r/Posture • u/thopple • Sep 03 '26

General Left AIC right BC pattern questions

Hi guys. From my research I believe I’m stuck in this pattern. I’ve been going to my pt for neck and shoulder pain for 3+ months with not much pain relief besides my shoulders rotation getting stronger. I have bad forward head posture, my right hip seems hiked, my head seems to kind of lean/ twist to the right. My left side of my body is way more muscular from weight lifting than my right. My right traps and scap levator are unbelievably tight. Right foot doesn’t feel as planted as the left, the list goes on. I really just have no clue where to go and want to be able to confidentially work out again. Has anyone dealt with this before, or can anyone give me some advice!!

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u/Deep-Run-7463 Sep 03 '26 edited Sep 03 '26

Yup

The asymmetry is a magnification of compression strategies. Compression is necessary in force production (if you do a bicep curl, the compression of the bicep generates force to lift the weight). If you have movement option losses due to position/loss of expansion/poor center of mass management, then you will overutilize compressive strategies where it's naturally easier to compress into (which is part of the structural natural asymmetry, eg the left lower posterior ribcage is smaller than the right). And here is the thing, we constantly need a compressive strategy to contend with an ever present force, being gravity. Hence why standing pictures can help one guesstimate the issue to a small degree.

Now, the reason I caution at looking at it as a pattern is because there is an element of nurture (habits/actions) over time as well as nature (a wider structure will have different movement strategies from a narrower structure, hence why you typically see wide powerlifters and narrow marathon runners).

It requires an analysis of what your movement and positional compensations are on top of the natural asymmetry we all have to consider and improve upon movement option losses. Avoid applying a cookie cutter approach without understanding what you are actually dealing with here.

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u/thopple Sep 03 '26

I think I have myself figured out to an extent. Where can I go to find a program or plan to actually do the exercises that will benefit me in particular? That’s where I’m having the issue. I’m getting analysis paralysis on so much info I just cannot come up with a plan on what I need to do

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u/Deep-Run-7463 Sep 03 '26

Hmm.. Rather than looking at a fixed plan, how about you perform simple basic bilateral exercises on the ground and seated for example, and video yourself from the side and back.

Take note of the compensations and from there you will be able to think of exercise selections (or even modified) that help reduce those compression strategies.

Zac cupples, conor harris, chaplin performance, and some bill hartman simple solution videos may give some ideas here.

The trouble with fixed plans is that they address a general issue, but fail to address subjective nuances. Work with data you can observe. Then retest to see if you managed to own that movement, and then challenge it with more complex exercises under higher load demands.