Im a 18 year old male. and i think i have dowager's hump, is that possible?
It seems like my sholder blade is poking my skin at the bac and it has a odd looking curve.. certainly some sort of sholder / back derformation.. not that its very noticable... but before it gets out of hand i would like it to stop and then reverse. i didnt have it all my life, i belive its due to bad posture at sitting infront of the computer (which i do alot). i generally look fit tho ans was just hoping for some advise.
thanks.
RE: dowager's hump
Hello Hy,
My friend's nephew also has a hump on his back. I don't know if that is 'dowager's hump', but the hospital recommended that he wear a special back brace to straighten it. It appears to be working. If you think that this might work for you, you need to speak to your doctor who will advise you about them'. The braces are very good, I must say.
Love, Patsy.
🙂
RE: dowager's hump
Hi Hy, (sorry couldn't resist)
Bearing in mind it is difficult to "diagnose" without seeing anyone + not medically trained
It is possible for you to have a form of Kyphosis that occurs in teenagers (you are still one). It is almost entirely due to posture - which you have already hinted at as being an issue.
Can I suggest that if you are going to sit in front of the computer screen for any length of time you ensure that you sit properly. If you go into Google and do a search for Kyphosis and seating positions you will find in the images section a few pictures of how you should be sitting.
In the meantime you could try this while sitting at the computer.
1. Sit near the front edge of the seat. Take your shoes off (phew!! - sorry) and make sure your feet are flat on the floor and turned out slightly to the side.
2. Sit erect with your head level, not tilted forward, backward or sideways.
3. let you arms dangle at either side - make sure if the chair has arms they are not going to impede the movement.
4. Gently pull the whole of arm back and rotate outwards so that the chest lifts and the shoulder blades move back and inwards. Don't let your head drop.
Do this every now and again when you have been sitting at the computer for a long time.
Make sure you get the condition checked out by someone who knows something about posture - Sports Therapist, Remedial Massage + a whole host of others.
Good luck
+ SIT UP STRAIGHT
LOL
[sm=wave.gif]
RE: dowager's hump
Considering age & sex, it's extremely unlike that it's Dowager's Hump.
Most likely poor posture &/or possible 'winging of the scapulae' (shoulder blades), that causes them to protrude backwards, which is a consideration, but nothing to worry about. 🙂
I would say that a bit of effort now on your posture will save you a lot og grief in later life, though. 😉
RE: dowager's hump
I agree with all that has already been said about posture.
If you sit with arms forward (e.g. at a computer) for any length of time you are holding your Pec muscles in a foreshortened position. You are also over stretching your Rhomboids. You further exacerbate this if you sleep on your side at night because you tend to wrap your arms around you. The net effect is the Pecs will adopt this foreshortened position as the norm. Because the insertion point of the pectoralis major muscle is on the outer edge of the humerus the foreshortened muscle will forwardly rotate the arm - hence rounded shoulders.
All very well - but what do you do. Look at your posture and do stretch back as already posted. But also look at your body like a tent. Your bones are the tent poles, your muscles the guy-lines and the fascia is the canvas. As with a tent if the body is out of balance, you need to slacken the tension one side before you are able to tighten it the other side and thus return to a balamced posture. So you need to stretch the Pec muscles and strengthen the Rhomboids. If you search on web you will find many sites with stretches but it is probably better to go to a Gym and ask for guidance - most Gyms have stretch charts.
A good way of testing for foreshortening of the Pec muscle is to lay on a bed with your shoulder right on the edge; let your whole arm go out at right angles (in fact slightly more towards the head) with your palm facing upwards. You will feel the tightness caused by the foreshortening. In this position it is also possible to do deep frictions into the muscle to help soften and stretch. A massage from a decent sports massage therapist would also help.
Good luck,
Ken
RE: dowager's hump
Dear Hydrogen,
The Alexander Technique can re-educate your posture, the way you move and so on. I'm having lessons at present and I am so much more aware of my body and posture.
If you do a search on 'The Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique' you can get more information. Good luck!