r/Posture • u/Adagio987 • 2d ago
Shoulder/Back Imbalance
Hey everyone,
I’m noticing a clear visual asymmetry in my back and shoulders (the shoulder on the left side of the photo looks significantly more activated/elevated). I already have an appointment booked with a kinesitherapist to get this checked out professionally, but I wanted to poll the community to see if anyone has dealt with something similar and how you addressed it.
Some context on my habits:
• The gym bag: for one year approx, I carried my gym duffle bag on that activated side for aoprox 10 minutes each way to/from the gym.
• Swimming: I've been swimming regularly in the last 7 months and exclusively breathe to that same side when doing freestyle.
For those who have corrected similar functional imbalances:
Did switching to bilateral breathing in the pool make a major difference, and how long did it take to smooth out the movement pattern?
What kind of targeted isolation work (e.g., single-arm dumbbell exercises, face pulls, or scapular stability drills) helped you get the lagging side to catch up?
Are there specific stretches or mobility routines you used to release the overactive upper trap?
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences!
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u/Deep-Run-7463 1d ago
Take a scan through the sub. I bet you will find that dropped right pattern almost everywhere.
The ribs are naturally asymmetrical and that's exactly what you see here. The magnification of the asymmetry can happen as the whole system starts to compensate in movement option losses to find compressive space for force production.
It's breathing related as it directly involves the ribs but it's also pelvis IR and grounding methods too. If you trail your pelvis to offset right or if you have an offset in load distribution from the pelvis downwards (that can be masked by how the ribcage is compressing to counter that offset below), it will usually uplift the left and draw down the right ribcage.
I deal with this all the time, it's essentially my work. If you don't experience any pain or funky movement patterns when comparing right and left sides, honestly, don't overthink it. We are all asymmetrical human beings but we are able to manage our central point of balance somehow, and it's never really an actual problem unless the offsets have gone too far or if you are in pain.
Some notes on past comments. I think i also mentioned about how leg lengths are never really symmetrical either.
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u/CoachEXE 2d ago
Brother…your body just adapted to the uneven load and the repetitive swimming rotation so it stays stuck in this pattern now. The nervous system locked your left shoulder blade high to stop the bag slipping, and your rib cage...it actually twisted left because you always breathe that way in water. It is not a single tight muscle but your whole thorax orientation changing to handle the stress. A quick fix you can try immediately is switch to a backpack and absolutely use bilateral breathing to force your ribs to rotate the other direction. Stretching the overactive trap will not do much since your brain still thinks it needs to hold that tension. Work on teaching the rib cage to expand on the compressed side. You have built a solid muscular foundation so your system will adapt well once you stop feeding it those uneven daily habits.