Uneven Shoulders - How To Fix Your Asymmetries
Ever looked in the mirror only to see one shoulder is lower than the other? You try to hold it up, but it just keeps falling down when your mind wanders.
This is something I dealt with for years. It drove me absolutely crazy. In the posture comparison photos you can see a clear difference in my right shoulder being lower than the left in the before photo. Okay, maybe not crazy obvious, but it used to be way worse!
I went to physical therapists, chiropractors, posture specialists, used kinesiology tape, and even a posture brace. Yet, to no avail I was left with this droopy right shoulder. That was until I found some interesting breathing techniques that actually helped.
Does Scoliosis Cause Uneven Shoulders?
A lot of folks think their uneven shoulders are due to scoliosis, which is that big scary word therapists like to throw around when assessing posture. Though scoliosis can be the culprit of asymmetrical shoulders, I’ve found it’s not necessarily the primary villain.
“Scoliosis - An abnormal lateral curvature of the spine.”
From the above definition, one might assume that the bony structure of the spine is to blame for this asymmetry. That there is some sort of skeletal limitation causing all of this. But in most cases it’s the nervous system and its relationship to the musculature that supports the spine, ribcage, and shoulders. Now, if you’re not familiar with the nervous system and its role in controlling posture and body positioning, let me reference you over to my previous blog post: Good Posture - What Is It?
So now that we have that out of the way, let’s go on to understand that our shoulder being lower than the other is most likely us being “stuck” in a posture or position. That we’ve lost some movement variability throughout our body.
Now, this could technically be defined or diagnosed as scoliosis. But really the diagnosis is just used as a way for healthcare professionals to communicate with each other. A diagnosis doesn’t necessarily define you as a person or your abilities. If you want more information on scoliosis, I suggest reading the Physiopedia - Scoliosis.
Have questions or want help with your shoulders or other posture problems? Schedule a FREE 20-minute assessment with me at the button below :)
What Causes Uneven Shoulders?
Stress
Sedentary Lifestyle
Asymmetrical Activities (e.g. golf)
Breathing Restrictions
I personally will find that my right shoulder slumps down when I’ve been sedentary (like I am right now working on this blog post for the last five hours) or when I’ve worked out really hard. My body falls in and out of this positioning depending on the stresses of my environment. Uneven shoulders can also occur with activities or sports that are asymmetrical like golf, baseball, or tennis.
This asymmetrical shoulder positioning isn’t bad. It’s a part of being human and how you cope with everything around you. Again, it becomes a problem when you become “stuck” there and can’t align your shoulders effortlessly.
Without diving too far down the rabbit hole, this happens from a combination of our left hemisphere of the brain being dominant in motor planning and the asymmetrical nature of our organs (e.g. your 3-5 lbs liver on the right side of your body).
My body falls into this asymmetrical positioning because it feels safe and strong there. I’ve spent 20 something years there, built muscle, played baseball, and survived as an organism without anything horrible happening. So, you know, the brain abides by the ole’ saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But of course, us being conscious, “intelligent” creatures, we have to tinker with things.
How To Fix Uneven Shoulders
So, now the moment you’ve been waiting for. How to fix your uneven shoulders. Below I’ve prepared a video highlighting some exercises I use to pop my right shoulder up evenly as shown in the results above. My postures are completely relaxed and I’m not trying to “hold” the right shoulder evenly with the left (I promise. Scout’s honor).
Disclaimer: I’ve been practicing these breathing exercises for a long time and have a “relatively” dynamic ribcage (BRAG), so these exercises do have a quick effect on my posture / positioning. A proper assessment should be done to hone in on the effectiveness of these interventions. Lucky for you, I know a guy that can assess you and get your posture sitting nice and pretty (come on, let’s do a free consult).
So from the above video, you can see that this stuff can change pretty quickly by activating one side of the body (my left abs) and inhibiting/stretching the other side (my right lat). Pretty crazy right?
