The hump formed in the lower back of the cervical spine is a fairly common and very unpleasant phenomenon from an aesthetic point of view. However, in addition to impaired appearance, it has a negative effect on human health. How to get rid of a hump? Naturally, first of all, you need to seek qualified help from a specialized medical specialist in order to find out the true causes of this neoplasm. However, the effectiveness of treatment will largely depend not only on the prescribed procedures, but also on activities that a person can perform at home to expedite treatment.
Varieties of cervical humps
Cervical neoplasm can be:
- benign tumor (e.g. fibrolipoma);
- a cyst (which may be congenital or appearing for several reasons, pathology);
- a consequence of the traumatic injury of the cervical vertebrae;
- muscle tightening;
- salt deposits;
- fat accumulations.
How to get rid of a hump? Methods of treatment depend on its variety. In some cases, surgery cannot be dispensed with. Others can be successfully removed with conservative treatment.
What is the widow's hump and why is it formed
This disease got its historical name back in the distant Middle Ages, when women aged 45-50 years became widows due to the large number of wars and battles.
The main reason why women in our time at this age also have a hump in the cervical-collar zone is a change in the hormonal balance in the body. This leads to increased formation of body fat during menopause (hence another name for it - menopause) in those places (namely, on the back in the neck) that were not exposed to this phenomenon in an earlier (reproductive) period of life.
How to get rid of the fat hump on the neck? Is it possible to do this at home? Naturally, yes! Independent methods of struggle are exactly the same as they are usually taken to combat excess weight (that is, fat formations in other parts of the body that need to be "burned"). What you need to do for this:
- reviewing the diet;
- exclude from the usual lifestyle factors contributing to the appearance and progress of the disease;
- regularly perform a set of certain physical exercises;
- do self-massage.
The implementation of the above measures will help to "utilize" the accumulated fats.
Important! Normalization of hormonal balance with the help of special medications should be carried out only by the supervision of a qualified specialist who will select the drug in accordance with the individual physiological characteristics of the body.
Factors aggravating the appearance of the widow's hump
To get rid of the widow's hump on the neck (how and why it is formed, you already read above), it is necessary to eliminate (or at least minimize) the factors that additionally contribute to its appearance. These include:
- a sedentary lifestyle (especially when, having a sedentary office work, a person spends free time at the TV in the same position);
- stressful situations and nervous strain;
- lack of load on the upper shoulder girdle;
- overweight;
- concomitant diseases of the cervical spine (osteochondrosis, osteoporosis);
- Incorrect bedding (mattress and pillow).
External symptoms of manifestation
Visually, the widow's hump looks like a local fat seal (in the form of a roller, roller or “pillow”), which is localized in the back lower part of the cervical spine. In addition to this external manifestation, which is very unpleasant from an aesthetic point of view, the disease can be accompanied by:
- headaches (sometimes strong enough);
- partial numbness of the collar area;
- decreased neck mobility;
- dizziness
- fatigue;
- significant jumps in blood pressure;
- feeling of constant fatigue;
- pain (of varying intensity) in the back, neck and shoulders;
- increased nervousness and irritability (caused by constant dissatisfaction with their appearance).
Important! Since it is much easier to get rid of the cervical hump in the early stages of the disease, it is necessary to pay attention to the above symptoms in time and make maximum independent efforts to eliminate them. This will help to avoid serious complications.
Proper organization of work and berth
How to get rid of a hump at home? First of all, we equip the correct (in terms of effective fight against illness) sleeping place. To do this, get rid of high pillows and soft lush mattresses. Since, according to many experts, body fat increases during sleep, it is necessary to provide the maximum barrier to this process. The thickness of the pillow (with a dense, preferably natural filler) is chosen no more than 9-11 cm. Moreover, during sleep, the hump itself should rest on a fairly solid surface. After appropriate consultation with a doctor, you can purchase an orthopedic sleeping device for the head (equipped with special rollers in the area of ​​the protruding part of the cervical neoplasm). In some cases, a very tangible therapeutic effect is achieved by sleep (in supine position) without any pillow on a hard mattress.
Since getting rid of the hump to a large extent helps to regularly change the position of the body (in particular the head and neck), then with sedentary work a lot will depend on your boss and the financial capabilities of the organization. The best option for organizing the workplace of an office employee is a height-adjustable worktop. The mechanism of such devices makes it possible not only to choose the most comfortable posture while sitting, but also to set the table in a position for standing work. Regular change of position (sitting / standing) will significantly improve blood circulation in the cervical region, which has a very positive effect on the resorption of the hump.
A complex of simple physical exercises
The widow's hump is, first of all, a fat “pillow”, therefore it can be effectively “burned” only with a large number of movements. In order to get rid of the widow's hump with exercises (as well as which, we will now tell you), you need to apply a certain perseverance and include willpower. After all, success will largely depend on the regularity of classes. We bring to your attention a few simple, but very effective exercises:
- Standing straight, we make swings at the same time with both hands forward (with the head tilted) and back (trying to tilt the head as far as possible). Gradually increase the amplitude and speed of movement.
- Perform hands movements that we usually use when swimming. First, imitate the crawl, and then move on to the “on the back” style. In both the first and second cases, we gradually increase the intensity of movements.
