Did he measure your legs?
Member
Fixing an elevated hip
Hey Coach,
About a month I started to have some issues that were negatively affecting my training, and I went to a chiro and I found out my lumbar spine curves slightly to the left and my left hip is elevated... creating a functionally longer right leg.
There are two things I'm trying to fix... which led to me noticing this in the first place. One being that when get set to pull from the floor, my hands being equal distance from the center, my feet are about 3 inches to the left of the center of the bar. The other problem being that when I approach, when both shins are touching the bar, my right foot is lined up somewhere between a half to a full inch behind my left foot. I also had some pretty decent pain in my right calf... which I believe was caused by the right foot not being in line with the left in the bottom of the squat position
What I've been reading is that a common cause of this problem is a tight quadradratus lumborum on the high (left) side... and the solution is to stretch on the high side and strengthen on the low side (one leg deadlifts and side planks). http://www.davedraper.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/17713/tp/1/
My workout is basically:
Snatch Variation
Clean and Jerk Variation
Squat/Front Squat
Press/Push Press
.... with some chins and dips thrown in, and deadlifts once a week
I've stopped doing the full versions of the O-lifts and have just been doing power versions of them the last few weeks and have added side planks and one leg deadlifts in as well. I've also been making sure my feet are evenly spaced from the center of the bar and are even with each other. Now pulling like this feels quite odd, and while it does seem I 'm adapting to it somewhat, I can still tell my right hip is low because i have to really bow out my right knee, to get the bar square with my body.
Now my question is.... do you think I should stop doing squats for a couple of weeks and concentrate on single leg work to even the hips out?
I thought of also just doing hang power versions of the o-lifts as well... instead of pulling from the floor. Just looking for some suggestions on what you think the best thing I can do to get my hips level again.
TMPHBITEU
Did he measure your legs?
Member
No... he didn't. I'm under the impression that actually having one leg longer than the other is pretty rare condition. I did see the x-rays for myself and it did in fact show that the lumbar spine is curved to the left and that the left hip does sit higher than the right. Not to say that the right leg couldn't be longer.... I've just never had any problems with it before the last few months.Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe
TMPHBITEU
It's not that unusual at all. I have 2 members here with a measurably short leg. How long have you been lifting?
Member
I'll have to ask him about the length issue the next time i see him. I've been lifting since about 2002... lifting "properly" since about 2007 I suppose.
What do your 2 members with shorter legs do for correction. Did it ever cause them problems?
TMPHBITEU
They shim the foot under the short leg.
Member
Do you have any medical input from someone who has examined you indicating that this is the likely cause in your case? That could be important.
Member
No... the only for sure info I have is that I do in fact have an elevated hip, and that a tight QL is a common cause of it... I have no idea if that's the case for me.
Member
Hey Mark, where does one measure from? Inside leg measurement, like for trousers?
TMPHBITEU
You have to measure the bony landmarks. The pelvis is first leveled at the ASISs. Then come down to the knees, perhaps the top of the patellas or the joint lines, then the medial condyles at the ankles, then the soles of the heels. Shoes are obviously off for this.
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