Uneven shoulders

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Dear all, I would appreciate some advice about a problem I have with my shoulders.

I have been practicing yoga for 6 years and have always been weak in the upper back and shoulder girdles. I’m aware that I have some imbalances and my right shoulder is slightly higher than the left. I suspect that I may have scoliosis, but when I asked the teachers (i practise with different teachers in a yoga studio), they told me that they didn’t see any obvious sign of it.

I can’t really afford to pay for private yoga therapy sessions, while I don’t know anyone who seems knowledgeable enough to advice me on my condition. It also doesn’t seem like a serious enough problem to seek medical advice, so I’m trying to understand and adjust myself.

Anyone has ideas on what poses would help with this problem? My guess is I might have some muscle groups which are too tight on the right, making it harder to relax downward as the left side, but I’m not sure which muscles are involved.

#2

Yoga helps in minimizing or curing any muscle imbalance because yoga is symmetrical. Downward Dog pose , Plank pose , Upward Dog pose and Wheel pose will help correct it.

#3

Observation and assessment preceded guidance.

#4

Check out the book Pain Free by Pete Egoscue. He talks about how most pain and dysfunction (i.e. your uneven shoulders) is caused by muscular skeletal imbalances (as you described) HOWEVER he also goes through the exact exercises (many of them being yoga poses) that will correct the dysfunction. Believe me. I have uneven shoulders as well. The book Pain Free helped me tremendously.