Dowager's hump or hyperkyphosis is an excessive curvature of the spine. Usually, this occurs in the thoracic or chest curve of the spinal column. Often it is also simply called kyphosis, which is a forward curvature of the spine.
The dowager's hump can develop in both men and women, but it gets its nickname from the slightly rounded hunch you might see at the base of an elderly woman's neck.
Spine-strengthening exercises and postural training, specifically extension and thoracic strengthening work with resistance, done regularly, can both stop the development of Dowager's Hump in its proverbial tracks, and even more encouraging, can reverse the severity of it in almost all cases.
The condition known as the widow's hump can also affect men, more often the elderly, but it can also be observed in young people. It is a kind of thickening at the junction of the cervical spine with the thoracic spine.
They may lead to a puffy, rounded face and the characteristic hump of fatty tissue at the base of the neck.
A dowager's hump can also be caused by osteoporosis. A compression fracture may cause an increased forward curve in your upper spine. This can cause you to drop your head forward more than normal. It can also be caused by a problem with how your spine formed before you were born.
A chiropractor can help you treat Dowager's condition in multiple ways. The first step is to use a Dowager's Hump correction brace that can help you correct the overall curvature of your spine. It may take some time for this brace to have a significant impact on your Dowager's Hump.
Dowager's Hump Correction Brace
However, it can take as long as three months to get back if you've been habitually slouching. Keep in mind that that tool should only be used for short periods of time. A brace is exactly that — it's a brace.
What is the difference between a dowager's hump and a buffalo hump? Some people may refer to a buffalo hump as a “dowager's hump.” However, dowager's humps are due to kyphosis, which involves bone placement and posture. Buffalo humps are due to the development of a fat pad between the shoulder blades.
Some people are more bothered by the physical aesthetic of Dowager's Hump while others just want some relief from the pain it causes. The good news is that Dowager's Hump be treated and for some people, it can be cured entirely.
Dowager's hump is an outdated term for kyphosis: the medical term for an excessively-rounded upper back and shoulders. Kyphosis is a type of spinal curvature that bends outwards, away from the body's center in a reverse-C shape. Excessive kyphosis, aka hyperkyphosis, can cause a number of symptoms.
Parental history of dowager's hump has been shown to be associated with greater kyphosis angle, suggesting there may be an inherited component to thoracic spine curvature.
Dowager's hump can sometimes go away on its own if you're consistent with stretches and treatment. Keep in mind though that this is a rough condition and will take many months to improve. If left untreated, it can worsen. You'll find that your body aches more and that your spine keeps curving forward.
Improves Posture
Sleeping without a pillow may improve the posture of stomach sleepers, but it often has the reverse effect for back and side sleepers. Sleeping on your stomach frequently leads to poor sleep posture and strain on the neck and shoulders.
Scoliosis refers to a sideways (lateral) curvature of the spine, but when your spine curves forward, this is often referred to as a Dowager's Hump.
Kyphosis is a spinal deformity characterized by a rounding of the back. While some rounding of the back is normal, the kyphosis curve refers to exaggerated rounding of more than 50 degrees. This condition is also referred to as a dowager hump, round back (postural kyphosis), or hunch back.
6 possible causes of a buffalo neck hump
Causes may include: Certain medications such as corticosteroids (prednisone, hydrocortisone, cortisone) and some medications used to treat HIV/AIDS (particularly older medications) Obesity (a buffalo neck hump may be seen along with generalized fat deposition)
High levels of the hormone cortisol can lead to increased fat synthesis. With Cushing syndrome, the fat produced often deposits in the neck, known as lipodystrophy. This produces the characteristic buffalo hump. Cushing syndrome may be caused by an adrenal tumor, lung tumor, or glucocorticoid medications.
The acupuncture treatment can help clear up the fat behind the neck, and remove the blocks to help blood circulation more smoothly. Therapy massage treatment can relieve the tightness and soreness of the muscle, help the muscle to have a rest, and make it support the head better.
A hump on the upper back between the shoulder blades is an area of fat accumulation on the back of the neck. The medical name of this condition is dorsocervical fat pad.
Physical therapy and massage
A physical therapist can help you work with your body, advising some specific neck hump exercises and massages to correct your posture and reduce that buffalo hump.
A doctor may recommend wearing a back brace to correct the curve and doing physical therapy to strengthen the spine. In extreme cases of spine curvature, surgery may be the only option.