If you hunch forward most of your day, then you probably feel like you are growing a “hump” in your upper middle back. Here is how to lose that “hump” and get upright again!
When your head and shoulders are held forward for extended periods of time, you begin to develop the “hunchback“.
There are a couple great tools to battle the hunched middle back. Check out our new back tips video on the “foam roll – no more hunched posture“. This will help you in the fight to keep that transition between the middle back and the lower back smooth, and bearing the minimum stress load.
The second area requiring attention in the battle to fight the hunchback is the upper middle back transition into the neck. The great tool for you to fight the hunchback up there is the 2 pound Pilates ball. If you don’t have one, you can get one cheap on Amazon to start performing this at home.
For most, this is a much more comfortable stretch/exercise than the foam roll. Both are valuable… for many, both are needed. If you believe in the philosophy of “worst first“, then do the foam roll first, and save the 2 pound Pilates ball for an easier middle back extension stretch wrap up.
From the seated position on the floor, or on a mat… drop your chin toward your chest, and feel behind the base of your neck for the most prominent spinal bone. We call this “vertebra prominens”, and it’s either C7 or T1.
Now aim for 4 to 5 inches below that most prominent vertebra, and center the 2 pound Pilates ball at that spot as you move to lie face up on top of the ball. This time, legs straight and arms straight, palms face up at your sides.
You can load up the area of your spine on top of the ball, that is, prepare it for extension, by tucking your chin in until you feel some resistance in the lower neck and upper middle back… then just relax in this position.
You should not feel more pain than a “reasonable discomfort”. You should also eventually be able to stay in this extended position for up to 10 minutes.
Extending your neck to the neutral position, that is bringing your head back over your body, begins in the upper middle back. People with forward head posture often feel like they are “growing a hump“ in their upper middle back… but they are more commonly leaving bones behind as their head projects forward. The “2 pound Pilates ball” extension stretch is how you begin to get rid of the “hump“.
As with the foam roll, do not lift your head when you are finished… Just roll your body to the side and your head will follow.
That’s it! You now have another powerful tool to align your shoulders and head back over your body, removing the unnecessary stress load at the base of your neck into the shoulder regions. This will also improve your ability to move your lower neck and upper middle back.
Remember, when your alignment is less than perfect and/or you have suffered recent injury, joints get stuck, soft tissues have memory for what doesn’t work, and we can help.
Contact us at New Back Chiropractic today. We can help you move better to feel better for life.
If you suffer from back pain and neck pain more than you would like, take these three simple steps to move better, feel better, and enjoy life better:
- Schedule: reserve a 30 minute consultation with the doctor.
- Discovery: receive an examination with any necessary digital x-rays to find a solution for lasting relief.
- Relief: start moving better and feeling better for life!
In addition to these exercises, chiropractic care from New Back Chiropractic in Santa Ana can help re-establish your middle back to a more flexible and stable place. The result is a body that moves better, feels better, and enjoys life better. Contact us today to set up your initial consultation and start feeling better today!
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