What causes the left shoulder to be broader than the right?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am a 19-year-old female. I have noticed that one of my clavicles is longer than the other. My left shoulder is slightly broader than my right shoulder. Now and then I experience pain in my left shoulder. My waist on the left is bigger than my right side as if I have lopsided curves as well as my breast is bigger on the left than the right. My posture looks good and my spine looks normal. I have tried looking into scoliosis but was told nothing wrong with me. Is this a growth problem?

Please advise.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

One way to resolve the issue is to get a chest and thoracic spine X-ray. This is to rule out scoliosis (a sideways curvature of the spine that most often is diagnosed in adolescents) as well as to check if the clavicles are of the same size.

My hunch from your description is that you have mild scoliosis. Another way to check is to look for a rib hump. This is seen when a second person stands behind you and looks at your rib cage as you bend forward. The line of sight should be in the profile of your back and we aim to look for any asymmetry. Are there asymmetrical skin folds in the flanks?

The second explanation is that you might have muscle imbalance and tightness in your upper back. You can see a physiotherapist who specializes in manual therapy for help.

I hope that you get your answer.

Please let me know if you need any help.

Thank you.