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I'm developing an "upper thoracic hump." Has anyone dealt with this?


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I'm so totally disturbed by this. I've spent the last 12 years working on computers, and the last seven years working exclusively on laptops. Add to that any personal and HS research time spent on a laptop, time spent with my head tilted forward reading to myself and the kids, time spent washing the kids in the bath, any time having fallen asleep on the couch, washing the dishes, cooking, etc. That adds up to a whole lot of time spent with my head tilted forward, and it's showing on my upper back :( This stupid thing is even more noticeable than it was a year ago, and I have persistent upper back stiffness and soreness.

 

What on earth do I do? I've tried to correct my posture when sitting, standing, and driving, but that's just a tiny fraction of time compared to the amount I spend looking downward. Has anyone else had this and corrected it?

 

TIA!

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I know exactly what you mean. I tend to roll my neck and shoulders forward which brings my shoulders up toward my neck. I have tried physical therapy and my doctor gave my a torture device that looked like a padded figure 8 which didn't help and only made me miserable.

 

I found a lot of relief with yoga. After the second month of classes my posture started to straighten, and I feel better.

 

hth

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You may want to do exercises to strengthen your back muscles to counter it. I don't have a hump (yet), but I do have neck problems related to posture. I did some physical therapy and theses are some exercises I that were given to me. They use an exercise band.

 

Stand with feet shoulder width apart as tall as possible. Inhale, stretch the head as tall as can be, roll the shoulders forward, up and then back and down. Lift the chest.

 

1. Put arms straight out in front shoulder height and lay band across the palms of your hands and close your fists. Then pull arms out to the sides at shoulder height with palms up, squeezing the shoulder blades together. Do 10 reps, rest and do 10 more. If the resistance is too much, choose a stretchier band and/or widen the grip.

 

2. Using the same grip as above, put arms straight over the head and pull arms out sideways until level with shoulders and then back up. Do 10 reps, rest and do 10 more.

 

3. Loop the band around a door knob, stand with arms out front and move back until there is no sag in the band. Pull fists into the armpits keeping the elbows back, again squeezing the shoulder blades together. Release. 10 reps, rest, 10 reps again.

 

It should be difficult to finish the 2nd 10 reps. If it is too easy, you need more tension. YOu can use a less stretchy band or you can wrap the band around the hands to create more tension.

 

Other things that help:

 

1. Raise height of the screen to be eye level. This means putting the laptop on something and raising the desktop screen.

2. Use an exercise ball instead of a chair. They come in different sizes. The 65 cm is good for average size women. For women under 5'4", the smaller size is better. For women over 5'7", the next size up works better.

Take breaks. Do the shoulder roll every 15-20 minutes to keep a better posture.

3. When reading to the kids, raise the height of the book with a few pillows. Also, put a small pillow at the small of the back to encourage a better posture.

4. Look into a zafu (meditation pillow.) Sitting on one of these encourages better posture.

5. Try yoga.

 

hth,

Edited by dirty ethel rackham
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Me!

The physical therapist said my muscles in the front (where those two bones are by the throat) are underdeveloped and the muscle along the top of my back is overstretched.

I don't like the way I look at all. I'm going in to get an x-ray to see if I have any microfractures that could be contributing.

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chiropractor

 

You could try one of those braces to help you fix your posture. If you bring your arms out in front of you and turn them (rotating so your palms go down and then out, not up and out), bring your elbows as close together as you can, then while your turning them back out bring your shoulders up to your ears. Once you've gone as far back, with your shoulders as you can drop them straight down. Your elbows should be pointing back now, your shoulders should be down and back, that is how you should hold yourself. Do that over and over once your neck/shoulders get sore from being hunched, until you feel tingles :) then relax into that position. Eventually, you are supposed to be able to hold that position without thinking about it and viola you have good posture!

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chiropractor

 

You could try one of those braces to help you fix your posture. If you bring your arms out in front of you and turn them (rotating so your palms go down and then out, not up and out), bring your elbows as close together as you can, then while your turning them back out bring your shoulders up to your ears. Once you've gone as far back, with your shoulders as you can drop them straight down. Your elbows should be pointing back now, your shoulders should be down and back, that is how you should hold yourself. Do that over and over once your neck/shoulders get sore from being hunched, until you feel tingles :) then relax into that position. Eventually, you are supposed to be able to hold that position without thinking about it and viola you have good posture!

 

OK, that was weird. That changed the way my whole upper body felt! Thank you!

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What on earth do I do? I've tried to correct my posture when sitting, standing, and driving, but that's just a tiny fraction of time compared to the amount I spend looking downward. Has anyone else had this and corrected it?

 

TIA!

 

 

Get the book: The Core Program, by Peggy Brill. She is a physical therapist who specializes in exercises for women. Many of the exercises in her routine focus on the muscles in the upper back. They feel wonderful! And, they work wonders to strengthen those muscles, and help your body learn to hold itself correctly. The whole routine takes only fifteen minutes. If I do it every day, I have no back problems. If I don't, I'm a mess.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Core-Program-Fifteen-Minutes-Change/dp/0553380842/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247035507&sr=1-1

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Get the book: The Core Program, by Peggy Brill. She is a physical therapist who specializes in exercises for women. Many of the exercises in her routine focus on the muscles in the upper back. They feel wonderful! And, they work wonders to strengthen those muscles, and help your body learn to hold itself correctly. The whole routine takes only fifteen minutes. If I do it every day, I have no back problems. If I don't, I'm a mess.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Core-Program-Fifteen-Minutes-Change/dp/0553380842/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247035507&sr=1-1

 

Thanks for that- I too, have a shocking posture, and am at a loss as to how to fix it.

DH will be sent on a mission this afternoon to find the book for me! :D

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I have scoliosis that is giving me a hump. It was not caught as a kid, and will probably only get worse as I age. (A brace is not useful post-puberty)

 

I really need to do some excercises to try and strengthen my back as much as I can. I am looking at a really heinous surgery to fix it as my only option, but it isn't bad enough nearly for that. Yet.

 

Thanks for the book recommend. I really need to get some serious health maintenance going, I'm falling apart!!

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Core exercises are terrific for supporting your back. Focus on strengthening the abs. Those are the ones which push back against your collapsing back muscles. Crunches, leg lifts, planks....all my favs. (not! But I'm learning to love how they make my back feel.)

 

After a work out or a computer session...lay flat on your back with your feet on a chair, knees bent. Stretch your arms out. This position relaxes your back into a straight position.

 

Or stand against a wall, heels and head touching the wall. Flatten your shoulders back against the wall. This helps remind your body how it is supposed to stand.

 

This is a terrific thread for me. I've gotten some great new exercises to do. Thanks for posting.

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