Statue of David and Our Frontal Plane

By Vincent Hanneken, PT/Owner

When you ask someone about posture, they will most likely imagine the side view of a person sitting at a desk or standing, evaluating how upright they are, how rounded their upper back looks, or how far forward their head is. All of this is relevant when assessing posture, but it only considers the body from the side. (By the way, we did a whole newsletter back in September on forward head posture and how the head gets heavier the more forward it leans. Check it out on our website under “Health Tips.”)

Don’t get me wrong — side views are important. But when evaluating posture, the view from the front or back provides interesting data and valuable information to help us understand where stress and tightness are starting to accumulate, which can affect range of motion, cause compensation, and ultimately become the culprit behind your pain.

A great example of front/back posture is Michelangelo’s David. Somehow, Michelangelo captured a very common pattern of postural asymmetry back in the 1500s that is still seen in many people today. With even a quick look at the sculpture, you can see obvious postural differences between the right and left sides of his body.

By following along as we analyze this common posture — and noticing whether you share some of these traits — you can begin to adjust your own posture, reduce tension and pain, and better understand why these imbalances occur.

There is certainly no shortage of tension and pain in people’s bodies. In fact, the number one reason why people seek help is ongoing tension or tightness that refuses to go away.

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Right Side Analysis

David is standing heavily on his right leg, with probably 90% of his weight on that side — a very common stance pattern. Many patients cannot even replicate this stance to the left.

Notice the concavity (curving inward) on the right lower back from both front and back views. This often contributes to lower-back tension and right-sided pain. The right lower back tends to be more tender when pressed, a sign of tightness.

This posture also affects the shoulders. The right shoulder often sits lower than the left, placing stress on the rotator cuff and contributing to shoulder impingement.

The ribs are also affected. The right ribs compress and reduce lung expansion, limiting support for the right shoulder blade. With less pneumatic support, the muscles must work harder — and less efficiently.

Balanced breathing becomes essential to good posture across our three postural planes: sitting, standing, and lying down.

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Left Side Analysis

Here we often see a left leg that is essentially “on vacation.” The left hip receives less weight-bearing and less stretch, leading to increased tightness deep in the left buttock (including the piriformis). This creates significant imbalances in hip muscle tone.

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Top View

From above, David would show a twist to the right in his pelvis combined with a lean to the right. This stresses the right sacroiliac joint and forces the right piriformis to resist the twist, contributing to tightness and hip bursitis.

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How This Shows Up in Daily Life

We generally use three major postures: standing, sitting, and lying down.

Sitting

Sitting dominates modern life — computers, driving, eating, and TV. Right-hand mouse use often causes a subtle lean to the right. Driving habits do the same — resting the right elbow on the console reinforces the same right-side concavity.

Sleeping

Many people sleep on their right side until the right shoulder becomes sore. Sleeping on the right compresses the ribs and restricts airflow on the right — again reinforcing daytime postural habits.

Take a look in a full-length mirror. Which leg do you stand on more? Women often show an even stronger pattern — standing heavily on the right while turning the left leg outward, increasing pelvic imbalance.

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Why This Pattern Happens

It’s not only because most people are right-handed, but that does contribute.

The real question is:
How can you avoid reinforcing this pattern even more?

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How to Help Yourself

When Standing

• Shift more weight onto your left hip.
• Let the trunk sag slightly left to create a left-side concavity — the opposite of David’s posture.
• Notice how inhalation expands the right ribs more.

When Sitting

• Keep your mouse closer to avoid leaning.
• Rest your left forearm on your left thigh to gently shift weight left.

In the Car

• Keep your right arm on the wheel.
• Avoid resting the right elbow on the console.
• Rest your left forearm on your left thigh to encourage a leftward bias.

When Sleeping

• Try sleeping on your left side to free the right ribs and improve breathing.

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Form Follows Function

Your body reflects the postures you use most frequently — for better or worse.

You can “make your day more therapeutic” by using daily activities as natural corrective exercises. Since you must sit, stand, and lie down anyway, why not do it in a way that promotes balance and prevents chronic tightness?

Awareness is step one. Notice your postural patterns at work, at your desk, in your car, and while sleeping. Begin making small adjustments each day.

Habits can work for you — and with enough attention, good postural habits can become automatic.

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