Consequent to this, exercise and rehabilitation have to be prescriptive for each individual. These treatments have to be tailored to factor in the specific imbalances and demands of each individual.

An accountant who sits all day in a sustained slumped position, with a forward head posture as he stares at a computer screen, can cause overloading of the joints, muscle, ligaments and nerves. This may result in thoracic pain, neck pain, low back pain, or headaches.

The physiotherapy management of the accountant has to be different to that of a squash player who is involved in a sport that creates repetitive overloading on one side of the body. This type of imbalanced loading includes sports such as cricket, hockey, tennis and track running.

Asymmetrical loading is also seen in school kids, constantly carrying a heavy school bag over one shoulder. These types of imbalanced loads can cause injuries on one side of the body, including injuries to the knee, hip, ankle, shoulder, back and neck.

Patients with biomechanical imbalances can frequently present with recurrent or multiple injuries. Identification of these risk factors to injury is possible prior to injury occurring,  and correction of these factors – by correcting muscle imbalances, motor control, muscle recruitment and movement patterns – can significantly reduce injury risk, improve sports performance and reduce pain in sustained work positions.​

In all instances, best outcomes are achieved with a prescriptive exercise & rehabilitation programme individualised to each patient & their specific influencing factors & physical demands.