The Language of Asymmetry
In the field of movement, either from a performance perspective or a rehab perspective, the term ‘asymmetry’ is associated with bad things – injury, pain, dysfunction, failure…. Why?
Why have we come to believe asymmetry is bad while symmetry is good? What has led us down this path of blindly correcting all asymmetries? Better yet, what has that approach done to reduce the risk of injuries or improve the health status.
Within the context of movement, can you clearly define asymmetry, symmetry, asymmetrical and symmetrical in stand alone fashion and in a manner that a college freshman could understand?
What if you knew that from its inception into the English language, asymmetry had been used incorrectly? Or that the research that set the foundation associating asymmetries with injuries was performed and authored by the same people selling the solution to finding and correcting these problems?
Then, would you reconsider your stance on asymmetry?
IF you are progressing through this course and do not want the CEU’s (you just want to learn or you are enrolled in a University course where you get credit for this work) you only need to complete Part 1. Feel free to read download and read the two articles in Part 2, but that part is optional for you.
If you are enrolled in this course and want CEU’s, you need to complete both Part 1 and Part 2 – sorry.
Upon completion you will receive 2.5 CEU’s
At the conclusion of this course, each participant will be able to:
- Clearly define and describe asymmetry, symmetry, asymmetrical and symmetrical within the context of human movement.
- Describe the potential areas of symmetry within the entire human system.
- Understand and explain how precision in language can impact their ability to establish a plan of care.
Knowledge Gap:
In the fields of orthopedic rehab and human movement, there is currently no specific agreed upon definition of the terms asymmetry, symmetry, asymmetrical or symmetrical. Furthermore, for 3 decades researchers have been trying to answer the question of how asymmetry is associated with injury without a clear definition of THE THING they are researching. This course establishes clear and contextual definitions of these terms and frames this new language into the context of ultimately allowing the healthcare provider to better understand the patients movement environment.
Course Instructor
