Addressing Asymmetries

We all have asymmetries. One shoulder sits a little higher, one foot turns out more than the other, or one hip seems to do more work during every squat, step, or stride. Small differences are part of being human. The problem arises when those asymmetries become the body’s long-term strategy rather than a temporary adaptation. Over time, those compensations can rob us of efficiency, reduce performance, and gradually contribute to pain. Be sure to listen in on my conversation with Coach Ian Ho, Associate Strength & Conditioning coach for the Washington Mystics, on the Zelos Podcast as we discuss the topic further.

Muscular imbalances and structural asymmetries rarely exist in isolation. More often than not, they are the result of the nervous system doing exactly what it was designed to do—protect us. After an injury, surgery, emotional trauma, or even a prolonged period of stress, the brain may interpret certain movements or positions as threatening. In response, it develops a protective strategy by shifting load away from one area and asking other muscles and joints to absorb the work. While this strategy may be helpful in the short term, it can become problematic when it persists long after the original threat has passed.

As these protective patterns become ingrained, they begin to influence everything from posture and gait to breathing, balance, and athletic performance. One region becomes overloaded while another becomes underutilized. Eventually, the body pays the price through chronic tightness, recurring injuries, joint degeneration, decreased mobility, or the frustrating feeling that one side simply never works as well as the other. Treating the painful tissue alone often provides only temporary relief because the underlying neurological strategy remains unchanged.

The key is not simply stretching tight muscles or strengthening weak ones. Lasting change comes from helping the nervous system recognize that movement is safe again. When the brain no longer perceives a threat, it can relinquish its protective strategies, allowing muscles to share the workload more evenly and joints to move with greater freedom. By addressing the root cause rather than just the symptoms, we can restore balance, improve performance, reduce pain, and help people move with greater confidence and resilience.