There are a myriad of factors that could lead to real or perceived asymmetry, such as daily habits, previous injuries, hand or leg dominance, and bony alignment.⠀

When a client notes “feeling out of alignment” or “off-balance” I think to myself: ⠀

• Can I physically find it and can it be altered?⠀

• What factors are contributing to this and can we modify them?⠀

• Is the asymmetry significant and due to something like surgery? ⠀

• Most importantly, is this 𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭’𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞? ⠀

As you can see, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 and pretty much most of us are not symmetrical. ⠀

I always aim to minimize asymmetry but will never spin it in order to demonstrate my expertise or to convince a client that they need treatment from me. I avoid conveying it as a major issue because it can create needless anxiety and steal focus from more important areas that have more potential to change and have an impact on function.⠀

If it is a concern for you, let’s take an in-depth look, and together we can create realistic goals and find an effective way to achieve them.

November 16 2020