The Body’s Next Clue: Understanding Side-to-Side Compensation

Building on my last blog, the body often gives you clues about what it needs to change. When it comes to pelvic rotation, one of the most common postural signs is a slightly bent knee. Rather than being the problem itself, the bent knee is often a compensatory mechanism that helps the body adapt to pelvic position and maintain balance. As the knee bends, the body will typically shift laterally toward the opposite side. To address this compensation, the side the body shifts toward will often have a groin or hip flexor muscle that requires attention.

Once the rotational component has been resolved, the next step is to address the frontal plane. The frontal plane refers to side-to-side movement and positioning. In many cases, the upper body will lean toward the side opposite the bent knee. A simple way to identify this pattern is to sit in a chair, close your eyes, and notice which hip feels like it is bearing more of your weight. The side that feels heavier is typically the side you are leaning toward.

This asymmetry is often present when you stand up from the chair as well and is commonly associated with your dominant side. Addressing this compensation is typically more complex than addressing rotation because there are more potential contributors. The most common muscles involved include the groin, hip flexors, glutes, lats, obliques, and quadratus lumborum. Any of these muscles can contribute to a side bend, and more often than not, multiple muscles are involved simultaneously.

If the mobilization strategy is successful, you should notice that your weight feels more evenly distributed between both hips when you sit down again. While that is a good sign, it is only part of the solution. To make the change stick, you must identify which muscle group on the opposite side failed to provide adequate support in the first place. Over time, I have found that the groin and oblique muscles are the most common areas to address to help maintain the new position.

One limitation of the strategy outlined in this blog is that muscular restrictions are not always the primary driver of the compensation. If there is an issue with your visual or vestibular system, the muscles may not relax, no matter how much mobility work you perform. From the brain’s perspective, your eyes and inner ear provide critical information about balance and orientation, making them a higher priority than any individual muscle group.

If you have tried mobility strategies without success, it may be worth having your eyes and inner ear evaluated. From personal experience, doing so can save a significant amount of time, frustration, and money.

The body is constantly providing clues. The key is learning how to interpret them. While muscles are often where we feel the problem, they are not always where the problem begins. By addressing both the mechanical and neurological factors that influence posture and movement, you can create more lasting changes and better understand what your body is trying to tell you.