Question
I have been looking for the answer as to why my body is so badly out of alignment since 2002. I am generally fit and health 6'1 and 182lb 40 years old male. My posture has never been great and is getting worse with age I have given up running and cycling because it is too hard with the way my body is formed
If I put my legs together I have a twist in the pelvis right side forward, a shorter leg on the right side by 1cm and a dropped shoulder on the right with very tight upper left back muscles the lower left ribs also stick out further. Last year a sports physio said I had a twist in the thorasic spine but offered no explanation and could not 'fix' me.
To cut a very long story short last week I had an ultrasound which showed I had a duplex kidney on the left side both of which were rotated. I figured that they must be pushing on my ribcage together with my lungs in some way so I taped it down and would you believe it I am straight!. LLD gone and twists gone.
My question is this am I doing somthing fundamentally wrong and dangerous It feels great to be straight but I am woried that I might be doing more harm than good. Whatever is pushing out from the inside is now being forcably stopped from doing so. The tape is positioned about 1" up from the lowest rib and extends about 10" from front to back on the left side

Answer
Steven,

Tape is used very often, just like you described, in treating musculoskeletal conditions.   There is no harm done to use tape.  If it feels good and enables you to perform your sport, then you should continue to use it.   Regarding alignment, it is generally understood that if you have a congenital alteration in one place (e.g. your kidney), odds are that you will have them in other places, such as your bones (e.g. a short bone, an extra bone, or spinal curvature or scoliosis).   Sometimes the skin will give you a clue.  Do you have any patches of darker skin, called "Cafe' au Lat" spots, on your torso or legs?  Sometimes they are large, like the size of your hand, and just faintly coffee-colored.  When we see these brown birth marks, which are congenital defects of the skin, we must be cognizant of the possibility of congenital defects in the spine.   These architectural and cosmetic issues have no bearing on your general health or life expectancy.  But the structural alterations affect global alignment, and that can cause discomfort with various activities, e.g. running or sports.   So go ahead and play with the tape.  Also, see a chiropractor and find out if your body can feel and function better with chiropractic joint manipulation and some targeted soft tissue therapy (see my previous postings).   You might be surprised.   Also, a well-trained sports chiropractor can introduce you to different tape techniques.  

'Hope this was helpful.

Dr. G