- How to get rid of a hump on the neck? Exercises sitting at work (for example, at lunchtime), it is quite possible to perform. We settle in more comfortably on a chair, spreading our legs shoulder-width apart. Putting your palms together, we tilt the head together with the body forward and down as much as possible. Then we gently straighten and bend our elbows. We take our shoulders back, trying to bring the shoulder blades together. We throw our head back, trying to touch the back of the head of the hump.
- We take a vertical position, straightening his back, throwing his head back and lowering his hands along the body. We make rotational movements with the shoulders, alternating the direction (forward and backward). You can perform this exercise with both hands at the same time. It will be more convenient for someone to alternate movements (first with the right shoulder, then with the left, and so on). If you spread your arms to the sides and raise them to the level of the belt, then the effect of the exercise will only intensify.
- Lying on your stomach, make your hands an emphasis on the floor at shoulder level, while touching the surface with your chin. Gently raise your head and shoulders, providing minimal help with your hands. We fully straighten our arms and maximally deflect the body and head back. Then we take the starting position.
- Lie on your stomach. We extend both hands along the body. At the same time we tear off the chest and legs from the floor, trying to raise them as high as possible. In this case, the head is thrown back. At first, the range of motion will seem very “modest” to you. But with daily training, you will undoubtedly notice obvious progress.
We hope that we have lucidly explained how to get rid of the hump with exercises. The main thing is to allocate for them 30-40 minutes of time, and it is mandatory every day. Otherwise, achieving the desired positive result will be very problematic.
Self massage
Since visiting specialized massage rooms is a rather expensive procedure, and it takes a lot of time, independent self-management of simple manipulations can successfully replace it. The main purpose of self-massage is the breakdown of fat cells, therefore, to achieve the maximum effect, it must be carried out for a sufficiently long time (at least 30-40 minutes).
How to get rid of the fat hump on the neck using self-massage? Recommendations are given below:
- take a warm bath (with the addition of baking soda) to relax the muscles and soften the hump;
- massaging the seal in smooth circular movements, with alternating tingling and rubbing;
- gradually increase the intensity for better destruction of fat capsules.
As a result of massage of the cervical region, we improve microcirculation in the area of ​​the neoplasm, normalize metabolic processes, which, in turn, leads to the breakdown of the lipid fat layer.
Folk recipes
How to get rid of the hump using traditional medicine recipes? Prescriptions for effective remedies are listed below:
- We make compresses from decoctions of chamomile or sage (if desired, you can mix both ingredients).
- We mix honey and salt (in a 1: 1 ratio) and from the prepared mixture we make a compress on the problem area. To enhance the therapeutic effect, we warm the neck with a scarf or scarf (preferably from natural wool).
- We impose on the hump all of us familiar familiar mustard plasters. Such regular warming contributes to the “melting” of fat deposits accumulated under the skin.
- We wipe with a decoction of red beans prepared from 5-7 tablespoons of beans and 1 liter of water.
On a note! Vinegar or turpentine recipes must be treated with extreme caution. They can cause unwanted inflammation of the skin.
Prevention
Since getting rid of the climacteric hump when it has already appeared can be quite difficult, the best way to deal with this ailment is to take preventive measures even before menopause. For this:
- monitor your own weight;
- if possible we eat as little fatty, fried and salty foods as possible;
- regularly massage the scruff (the earlier the woman begins to do this, the less the chance of the widow's hump appearing);
- arrange the correct berth in accordance with the above recommendations;
- daily exercise (especially when sedentary sedentary work);
- we constantly monitor the posture (that is, we don’t tilt our head down unnecessarily) when walking or sitting;
- regularly undergo medical preventive examinations (this will help to identify changes in hormonal balance at an early stage).
On a note! The implementation of the above recommendations will not only prevent the appearance of neoplasms in the neck, but also safely get rid of both the salt hump and the widow's. After all, the best way to deal with any disease is to create maximum obstacles to its occurrence.
General dietary guidelines
General recommendations for changing the diet to combat the widow's hump are no different from the standard diet to reduce total body weight:
- eat in small portions, but quite often;
- if possible, we carry out the calculation of kilocalories in the eaten dishes, trying not to go beyond the framework recommended by a specialist;
- minimize the consumption of fatty, smoked and salty foods;
- we limit ourselves to eating baked goods, sweets and carbonated drinks;
- introduce as many fresh vegetables and fruits as possible into the daily menu;
- refuse salt, sugar and oil in the preparation of a variety of cereals;
- as a third course, we prefer green tea, freshly squeezed juices or plain water.
Possible complications
Now you know how to quickly get rid of a hump on your neck. If you do not deal with it, it can lead to the following negative consequences and serious complications:
- difficulties in respiratory functions (due to decreased mobility of the chest), and, as a result, to oxygen deficiency and impaired normal functioning of the cardiovascular system;
- damage to the intervertebral discs and the development of osteochondrosis;
- compression of the nerve endings, accompanied by severe pain, and in advanced cases - to partial paralysis of the limbs;
- a decrease in the free lumen of the cervical arteries, which will lead to interruptions in cerebral blood supply with all the ensuing consequences (up to the loss of consciousness and prerequisites for the occurrence of a stroke);
- a significant deterioration in motor functions and accelerated spinal aging;
- the formation of interdiscal hernias (due to excessive loads on the cervical spine);
- flat feet, arising as a result of a shift in the center of gravity when walking.