Asymmetry is a positive part of being a human and is needed for us to move fluids and remove wastes. However, if left unmanaged or mismanaged pain and dysfunction may exists.
Take a look at the statue above, the presentation we see is a pelvis rotated right , with a rotation back to the left at about T8. This is a common pattern we see as practitioners and a pattern that is developed due to natural asymmetries.
Why are many people biased toward right pelvic rotation?
It starts with the Natural asymmetries in our bodies,
We have a heart that sits more toward the left side of the ribcage, keeping the left chest wall a little bit more expanded , extending the left posterior rib cage, creating a larger rib flare on the left.
This will create an exhalation/compressive strategy on the right side, making you heavier on the right leg, turning the pelvis to the right and putting the right hip into more adduction and internal rotation.(femoral ER , ILIAL IR), in this pattern we often see a Right foot that is more supinated relative to a foot on the left that is more pronated and is pushing us into our right side. Remember , we move away from Internal rotation and towards external rotation.
When we look a little deeper we see an extra lobe on the right lung which has 3 compared to the left which has 2.
Other internal asymmetries include the diaphragm , which on the right side is a lot larger and has a lower insertion point compared to the left, which will pull the body into certain positions, it is also thicker and stronger on the right.
Our liver weighing in at roughly 3.5 lbs is larger on the ride side.
Their are even natural asymmetries in the nervous system which will also drive a bias towards being right hand dominant.
Your left brain controls the right side of your body, roughly 90 percent of people are righty, lefties still have a cortical dominance to their right side, our doors, microwaves , and tracks are all designed for righties.
Our world is designed for righties, the habits we form based on our environment are designed for righties, which is why so many left handed individuals develop tendencies of righties.
Looking at the placement of the viscera and diaphragm, it is easy to see why we are lateralized right due to the internal load regardless of whether you are a righty or a lefty.
But how do you manage your asymmetries?
Asymmetries are needed for movement and are not inherently bad, but how we help clients manage these asymmetries may be the key to longevity.
There are plenty of ways we can use exercise to improve breathing, reciprocal motions and down regulate sympathetic tone. Please reach out to me if you are interested in learning more. Our methodologies have helped countless individuals get out of pain, and live healthy vital lives. We are here to help.