How Scoliosis and Leg Length Discrepancies Affect My Physical Body

How do scoliosis and leg length discrepancies affect body structure? I am going to get a little “showier” than I would generally like, but I want to document where my body is in space and how it is affected by my leg length discrepancy (LLD) and scoliosis, and I will share it in attempt to help anyone else who is trying to figure out their body and how it is structured. But note, this is my situation and even the same scoliosis curves can present themselves differently. This post is meant to show you how to become more aware of YOUR unique body.

Asymmetries are absolutely normal and common; the body itself isn’t symmetrical (the location of the liver is an example). However, if you have any symptoms of pain, imbalance, irregular organ function, etc., these body asymmetries may be partly to blame. My scoliosis is mild, but my structural LLD is 2 cm and required surgery to reduce when I was younger. Both of these are manageable, yet, I still have pain and various body system irregularities.

Scoliosis causes not only a curve in your back, but also a rotation. You can see this in how far back one shoulder or hip are in comparison to the other, for example. LLDs (like scoliosis) will result in one hip being higher than the other. Each of these differences from side to side can compress or elongate, stretch or strengthen, or result in uneven torque in certain parts of the body.

Snap It

Mountain Pose with Leg Length Discrepancy and Scoliosis

In this standing position you can begin to see the differences between each side. Looking at a picture can help you develop awareness that you might not feel.

Take pictures of your torso, front and back, both standing and reclined on the floor. Having someone’s help is preferred. Standing will give you the most accurate depiction of where your body is in space when you are moving around during your day. The ground will introduce additional alignment, which is part of why I do many of my yoga poses with my back on the ground or against a wall. But both are helpful for seeing your body.

Optimally we aim to notice where our bodies are in space without cues from external sources, but especially with scoliosis, we need these feedback mechanisms. Our nervous systems are also stretched and compressed unevenly and will receive and transmit information differently on each side of your body.

Map It

The first marker you will need to identify is your midline. From your midline where are your ribs and hips? Is one closer to the center? I have a right thoraco-lumbar curve and my right side is further away from the midline—both ribs and hips.

Torso mapping

Map out where key points are in your body. (My umbilical hernia and outie belly button is a post for another day)

Then look where the bottoms of your ribs and the tops of your hips are. They may not be the same on each side. My left hip is higher toward my head and my left ribs come lower toward my toes. This is my concave side—so it is more collapsed—and the right side, my convex side, appears longer and less curved.

Then look at the shape of your bones. Is one side more pointy or flat or come up higher than the other? When I lay down my right hip tends to lift higher off the ground than my left. My right lower ribs poke out more, which you can see by the increased shadowing under my ribs on that side. Additionally, see the location of my ribs in relation to my sides. The left side is flusher to the edge but my right (because it is pointier) is more pulled away from the edge. The shadowing around your iliac crest can illustrate some differences in the hips. Though it is faint, you can see a little more shadow on the left side. My right hip is more externally rotated and therefore flatter with less shadow. Because of my SI joint instability, this is an area that I work regularly to find more balance.

Though this isn’t a diagnosis or a full body review, this is a place to start for becoming more aware of your body, asymmetries or not. Just taking a picture or using your hands, start to “see” where your body is and what it is doing. Over time this could change. Hour by hour this could change. Bringing your attention and awareness to your Self is yoga—whether you are doing asanas or not.

Other posts in the Living with Leg Length Discrepancy Series:
Leg Length Discrepancy Intro
How to Measure Leg Length Discrepancy

And sign up to get my Best Yoga Pose for Leg Length Discrepancies guide