There are many possible causes of muscle strength imbalances. One of the more common causes is that the strength you have in each individual muscle, is a result of all the activities that you do over time. Activities such as walking, standing, sitting, exercising, going to the gym, or any sport activity, all lead to improvement of strength in the muscle fibers that are used in that activity. Depending on the combination of all the activities you do, some muscles may eventually get stronger than others.
Imbalanced muscle strength can happen whether you are an Olympic athlete or relatively inactive. For athletes, you might be exercising some muscles every week, but missing other specific muscles in your routines. Even if you are relatively inactive, factors such as your posture and the exact way that you sit, stand or walk all contribute to which specific muscles are used and developed. The result of uneven exercising or activity levels is imbalanced muscles that can cause joints problems.
Other possible causes of imbalanced muscle strength includes: traumas, surgery, nerve problems, circulatory issues, nutritional deficiencies, drug reactions and more. While these causes tend to be less common, it is important to rule out these mechanisms before beginning any treatment or exercise program designed to correct muscle imbalances.