Symmetry: Sloping Shoulders And Unlevel Hips

I recently took a “posture test” at a roadshow. One of those system, where your body’s alignment is measured with bright colored strings. Seems like my shoulder slopes to the right and hip aren’t quite level to the ground. But I feel fine. Should I be worried?

– Eu Chen

Hi Eu Chen,

I think you are right in not worrying about it too much.

Firstly, the coloured strings are there to give an indication of symmetry. If both shoulders are at the same level, and hips even in terms of height. As most of us are dominant on one side, it is not unusual to have one shoulder lower than the other. It is also quite normal for most people to have a leg length discrepancy of approximately 1cm which will affect the height of you hips. Therefore, it is unlikely anyone is truly in symmetry.  You should only be concerned if there is a significant difference of at least 1.5cm and accompanied by pain or discomfort.

Secondly, I think to assess if there is anything actually wrong, we need to do a more thorough assessment. This consultation will include asking if you’ve actually had any problem as well as any history of back or neck pain. On top of that a proper full physical exam is essential to diagnose the problem and treat the mechanical faults present.

Therefore, in my opinion, unless you have actual discomfort or pain, a bit of asymmetry is fine.

Best Regards,

Sylvia

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