The name Dowagers hump is not a medical term but everyone knows what it means. It means an accentuated curve in the neck (or lordosis) and an exaggerated curve in the opposite direction in the thoracic spine (kyphosis). This causes a lump to become apparent around the base of the neck.
Causes of Dowagers hump
This is in most cases poor posture. Although can be caused by osteoporosis and other arthritic conditions of the neck
Can it be cured?
Very simply yes if you correct your posture before the muscles and joints are set in a poor position.
To check whether you have the start of the problem try standing up against the wall with your shoulders and buttocks resting in contact with the wall. Then place the crown of your head on the wall. If you can not get all 3 sections on the wall at the same time then you need to start correcting that as soon as possible.
In order to correct the problem you need to:
1. Stretch the tight muscles
2. Loosen up the joints
3. Build up the neck muscles to hold you up in a good posture.
4. Correct your posture
5. If you have a desk based job perform regular neck exercises
Stretches
1. Sub-occipital
- Tuck your chin in.
- Whilst keeping your chin tucked in, gently pull your head downwards.
- Aim to feel a stretch at the back of your neck.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Repeat 3 times.
2. Neck sideflexion stretch
Put your right hand on your head and pull your head sideways to the right. Feel the stretch. Hold 5 secs and repeat x 5
Do on the other side with the left hand on the head.
3. Lie on your back with a book/ small pillow under your head.
Try and flatten your neck on to the floor/ bed by pulling in your chin.
4. Lie on your back with your knees bent.
Place a roller or any form of long firm roll ( a rolled towel if you have nothing else)under your mid back.
Do an abdominal curl up and then back over the hard roll. Move the roll to different parts of your mid back to loosen each area
Another way to do this exercise if to use the padded arm of the sofa and lean back over this to stretch your mid back
5. Stand up against the wall with your shoulders and crown of your head against the wall.
Now retract your chin as if to flatten the neck on to the wall and feel the head sliding vertically up the wall as if being pulled from the top of your head.
All exercises are in Neck and Thoracic exercises- links below
Strengthening exercises
In order for your head to maintain a good posture you need to build up the muscles around the neck.
These will be weak if you have had poor posture for some time.
There are a variety of exercises dependant on how mobile you are.
Sitting exercises
Sideflexors
Place your hand on the side of your head and push against your hand for 5 secs and repeat x 5. Then do the left hand against your hand
Flexors
Put your hand on your forehead and press against the hand. Hold 5 secs and repeat x5
Extensors
Place both hands behind your head and press back on to your hands. Hold 5 secs and repeat x5
see neck exercises
Lying exercises
1. Lie on your side with no pillow. Let your head go down into side flexion towards the floor/bed. Then lift head up keeping the nose facing straight forwards.
Lift up and down x 10 if possible
Change sides
2. Lie on your front propped up on your elbows. Keep your shoulders back and your shoulder blades together at the back.
Let your head relax forwards and let it hang there for a minute. You should feel a nice stretch of the muscles at the back of the neck.
Then turn your head 30 -40 degrees and then lift up against gravity keeping it slightly rotated. Repeat x 10
Then relax head down into the middle and let it hang again for a moment.
Then do the opposite side.
3. Lie on your front with elbows bent and hands near your ears.
Lift up your shoulders and arms off the bed/floor keeping the hands near the ears.Then if able slide them forwards mid air, then back and release them down.
Repeat x 10
Standing
1. Stand by the wall with your hips, shoulders and head on the wall.
Pull your chin back in towards the wall, then poke it out again and then pull back in again x 20
2. Stand by the wall- Place your elbows and hands against the wall and slide them up the wall keeping them in contact as far as you can .
Then lower. Repeat x 10
see Neck exercises link here