How to Fix the Hump On the Back of My Neck

Have you walked by the window, glanced at your reflection and noticed a large hump on the back of your neck? That sucks, doesn’t it? Now, here’s the good news, you can reduce the bump by doing the following 3 simple exercises.

1. YWTL Exercise
2. Neck Extensions
3. Shoulder Pin Down Stretch

Why You’re Developing a Hump in the Back of Your Neck

There’s a couple reasons why a hump would develop. The primary issue is a fatty deposit that gets laid down by your body when there’s too much pressure on your spine. If you’re a deskworker, constantly looking at screens, your head is likely angled down frequently. This position creates pressure on your spine. Over time, your body will lay down fatty tissue to protect and act as a buffer. Unfortunately, this will begin to show as a hump in your neck.

The Other Issues Causing a Bump in Your Neck

There are a few other factors that can lead to the nasty “buffalo hump”. If your neck muscles are constantly working to keep your head back (due to your tech time), then the muscles along your neck and shoulders will naturally get stronger to counter the stress. As they get stronger, they’ll also get bigger.

Also, a cervical spine (neck) that is constantly in the forward position will strain the vertebrae, causing them to warp and degenerate. Over time, both of these issues may contribute to a growth or hump in the back of your neck.

My Head Weighs How Much?!

Your head likely weighs between 10-12 pounds, when it’s positioned directly over your shoulders. However, because of gravity and physics, as your head begins to move forward in front of your body, it gets heavier. According to the literature, the head gets 10-12 pounds heavier as it moves just 1 inch in front of the body. Yikes! Imagine how much added stress that puts on the rest of your spine and body.

What Doesn’t Work?

You could massage or stretch your neck and shoulders. Some people may opt to rub lotion or attempt to force their posture to be more upright. However, these solutions are almost always temporary. They aren’t fixing the underlying issue. The real issue isn’t the tissue buildup, it’s further upstream. It’s what’s causing the stress. Your neck and head moving forward is the real problem. Until that’s addressed, it’s impossible to fix the symptoms.

The Real Fix

The only real solution to fixing the hump in the back of the neck is to improve the structure of your spine and improve the muscle balance in the area. This is the only long-term fix to getting your head back over your shoulders.

Correcting the structure of your spine is best achieved with the help of an expert. If you’d like to find out how Neuro-Structural chiropractic could improve the health of your spine, click here to schedule a complimentary consultation at Prime Chiropractic.

The other factor is muscle balance, which can be improved greatly by following the below exercises. If you’d prefer a visual, refer back to the video linked at the beginning of this article.

YWTL Exercise

The first exercise to discuss has 4 parts. Each part of this exercise should engage upper back and shoulder muscles.

1. Begin by raising your arms in a Y formation with palms facing forward. Pull your arms back as far as possible. Hold for 20-30 seconds.
2. Next, bend your elbows and pinch them in toward your rib cage, palms facing forward, forming a W. Pull elbows down and back. Hold for 20-30 seconds.
3. Hold your arms straight out to your sides, parallel to the floor. Palms facing forward. Pull the arms back. Hold for 20-30 seconds.
4. Bend your elbows, and point forearms parallel to the floor. Palms facing forward. Pull arms back. Hold for 20-30 seconds.

Neck Extension Exercise

Lay across your bed on your stomach. Position your shoulders at the end of the bed so your head falls off of it. Allow gravity to pull it down. Then engage your neck and tuck your chin in so your head comes up. You should be attempting to make a double chin. After reaching the end point, extend your head up in the air, then return to the starting point. Repeat 10-20 times.

Shoulder Pin Down Stretch

Wrap one set of hands around the other wrist. Place them behind your back. Then pull down. After pulling down lift your head up so you’re looking at the ceiling. Then, breathe deeply. Repeat for 30-seconds.

Why You Need to Fix the Hump in Your Neck

If a hump is developing in the back of your neck and back, it’s not just a cosmetic issue. It’s a sign of neurological dysfunction. Posture is a window into the health of your nervous system. If posture is healthy, it’s more likely the nervous system will be too. If not, the opposite scenario can be playing out.

There’s never a better time to get healthy than right now. Begin taking care of your spine and muscle and watch the amazing changes to the hump in your neck.