Feet Flatten = Eversion

Note: This compensation pattern is often driven by a lack of dorsiflexion

Short/Overactive Long/Underactive
Evertors: Lower Leg Flexibilty Invertors: Tibialis Anterior
Fibularis Tibialis Activation
(Peroneals) Anterior Tibialis Posterior
Lateral Tibialis Activation
Gastrocnemius Posterior
Plantar Flexors: Dorsiflexors:
Soleus Tibialis
Gastrocnemius Anterior

Feet Turn Out = Tibial External Rotation

Note: This compensation pattern is often driven by a lack of dorsiflexion
Short/Overactive Long/Underactive
Tibial External Rotators Tibial External Tibial Internal Rotators: Tibial Internal Rotator
TFL (via ITB) Rotator Flexibility Gracilis Activation
Biceps Femoris Lower Leg Flexibilty Semitendinosus & Tibialis Posterior
Lateral Gastroc Semimembranosus Activation
Sartorius VMO Activation
Medial Tibialis Anterior
Gastrocnemius Activation
Vastus Medialis
Obliquus
Plantar Flexors: Dorsiflexors:
Soleus Tibialis Anterior
Gastrocnemius
Special notes:
The tibial internal rotators are activated as a group.
The VMO is actually involved in medial tracking of the patella, but is affected by this
dysfunction.
The Posterior Tibialis Activation has been included in this graph to affect the medial
gastrocnemius. Both muscles are activated using these techniques; however, do not get your
functional anatomy confused. The posterior tibialis does not cross the knee, and therefore
does not directly contribute to this compensation pattern.
Knees Bow In = Tibial External Rotation & Femoral Internal Rotation
Note: This compensation pattern may be driven by ankle or hip dysfunction. If ankle dysfunction is to
blame it will be necessary to release and lengthen the calf complex and activate the tibialis anterior.
Short/Overactive Long/Underactive
Tibial External Tibial External Tibial Internal Rotators: Glutues Medius
Rotators Rotator Flexibility Gracilis Activation
TFL (via ITB) Hip Flexor Flexibility Semitendinosus & Gluteus Maximus
Biceps Adductor Flexibility Semimembranosus Activation
Femoris Lower Leg Flexibilty Sartorius Tibial Internal Rotator
Lateral Medial Activation
Gastroc Gastrocnemius Tibialis Posterior
Vastus Medialis Activation
Obliquus VMO Activation
Femoral Internal Femoral External Rotators Tibialis Anterior
Rotators Gluteus Maximus Activation
TFL Gluteus Medius
Gluteus
Minimus
Adductors
Special notes:
The tibial internal rotators are activated as a group.
The VMO is actually involved in medial tracking of the patella, but is affected by this
dysfunction.
The Posterior Tibialis Activation article has been included in this graph to affect the medial
gastrocnemius. Both muscles are activated using these techniques; however, do not get your
functional anatomy confused. The posterior tibialis does not cross the knee, and therefore
does not directly contribute to this compensation pattern.
The Hip Flexor Flexibility and Adductor Flexibility articles address the muscles responsible
for femoral internal rotation.
Knees Bow Out = Femoral External Rotation & Ankle Eversion

Note: This compensation pattern may be driven by ankle or hip dysfunction. If ankle dysfunction is to
blame it will be necessary to release and lengthen the calf complex and activate the tibialis anterior.

Short/Overactive Long/Underactive
Femoral External Femoral External Rotators
Rotators
Hip External Rotator Gluteus Maximus Gluteus Maximus
Piriformis Flexibility Gluteus Medius Activation
Biceps
Femoris Lower Leg Flexibility Gluteus Medius
Adductor Activation
Magnus
Tibialis Anterior
Evertors: Invertors: Activation

Fibularis Tibialis Anterior Tibialis Posterior

(Peroneals) Tibialis Posterior Activation
Lateral
Gastroc

Special notes:

This is a tricky dysfunction to analyze. Although you may be tempted to label this Abduction of the
Hip, this leads to the ineffective practice of inhibiting an underactive gluteus medius and activating
the commonly overactive adductors. Practice has shown that the overactive synergists of external
rotation are the primary culprit driving this dysfunction as they attempt to compensate for an
inhibited glute complex during extension (or eccentric flexion).

Believe it or not, if correcting this dysfunction results in Knees Bow In, this is an improvement. This
sign is one of our first compensations within a compensation. If the knees bow in on reassessment
treat the dysfunction as such and use the corrective strategy implied by the table knees bow in.
Excessive Forward Lean = Hip Flexion & Lack of dorsiflexion (a.k.a. excessive plantar flexion)

Short/Overactive Long/Underactive
Hip Flexion Hip Flexor Flexibility Hip Extensors Gluteus Maximus
Tensor Fasciae Adductor Flexibility Gluteus Maximus Activation
Latae (TFL) Lower Leg Flexibilty Semitendinosus & Tibialis Anterior
Psoas Semimembranosus Activation
Iliacus *Biceps Femoris
Rectus Femoris *Posterior Fibers *Tibial Internal
Sartorius of Adductor Rotator Activation
Anterior Magnus
Adductors
Plantar Flexors: Dorsiflexors:
Soleus Tibialis Anterior
Gastrocnemius
Special notes:
In this dysfunction we are forced to confront our first set of strange muscles marked with
an *. By strange I mean they pair a length and activity relationship that is not common.
The muscles denoted by an * are long, but over-active. These are not muscles we want to
stretch, or activate; however, release techniques may be effective for improving function.
The Tibial Internal Rotator Activation is only added as a means of increasing semitendinosus
and semimembranosus activity.
Anterior Pelvic Tilt (Excessive Lordosis) = Hip Flexion & Lumbar Extension

