Getting to the Bottom of Things

My PT and I are fed up. Tired of nothing working. Frustrated. She decided to look at my feet and how I walk. She noticed that my left foot pronates (or rocks inward making my arch practically flat). She had me lie down and she held my ankles and kind of shook my legs around and told me to relax. She pulled my ankles and laid my legs down flat on the table. One of my legs is longer than the other! My left leg is longer between my hip and my knee. This is why I pronate my left foot - it makes my leg shorter. My body is compensating to equal out my leg lengths. Pronating causes stress on the knee. It is pulled inward - thus putting pressure on the IT Band. AHHHHHHHH light bulb moment! Now we know the cause of my injury. I visited my Dr a few days after the PT noted my leg discrepancy. The Dr noticed too that the left side of my pelvis tilts forward, making the discrepancy even worse. The Dr stretched me in a way while I was lying down that evened out my pelvis, then she had the nurse measure my legs. I have a 1 centimeter discrepancy when my hips are even. The fix for this is easy - orthotics. They are just shoe inserts that have firm arch support to keep that left foot from pronating. Also, a heel lift for the shorter leg. I have the heel lift in my running shoe already. It feels great. I have ordered the orthotics and am waiting for them to come in. My Dr prescribed another round of steroids to see if we can knock out the inflammation that is lingering in my hip. I sure hope so. I am so tired of being achy and missing running too!