My right leg is shorter than my left, what kind of doctor should I go see to find out what I should do?

Depending on how old you are it may take some time for a heel lift to show signs of improvement. If you were born that way chances are everything has taken a permanent set and time will attempt to reverse what time has done. No quick fix, sorry. Chances are great you will get arthritis because of that. Your hip has been lopsided as well as the bottom of your spine as well as all the muscles that support everything.—I have the same deal but I found out about it after it was too late to do much about it. HTH http://www.ourhealthnetwork.com/conditions/FootandAnkle/ShortLegSyndrome.asp

You may want to see a podiatrist. They can custom build you an orthotic insert that are better than those Dr Schols store bought things and they won’t squash down after a few weeks.They can be expensive though.

There is a surgery – with a long and painful recovery time – whereby bones are broken and then stretched apart so that they grow together longer.

I agree with @woodcutter. I have one leg slightly shorter than the other. I think carrying huge bags of books has caused it. No proof of that but I have never had any problems until the last year plus and for the last few years I have pretty well continually been carrying huge bags.

He has put padding in my shoes to straighten me up. I still get pain in my left ankle but having it strapped really helped. I have now had all my shoes padded to see if that helps. For you, you might need something more than padding but I would try the podiatrist first. Ask around to find the right one for you.

Chiropractor (a highly recommended one… they can tell you if your pelvis is rotated, etc.)
Podiatrist (they can, as has been mentioned, make you a custom orthotic)
Orthopedist (radiological work-up, potentially surgery, etc.)

I was going to mention what @Nullo said. I have a friend who recently was considering this surgery for the same reason – one leg shorter than the other – although I can’t tell you what the title of a surgeon who performs such a procedure would be.

My friend ended up having a hip replacement instead to treat the condition. I don’t know if maybe this would help your situation at all. I know it’s a very painful condition; my heart goes out to you. Good luck.

I’m with @cupcake, a reputable Chiropractor can help align you back and most the difference in the length of your legs (if as you said it’s only ¼”. If it’s more then that, it would still be worth a consultation). I had a similar issue, and was very pleased with the results.
Best of luck to you.

If you have legs that are different sizes then a chiro isn’t going to be able to change that although they will try to convince you they can. As long as you see them at least 2 times a week they will make improvements…not. Some people swear by them but I think it’s junk medicine, and I use the term medicine loosely, like so loose it’s not even connected.

An Orthopedist or Orthopedic Surgeon would be able to give you the most accurate diagnosis, order advanced types of tests and outline the full range of options for you from the most drastic (surgery) to the least (shoe lifts, etc.)

It’s then your decision as to which to pursue. But you need an accurate assessment first.

And getting a second opinion from another Orthopedist wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

Right now you have a general sense of what’s wrong but you really need much more accurate info in order to make a well educated decision.

@woodcutter I mentioned a chiropractor because my mother always thought she had one leg longer than the other, but it turns out that her pelvis was rotated on one side. This has largely been fixed by the chiropractor. I, myself, have seen a quack chiropractor… but legitimate ones exist. My mother’s, for example, was an engineer prior to becoming a chiropractor, and his approach to the human body is brilliant.

@Cupcake My doc has told me to stay away from those people. Although there may be some patients that can get benefits from the treatments, my doc told me they would only aggravate my problem. They always did make things worse for me and I have told them that and their reply was “you are feeling more pain because we are making progress.” Wait, what?

@woodcutter Chiropractors are a mixed bag, unfortunately. IIRC the warning signs of a bad one are orders for large-area x-rays and a desire to manipulate your vertebrae.

@Nullo Yeah been to one just like that and just happened to be the last one I was seen by, years ago. He was a Hummer driving douche who was in it for the money and only for the money. And he was puzzled why I cancelled out on him like he was soooo close to making progress with me. That guy was scary, and greedy.