Short/Overactive Long/Underactive
Hip Flexion Hip Flexor Flexibility Hip Extensors Gluteus Maximus
Activation
Tensor Fasciae Adductor Flexibility Gluteus Maximus
Latae (TFL) Semitendinosus & TVA Activation
Psoas Lumbar Extensor Semimembranosus
Iliacus Flexibility *Biceps Femoris Intrinsic Stabilization
Rectus Femoris *Posterior Fibers Subsystem Activation
Sartorius of Adductor
Anterior Magnus Anterior Oblique
Adductors Subsystem Integration
Lumbar Extensors: Trunk Flexors:

Erector Spinae Rectus Abdominis

Latissimus Internal Obliques
Dorsi External Obliques
Transverse
Abdominis (TVA)

In this dysfunction we are forced to confront our first set of strange muscles marked with an *.

By strange I mean they pair a length and activity relationship that is not common. The muscles
denoted by an * are long, but over-active. These are not muscles we want to stretch, or activate;
however, release techniques may be effective for improving function.

The recruitment of trunk musculature is best explained by muscular synergies known as

subsystems. Although the TVA Activation is often the focus of lumbo pelvic hip programs it is likely
recruited with all of the muscles associated with the Intrinsic Stabilization Subsystem.

Similarly the anterior trunk musculature makes up the Anterior Oblique Subsystem
Asymmetrical Weight Shift Left = Knee Bows Out on Right + Knee Bows in on Left
Note: A single direction was chosen for ease of visualization. Reverse rights and lefts if dysfunction
occurs to the opposite side.
Short/Overactive Long/Underactive
Right Femoral Femoral Left Tibial Tibial Right Invertors Glutues
External Rotators External External Rotators External Tibialis Medius
Piriformis Rotator TFL (via Rotator Anterior Activation
Biceps Flexibility ITB) Flexibility Tibialis Gluteus
Femoris Biceps Lower Posterior Maximus
Adductor Femoris Leg Activation
Magnus Lateral Flexibilty Tibialis
Gastroc Posterior
Right Ankle Lower Left Femoral Left Femoral External Activation
Evertors Leg Internal Rotators Rotators Tibialis
Fibularis Flexibility TFL Gluteus Anterior
(Peroneals) Gluteus Maximus Activation
Lateral Minimus Gluteus
Gastroc Adductors Medius
Special notes:
In future articles this dysfunction will be discussed in more detail. Often what cause an
asymmetrical weight shift is simply having lower leg dysfunction on one side.
This is an abbreviated analysis and solution, for a more thorough look at this dysfunction see
my article Sacroiliac Joint Motion and Predictive Model of Dysfunction
Most often this dysfunction is a compensation within a compensation. A corrective
strategy that resulted in a symmetrical compensation such as, Anterior Pelvic Tilt, Knees
Bow In, or an Excessive Forward Lean would be an improvement.
Arms Fall Forward = Shoulder Internal Rotation
Note: The muscles that cause the shoulders to internally rotate in static standing posture are the
same muscles that would cause extension/adduction of the arms from an overhead position.

Short/Overactive Long/Underactive
Shoulder Internal Pectoralis Major, Shoulder External Rotators External Rotator
Rotators Minor and Infraspinatus Activation
Latissimus Subscapularis Teres Minor
Dorsi Flexibility *Posterior Deltoid
Pectoralis Lumbar Extensor
Major Flexiblity (Lats)
Subscapularis
Special notes:
In this dysfunction we are forced to confront our second strange muscle marked with an
*. By strange I mean it pairs a length and activity relationship that is not common. The
posterior deltoid is long, but over-active. This is not a muscle we want to stretch, or activate;
however, release techniques may be effective for improving function.
It is very rare that shoulder dysfunction exists without scapula and thoracic spine dysfunction.
Most often a corrective strategy would include many of the techniques recommended in the
graph below Shoulders Elevate

Shoulders Elevate = Scapula Downward Rotation + Anterior Tipping

Short/Overactive Long/Underactive
Downward Rotators Scapular Muscle Upward Rotators Serratus Anterior
Pectoralis Flexibility Upper and Activation
Minor Lower Trapezius Activation
Levator Trapezius
Scapula Serratus
Rhomboids Anterior

Anterior Tippers: Posterior Tippers:

Pectoralis Serratus
Minor Anterior
Levator Lower and
Scapulae Middle
Upper Trapezius.
Trapezius
Special notes:
This dysfunction is most often paired with shoulder dysfunction (graph above).
The upper traps fall on both sides of the graph (another strange occurrence). Although they
are most often described as tight, the levator scapulae play a larger role in the perception
of suprascapular and cervical spine tightness. The trapezius may be released and stretched
if the assessor believes it is warranted, and the muscle is activated during certain
progressions of Serratus Anterior and Trapezius activation.