Below are the exercises I used and some deep-dive instructions that may help you even more.
Uneven Shoulders Exercises
Ribcage Shift - Side Lying
Equipment:
A pillow or something soft for your head
Your floor
Set Up:
Lay on your left side, head on your pillow, and with your knees and hips at 90 degree angles
Bring your left arm in front of you at a 90 degree angle at the elbow
Reach your left elbow in front of you (scapular protraction)
Bring your right arm overhead
Tuck your back pockets toward the back of your knees (posterior pelvic tilt)
Exhale ribs down and back kinda crunching everything in
Maintain set up throughout execution
Execution:
Exhale every spit of air you got in the tank out through the mouth
Feel your lower abdominals around your belt line turn on while your lower ribs fall down and back toward the spine (really pull the left abs up off the floor)
Hold breath at the end of the exhale with your tongue against the roof of your mouth for 3-5 seconds
Maintain abdominal tension and lower ribs down while silently inhaling through the nose, reaching the right arm away from your hip
Feel expansion throughout your ribcage but without letting lower ribs “pop out”
Repeat for recommended sets and reps
Additional Tips:
Keep the left side of your lower ribs crunched off the floor
Keep your neck and face relaxed when breathing
Why do this?
Promote ribcage positioning and decrease "scoliosis"
Potentially down regulate the central nervous system
Learn to maintain internal pressure throughout thorax and abdomen
Start with 3-5 sets of 5 breaths (exhale + inhale)
Ribcage Shift - Quadruped
Equipment:
Your floor
Set Up:
Go down to the floor on your hands and knees
Place your left knee directly under your left hip and you right knee about 4"-5" behind
Place the left hand directly under the left shoulder and reach the right arm out in front of you
Slightly side bend to your left crunching in the left abs
Tuck your back pockets toward the back of your knees (posterior pelvic tilt)
Exhale ribs down and back kinda crunching everything in
Maintain set up throughout execution
Execution:
Exhale every spit of air you got in the tank out through the mouth
Feel your lower abdominals around your belt line turn on while your lower ribs fall down and back toward the spine, especially the left abs
Hold breath at the end of the exhale with your tongue against the roof of your mouth for 3-5 seconds
Maintain abdominal tension and lower ribs down while silently inhaling through the nose, reaching the right arm away from your hip
Feel expansion throughout the upper right side of your ribcage but without letting lower ribs “pop out”
Repeat for recommended sets and reps
Additional Tips:
Keep the left side of your lower ribs crunched in
Keep your neck and face relaxed when breathing
Keep your left shoulder punched away from the floor (scapular protraction)
Why do this?
Promote ribcage positioning and decrease "scoliosis"
Potentially down regulate the central nervous system
Learn to maintain internal pressure throughout thorax and abdomen
Start with 3-5 sets of 5 breaths (exhale + inhale)
So What’s Going On Here?
These exercises are different, but are using principles of biomechanics, respiration, and a sort of full body proprioceptive neuromuscular feedback. The main goal with these exercises is to activate the left abdominals and shorten the tissue on that side while lengthening the right side and “turning off” the right lat. The breathing is used as a way to relax some muscles and kinda “stretch” from the inside out the right chest wall and ribcage.
These exercises are great to do whenever you see that shoulder falling down and can make a big difference, but know they will typically require daily execution. Your body didn’t fall into this asymmetrical shoulder positioning over night, so it takes time to make this stick.
Summary
So in summary, uneven shoulders can be annoying, but keep in mind it’s just a positioning or posture that your body is using to cope with the environment around you. The asymmetry can quickly be fixed by some breathing exercises and resetting the nervous system, but will require some repetitions to really make it stick. I hope this post gave you some ideas on things to try.
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Disclaimer: All exercises are typically utilized in conjunction with an in-depth examination of joint range of motion. The goals of these activities are to neutralize the pelvis and ribcage in the sagittal plane. Do not perform unless consulting a movement specialist or if in pain.