I was a competitive runner in highschool from age 12 onwards. At age 15 I would run 1 of 4 races in a meet & then find I could barely walk. It seemed one leg was shorter than the other. I went to a chiropractor 3 times/week in order to continue racing. The following year I quit & haven’t run seriously since, although I have done nearly every other dance, sport, or body exploration I could manage.
With the continued movement, but not the jarring of running, the sacrum discomfort was alleviated. It is still aggravated by sitting too long. In highschool I had an MRI & in college I saw a “spine” doctor at Cornell Med in NY & then a chiropractor & later on an osteopathic doctor. The MD reiterated that I have a mild, beginning scoliosis (Lumbar curves to L slightly), which I had managed to keep from developing by studying ballet & maintaining tall posture.
The osteopath (2 years ago) took an x-ray & said one leg was longer than the other, causing my pelvis to twist. He gave me a heel lift (L foot) & said I would have to wear it the rest of my life. He did acupuncture on my L QL’s & said the muscle was so tight & had been so tight for so long that they could barely get the needles into the muscle to release it. It remains tight to this day. However, I was wary of him & didn’t trust him. Immediately after I was at Kripalu for yoga teacher training & I had a session with Lee Albert–Positional Release Therapy. This helped trememdously & I quit wearing the heel lift. However, he said just the opposite of the Osteopath–which was that it was highly unlikely the bones of my legs were different lengths & far more likely that there was an imbalance in my hips. He prescribed Garbasana (child) 5 minutes each day & Matsyendrasana (seated spinal twist) each day.
I have not, I regret to admit, been religious about doing these 2 postures every single day. Now I find not only are my sacrum & pelvis more loose & moody, but my L knee has been feeling strange for the last few months. It feels as though the shin bone, where it meets the knee, is about to pop through the skin & is very tender to the touch. I have difficulty doing child pose now b/c of this. I can also feel when I do it upward-facing–pavana muktasana–that the L ASIS bone is tilted uncomfortably forward into my thigh & my right lower back is not as even in the floor as the L.
Three more details: There is a band at the groin–just below the L ASIS bone–that has been bulging for years. Initially I thought it was a swollen lymph node, but now wonder if it is the Psoas or another muscle that is stretched too far over the bones in my pelvis. Secondly–I have had spider veins in my thighs since age 15 & they have been slowly creating broader maps through my legs. They have spread into the shin & calf of my L leg. Most everyone says it’s nothing to worry about–but I can’t imagine that faulty circulation is something to ignore.
And finally, I have had low arches, but in the past few years of focus & awareness through yoga practice (coupled with Kathak–Indian dance–for 6 months & now Flamenco–although I am unsure if these foot-active dances are ultimately helpful or hurtful), I have strengthened & broadened my feet & lifted the arches somewhat. I notice discrepancies in the feet & toes on each side, but have not been able to figure it all out–to piece all these various bits together & understand how to better align.
So, having taken all your time with so much information, I am simply hoping you might confidently shed some light on what is going on & what I can do to heal.
Many thanks, Melissa.