 15mm difference in leg length.
