Problems related to the spine are becoming common due to the poor lifestyle people are leading. It usually results in bad posture, which gets worse down the line and leads to a problematic life. It is more common in people with a desk job as they sit all day, which affects their posture. So, it is important to pay attention to these minor changes and act upon them as quickly as you can.
The neck hump or Dowager’s hump is among the common spine-related problems in the US and usually occurs after the age of 55 years. But, it can develop sooner if you disregard the signs. However, a good thing about these problems is that they are treatable and preventable. A common way to get relief from the neck hump is to see a chiropractor; however, it is not the only way.
In this article, we will discuss neck hump in detail and share the many methods to prevent, diagnose, and cure this spine issue.
A neck hump is a condition that is very common in older adults. In this condition, there is a curvature directed outwards in the thoracic spine, which leads to a hump. This hump is located at the back of the neck. It is also known as a Dowager’s hump or Kyphosis in the medical field.
It affects almost 35% of females in the age group of 20-64 years, and over 40% of adults over the age of 60 years ordinarily develop this condition. Some level of curvature is common, but when the curvature starts limiting mobility and causes discomfort, it starts creating issues. That is what many disregards at the initial stages, which only leads to a deteriorating condition.
Apart from a hump in the back, you may also experience rounded shoulders, extreme levels of exhaustion, painful or stiff back and shoulder blades, tight hamstring, or headache or migraine.
There are several reasons which are more likely to lead to a hump at the back of your neck. We will cover all the known causes of this condition. These are:
According to a report from the NIH (National Institute Of Health), about one-fourth of Americans experience back pain in any quarter of an annual period. It is common due to posture problems, and it is also one of the most common reasons for neck hump.
Some examples of bad posture are forward slump, extended neck while sitting, etc. These can lead to weak muscles, which further results in a condition like a neck/Dowager’s hump.
Osteoporosis is a medical condition where bones start becoming weak and losing calcium. It is also a common cause of a neck hump, as bones provide the support our body needs. Once they start becoming, the curvature in the spine is inevitable, which can lead to neck hump.
Often, the changes in the spine do not happen instantaneously and progress over time, or rather, they regress as the changes are usually in the wrong direction. These changes may result due to poor posture or the regular aging process. Sometimes, tumors and infections can also lead to these changes, which, in turn, leads to neck hump.
It is a very rare scenario, but there are situations where the formation of the spine does not properly take place before the birth of a child. It can also lead to a hump at the back of the neck, however uncommon it may be.
Scheurmann’s Kyphosis is a condition that is common among teenagers. At that age, the spine may develop into a rectangular shape instead of the regular wedge shape. It can further lead to a dowager’s hump.
There is also a possibility of some other medical condition or side effects of medications that can lead to the development of a neck hump. These are some of the possible causes of a neck hump.
As they always say, “Prevention is better than cure.” It holds true for almost every issue, and the neck hump condition is also subject to this statement. There are many easy-to-do ways that help in preventing this condition. Some of these steps may also help in relieving early symptoms of neck hump and even erase them from your body.
These are some of the prevention methods that would work for you:
A neck hump has a diverse set of symptoms that can vary depending on the severity of the curvature. For early identification, these are some of the most common symptoms to look for.
If you are also suffering from any of these conditions due to the curvature in your spine, then it is high time that you start to act on it. You can look for these signs to check whether you have a neck hump or not. However, self-examination may not always help in identification.
You can go and visit a professional doctor or chiropractor, and they will provide you with certain tests that they will use for better identification of the condition. These tests can include:
The first step in fixing the issue of neck hump starts with its diagnosis. While the process of self-examination can help in identifying the hump, the physician will perform further tests to identify the symptoms and the degree of hump development.
Depending on your age and the degree of the neck hump, the condition can be treated by strengthening the muscles of your back and neck. There are various exercises that you can try, which are suggested by different health experts. These exercises are:
If the degree of neck hump is a little more severe or in the case of an older adult, the doctor may recommend physical therapy so that you can adjust gradually to exercises. There are various ways to treatment of neck hump which can also depend on the cause of the condition. Let us have a look at the treatment options
One of the most common natural methods is to visit a chiropractor for neck hump treatment. An experienced and skilled chiropractor can fix a neck hump and help you fight against a misaligned spine. Usually, the first visit will start with an examination of your spine and some questions about the symptoms and everything else that is relevant for treating the hump.
After diagnosis and getting a clear picture of what you need, they will create strategies to treat your neck hump based on many different factors. The treatment plan they create will be personalized and focus on rejuvenating your body through gradual improvement. It means that you will need to spend some time to see visible improvement.
A common treatment method for treating neck humps is the flexion-distraction technique. In this method, the chiropractor allows the gentle movement of the spine so that it doesn’t make you feel pain, reduces inflammation, releases stress, and lowers the sensitivity in the spot of pain. There are also other methods that a chiropractor implements for treatment which include massage therapy, interferential therapy, ultrasound, etc.
While there is no fixed duration to treat a neck hump, you need to understand that the pain or discomfort from the condition won’t go away overnight. It will take months for your body to heal from the neck hump; it can go up to years, in severe cases, even with the help of a chiropractor.
This is because the accumulation of damage over the years would take as much time to heal naturally. So, one needs to be patient and give the body time to heal and ensure that you don’t put too much physical stress on it.
A neck hump can also fix on its own in cases with early symptoms. The cure, in such situations, is, focusing on posture with daily stretching and exercise.
Neck Hump has become very common in the US due to the rising obesity among the populace. It is not often a serious condition that affects your lifestyle directly in the short run; however, in the long run, it will make you experience major issues that may not be fatal but are worse than fatal in more ways than one. Your reliability on others will rise as time goes by. That is why you should get it fixed sooner than later.
Chiropractic is one of the best available options for your neck hump treatment. If you are in need of a chiropractor that you can rely on, Realign Spine Clinic has got that covered for you. Our chiropractor, Dr. Michael Shaub, has over 26 years of experience treating various spine-related issues and helping various patients.
Get a free consultation at our clinic by visiting our website or clinic at Jackson Heights or NYC. You can also call or send us a mail at the following:
Email: 888anypain@gmail.com
Phone: +1 888-269-7246
Just like any other exercise, yoga is also known to benefit neck hump problems. Yoga improves flexibility and develops strength in your body. All of this ultimately strengthens muscles around your neck and spine, which decreases the chance of developing a neck hump. You may also use it to treat the initial stages of the neck hump.
A certain degree of curvature is considered to be normal, and beyond that, the curvature becomes problematic. The normal curvature, which is a healthy measure in young adults, is around 40 degrees. Curvature over 40 degrees is problematic, and the severity varies on the deviation from the normal.
A neck hump is a spot near the back of the neck where an accumulation of fat takes place. It is usually common in the upper back, which is in between the shoulder blades.
Another nickname for a neck hump is Dowager’s hump. It is due to the slight hunch, which is round in shape and can be seen at the base of an older woman’s neck.
Sleeping without a pillow can reduce the excessive strain on your spine, which will improve its ability to support and can even result in the reduction of daily discomfort. However, sleeping with an extra pillow can reverse the situation as it would put more strain on your neck, increasing the chances of developing a neck hump.
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