Compensatory Pattern
Definition
A structural adaptation where the body changes position or movement strategy at one region to accommodate a limitation at another. Compensations are the body's solution to maintaining function despite restriction. They are not pathological in themselves -- they become problematic when they create overload at the compensating segment.
Clinical Significance
Compensatory patterns are the central concept in biomechanical assessment. The site of pain is rarely the site of the problem. Knee pain may compensate for hip restriction. Low back pain may compensate for thoracic stiffness. Shoulder impingement may compensate for rib cage position. The assessment's purpose is to identify the primary restriction that is driving the compensation, not to treat the compensation itself.
How AKMI Assesses This
AKMI's entire assessment protocol is designed to map the compensatory chain. By measuring multiple joints and comparing bilateral data, the assessment identifies which restrictions are primary (driving the pattern) and which are compensatory (adapting to the driver). This distinction determines the intervention strategy.
Get your general assessed
A biomechanical assessment measures compensatory pattern and its relationship to the rest of your structural chain. 18 tests, objective data, personalized programming.