Dowager’s hump or postural kyphosis is a condition occurs due to slouching. It is not a very serious condition, but if not treated properly, it can cause some serious health problems like hyperkyphosis and the fracture of a vertebra.
However, if you notice a hump around at the back of your neck, you can improve the dowager’s hump by the combination of a change in some daily habits and correction in muscular imbalances. Here are some effective exercises to improve the condition of postural kyphosis.
1.Train your back muscles:
If you want to improve the dowager’s hump, you need to strengthen your upper body including neck and shoulder. For that, training the back muscles is a very handy method. The training of the back muscles can increase the muscle mass and can also burn the fat from the upper part of the body.
Here is what to do:
- Put both hands on the back of the neck and press them forward, pushing your head towards back with the neck muscles.
- Keep your body in the same position for 5-10 seconds.
- Repeat this exercise 10 times.
2.Stretch the neck muscles:
Stretching the sternocleidomastoid muscles can improve the dowager’s hump condition.
Let’s know what you need to do:
- Stretch your head to the right side until you feel some pressure on the left side of the neck.
- Place your right hand on the head and gently pull it down.
- Hold the position for 30-40 seconds.
- Repeat three times on each side.
3.Release the suboccipital muscle:
Suboccipital muscles are located at the base of the neck and are sometimes responsible for improper stretching of the head. To release some tension from that area, you should find and manipulate the triggered area.
Here’s how:
- Place your head correctly on a tennis ball and press it with the affected area.
- Move your head gently from side to side to release the tense muscles.
- Keep doing this for a couple of minutes.
4. Do a self-massage:
If you’re having a dowager’s hump, it might be possible that the muscles around the neck are abnormally tight. You can loosen them by following this technique.
- Twist 2-3 scarves or towels together to form a thick enough braid-like band.
- Place the band around the back of the neck having both ends in each hand.
- Rub the band up and down gently around the neck to ease up the tension.
- Do it for 5-7 minutes.
5.Perform scapular squeezes:
Scapular squeezes can give instant relief from the dowager’s hump, especially if it is happened due to wrong posture or pressure on the shoulder blade.
Here is how to perform scapular squeezes:
- Sit straight with arms at your side.
- Keep your shoulders relaxed and down.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
- Hold for 6 seconds and then relax.
- Keep repeating this for 8 to 10 times.
Some tips to prevent Dowager’s hump:
You can prevent Dowager’s hump by:
- Maintaining proper sitting posture especially when using a computer.
- Walking straight, not with a downward posture.
- Using soft pillows.
- Avoiding wrong sleeping postures.
- Avoiding unnecessary stunts or actions.
Dowager’s hump is not a very serious condition especially if given proper attention at the start. You can treat it even at home with these simple and easy to do exercises. If the condition doesn’t improve after a few days of performing these exercises, you should consult a medical professional for proper diagnosis and treatment.