Dowager’s Hump: Between laptops, cell phones, and tablets, many people spend hundreds of hours each month hunched over and staring at one device or another.
This kind of poor posture can lead to consequences such as back pain, neck pain and even an acquired round-shouldered position known as widow’s hunch, said Dr. Nnaemeka Echebiri, a physiatrist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
Dowager’s Hump (or hunchback, clinically known as kyphosis) is a curvature at the base of the neck that creates a sort of hunched over position. “It’s often due to poor posture over time,” Echebiri said.
There are many things that can lead to the development of this hunched posture. Unfortunately, a desk job is one of them.
But are all desk workers doomed to have a widow’s hump in life? Can you do anything about it? Here’s what the experts say:
A huge risk factor for developing this position is working at a computer.
Do you automatically develop a Dowager’s Hump when you work hunched over a computer screen or spend hours and hours staring at your phone or tablet? Not necessarily, but you are at higher risk.
“These activities alone do not lead to a widow’s hump,” Echebiri said. But “getting used to these activities and doing them frequently without any postural correction exercises to compensate for these activities can lead to this misalignment overtime.
“If you’re not doing focused things that somehow compensate for that, you may find that you like the position more and more,” he added.
If you live a sedentary lifestyle or have poor body mechanics and poor ergonomic habits at work, you’ll also be more likely to develop a Dowager’s Hump, said Dr. Kasey Komperda, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine. at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.
Other risk factors include aging and genetics.
As we age, this kind of spinal curvature is more likely to occur, Komperda said, because of the loss of bone density that is common in older people.
“In general, women tend to be at increased risk of developing osteoporosis, which also leads to an increased risk of developing this deformity in women, especially postmenopausal women,” Komperda explained.
Ergonomics can protect your spine.
First, if you work at a desk, it’s important to have an ergonomic setup, Echebiri said.
“There are many ways to do this, but adjusting the height of the screen can be really important so you don’t look at the screen or keyboard too often,” he said.
Instead, you should look straight ahead and maintain a neutral posture. Consider screen placement, keyboard and mouse placement, and desktop height.
It’s also important to get a reclining chair, one that allows you to sit up straight and ideally even has a lumbar support, Echebiri added. “Then you’re not slouching, but you’re in a kind of relaxed position with your head up and looking straight ahead.”
Dowager’s Hump can also cause pain and other problems.
Because it’s a visible problem,Dowager’s Hump can have an impact on your self-esteem, Komperda noted.
They can also cause problems like neck pain, and people with humps often suffer from headaches and migraines, noted Vivekanandan. “The neck muscles are definitely strained when they’re in these positions.”
In most cases, you can reverse the Dowager’s Hump
If you look in the mirror and notice a lump at the bottom of your neck or notice any of the above problems, it’s a good idea to let your doctor know. They can refer you to a physical therapist — and all three experts said physical therapy can help reverse a Dowager’s Hump.
“A [physical] therapist can really assess their alignment and teach them exercises … dealing with postural correction, scapular stabilization, scapular retraction and elevation,” Echebiri said. And they can teach you exercises to help strengthen your spine.
For most people who work at a desk, the first step is just realizing you’re slouching or leaning forward to see the screen, Komperda said. Once you notice this, you’ll be more likely to use proper ergonomics, get the right desk equipment, and focus on exercises that can help your strength and mobility. “We call it postural awareness,” he said.
