Lower back pain resulting from broken leg

A little over 6 months ago, I broke my right fibula slipping on some ice and had to have a plate and screws put near my ankle to realign the bone. After walking on crutches for a couple months and a cane for another month, the left side of my body has become much stronger than the right side of my body. Despite being able to walk on both legs, I've been experiencing painful muscle tension throughout the left side of my body - mostly in the back, specifically, concentrated in the lower left area of my back - on and off for the past couple months. I've tried stretching, massaging my back, buttocks, and leg - using arnica-based salve - and using a heating pad, but usually it only temporarily relieves the pain, if at all. I was wondering if there's any specific stretches or other types of treatments that I might try to relieve the tension or restrengthen/align the right side of my body. I read that using a heel lift in my shoe might help. What do you think?

[Adam Tanase, D.C.]

I don't think a heel lift will fix this particular issue. It sounds as if your body was forced to adapt and compensate while were your dependent upon the crutches/cane.

What I'll suggest is that you receive a body balance assessment from an "Upper Cervical" chiropractor. Despite what the name implies, these doctors have a unique way of restoring balance to the structures of your body.

Here's a link to a list of practitioners in North Carolina - http://bit.ly/aAMgk9

Here's a link to one near you in Ashville - http://www.atlasfamilychiropractic.net/