How do I interpret Shoulder Shift and Hip Shift results?

Overview

Shoulder Shift and Hip Shift are the two primary posture metrics in Styku Studio. They quantify left–right deviation of key body landmarks and are used to identify potential alignment issues that may contribute to pain or injury risk.

Details

Metric | What it measures

**Shoulder Shift** | Left–right deviation at the shoulder landmarks relative to the body's centerline

**Hip Shift** | Left–right deviation at the hip landmarks relative to the body's centerline

Both are derived from landmark distances measured from the shoulders, through the hips, and down to the ankles.

Reading the value

Zero – the landmark is centered; this is the normal/ideal result
Left – the landmark deviates to the left
Right – the landmark deviates to the right

Trends graph

When a client has more than one scan on file, selecting either metric displays a trends graph that plots each scan result as zero, left, or right. This allows you to track whether alignment is improving, worsening, or staying the same over time.

Normal vs. elevated-risk range

Within the normal (zero) region – small asymmetries are expected and not a cause for concern
Outside the normal region – the client may be at elevated risk of pain or injury due to malalignment and musculoskeletal compensations; corrective action should be considered

Notes

These metrics reflect static posture only. They do not assess dynamic movement patterns.
Use shifts as a starting point, then tap the exoskeleton lines or left-panel data to investigate specific segments of the kinetic chain for more detail.
Re-scanning every 4–6 weeks is recommended to track the effectiveness of any corrective strategy.

If this resolves your issue, no further action is needed.

If the problem persists, contact support and include: the scan ID, observed metric values, and a description of the unexpected behavior.

Applies to: Styku Studio (all configurations)