What it means
The trunk shifted to one side relative to the pelvis, usually with low back pain.
Where it comes from
A compensatory shift to take pressure off an irritated nerve root.
How it is measured
It is measured on the front view, in the coronal plane. The defining measurement is Upper body shifted to one side (Lateral trunk shift), and it is reported as a finding from above 1 cm. The number is computed from landmarks on that photograph — not estimated by eye, and not compared against a stock example.
What the numbers mean
| Measurement | Grade |
|---|---|
| up to 1 cm | Within normal range |
| 1–2.5 cm | Mild shift |
| 2.5–4 cm | Moderate shift |
| 4 cm and above | Severe shift |
Source of the bands: Coronal trunk balance; a shift beyond ~2 cm is the conventional decompensation threshold
What is usually seen alongside it
- Sideways curve of the spine (Cobb angle) — above 10°
- One hip higher (Pelvic obliquity) — above 2°
None of these is a diagnosis on its own. Together they corroborate the finding; apart, they do not refute it — a measurement nobody took counts neither for nor against.
What confirms it
Measured with a plumb line from the C7 spinous process to the gluteal cleft.
Every number on this page is measured on the skin surface in a photograph. That is not the same as a measurement taken on a radiograph: it correlates with one and does not replace it. Wherever the decision depends on imaging, this page and the report itself say so.
What happens at the clinic
The assessment starts with three standing photographs — front, side and back. Every angle is measured on those photographs, the report prints the number and the grade for each, and the exercise programme is built from those numbers rather than from a template. Posture analysis explains the whole path, and the online assessment can be started from your own photograph now.
Frequently asked questions
At what point is lateral trunk shift reported?
When upper body shifted to one side (lateral trunk shift) is above 1 cm, it is reported as a finding. That is where the "Mild shift" band begins. The bands come from: Coronal trunk balance; a shift beyond ~2 cm is the conventional decompensation threshold
Can lateral trunk shift be assessed from a photograph?
A photograph gives a number, which most assessments do not have. But it is a surface measurement and it does not replace imaging. Measured with a plumb line from the C7 spinous process to the gluteal cleft.
What is the most severe grade?
The worst band in this table is "Severe shift". The grade is printed beside the measurement itself in the report, so it is always clear which number produced the word.