Injury and Compensation

After a sprained ankle, gait changes during the healing period and the body may retain a subtle compensatory movement pattern even after pain resolves. Even a 1% reduction in push-off from one leg due to a habitual compensation is sufficient to create a left-right imbalance. Reduced pressure through one leg produces fewer signals to the brain from that side, causing the brain to adapt to uneven input. A minor injury can produce long-lasting imbalance even after the injury itself appears to have fully healed. Small injuries and altered movement habits can accumulate repeatedly throughout life, each creating new opportunities for uneven signaling and imbalance.