Treat Muscle Asymmetries Today to Beat Injuries Tomorrow

By Patrick Donovan

Anyone who has run on a track or played on a club soccer team has favored one side of the body. Over time, these asymmetries pile up and can leave us more prone to injury. Our bodies are littered with inherent muscle imbalances that we take no control over. Left verse right, front verse back - we can fix them. For example, distance runners propel themselves forward. This requires less recruitment of the muscles that control for their side-to-side movement. As a result, iliotibial band syndrome often occurs when this muscle imbalance becomes too much for the body to overcome. 

If we want to perform at our highest level, we need balance in every plane, in every motion, at all times. No sport or activity hides from asymmetry. Read on to learn why you need to turn your imbalances into strength.

Symmetrical Strength Prevents Compensation

A 2014 JOSPT study points out the problem with our individual movement strategies. The authors suggest, “fundamental movement patterns and pattern asymmetry are identifiable risk factors for time-loss injury…” This means that attacking muscle imbalances will let you perform at your peak tomorrow. The most common imbalance we see in practice is overcompensation. When testing an athlete after a hamstring strain, there are often signals of tightness or weakness seen in other muscles around the hamstring. In this case, symmetrical strength gains may have prevented this athlete’s injury.

We value symmetrical stability over isolated muscle mass for functional strength gains and reduction of injury likelihood. A 2014 “Physical Therapy in Sport” article about movement screening to detect asymmetry advises “Clinicians should aim for symmetry of strength in order to minimize the requirement for compensatory strategies.” Harmony within the body starts with the mind’s recognition of its imbalances. When you successfully recognize and fix your imbalances, you will get ahead of the competition and your next injury! 

The split squat exercise challenges bilateral stability and mobility of the trunk, hips, knees and ankles while dynamically stretching the hip flexors.

Brugger’s is a simply yet effective postural correction exercise to temporarily undo your front to back imbalances. For the sedentary desk worker, this should be done for at least one minute every hour to stretch your ignored muscles and nerves.

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References

Evershed, J., B. Burkett, and R. Mellifont. "Musculoskeletal Screening to Detect Asymmetry in Swimming." Physical Therapy in Sports. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Feb. 2014. Web. 19 May 2014.

Kiesel, K., P. Plisky, and R. Butler. "Functional Movement Test Scores Improve following a Standardized Off-season Intervention Program in Professional Football Players." Scandanavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Apr. 2011. Web. 19 May 2014