What Causes a Neck Hump, and Is Permanent? Doctors Share Treatment Options
A hump on the back of the neck affects up to 40% of women over age 50
We all have a complicated relationship with aging. It can be a beautiful thing— retirement, wisdom, self-awareness—but it also poses health challenges we never expected. One that can make us look older than our years: the dreaded neck hump. But what causes a neck hump, and how do you get rid of it? We asked top experts to weigh in.
What is a neck hump?
In the medical field, the condition is known as kyphosis, though it’s more commonly called dowager’s hump or a buffalo hump. It’s characterized by a small hump at the base of the neck. And while it might sound more like an ailment from your grandmother’s era, it’s becoming increasingly more common. In fact, it affects up to 40 percent of women over 50, according to University of California experts.
The bad news? It can worsen over time as your body tries to compensate for the curve in your spine, explains Ken Hansraj, MD, a spinal surgeon and author of Watch Your Back: Nine Proven Strategies to Reduce Your Neck and Back Pain Without Surgery.
Woman's World Answers
The three types of neck humps
There are three different kinds of kyphosis: postural, congenital and Scheuermann’s. Postural, the one we’ll focus on here, is the most common. Doctors define it as a spine that is curved 50 degrees or more. Congenital kyphosis, on the other hand, occurs when certain backbones don’t develop properly and is diagnosed at birth.
Finally, Scheuermann’s kyphosis is a hereditary condition that generally appears between the ages of 10 and 15. It describes a curved spine caused by vertebrae that have developed a wedge shape. (Normal vertebrae should have a rectangular shape.)
Most women with postural kyphosis are primarily concerned about appearance, but the detrimental health effects are just as important. A mild neck hump may cause symptoms such as back stiffness, fatigue and tight hamstrings. More severe curvature can cause:
- Neck and shoulder pain
- Back pain
- Stiffness
- Fatigue
- Restricted movement, including difficulty walking or looking up
- Numbness or tingling in the legs
- Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
- Acid reflux
- Difficulty swallowing
What causes a neck hump to form?
According to Rahul Shah, MD, board-certified orthopedic spine and neck surgeon, and Liza Egbogah, DOMP, manual osteopath and chiropractor, most cases of hump on the back of the neck are caused by the following:
Poor posture
When we slouch, our heads lean forward to compensate, making a neck hump more visible. “Too much time spent on devices where you are leaning forward and looking down are main contributors,” Egbogah says.
This poor posture puts a significant amount of pressure on the spine, adds Dr. Hansraj. The average head weighs about 10 to 12 pounds, which is the same force it exerts on the neck when it’s in a neutral position, according to Dr. Hansraj’s landmark study in Surgical Technology International.
But as your head flexes forward, the pounds of force the head exerts on the spine continue to rise. That means a forward flex of 15 degrees exerts 27 pounds of force, a 30-degree flex exerts 40 pounds of force, a flex of 45 degrees exerts 49 pounds of force, and a flex of 60 degrees exerts 60 pounds of force.
Arthritis
“If you have arthritis that affects the lower neck, the head may automatically lean more forward in order to keep the arthritic areas in a more comfortable position,” Dr. Shah explains. Dr. Hansraj says leaning forward opens up the spinal channel to allow more space for the spinal cord, which is the reason the movement helps you feel better.
Aging
“As you age, you may lose significantly more mass in the spinal vertebra, either in the neck or the thoracic bones,” says Dr. Shah. (Thoracic vertebra make up the top half of the spine, from the neck to mid back.) “This causes posture changes which accentuate a neck hump.”
Specifically, Dr. Hansraj explains that osteoporosis and the wear, tear and degeneration of the spine can actually cause the front of the spine to collapse, which leads to kyphosis.
Excess fat
“The hump that most people describe often comes from a prominence of the tissues where the neck meets the upper back,” Dr. Shah says. “This can happen because of extra tissue deposits from extra fat stores.” Adds Dr. Hansraj, “MRI scans are showing us more and more cases of this fatty hump deposit, which I believe is a combination of poor posture and poor nutrition.”
Other medical conditions
Although it’s more rare, Dr. Hansraj says there are serious conditions that can also cause a neck hump. That includes a spinal infection, a spine tumor, connective tissue disorders, metabolic bone disorders such as Paget’s disease, hyperparathyroidism, chronic kidney disease, fibrous dysplasia and osteopetrosis. “If you are developing a hunch in the spine, please see your medical doctor and/or a spine specialist.”
How is a neck hump treated?
Whether or not a neck hump is permanent depends on the type of kyphosis and what caused it. “When a neck hump is caused by postural changes, you can correct it by improving your posture,” Egbogah says. That can include holding your phone and eye level and using a supportive pillow when you sleep. But “in cases of severe arthritis, there are permanent changes to the spine that can make the hump irreversible.”
That said, Dr. Shah points out that your doctor may still be able to treat a neck hump and improve a permanent change. “If the hump is as a result of structural changes at the bone level, medication may help,” he says. “In certain specific conditions, surgery may help realign the neck bones.”
As for a neck hump caused by excess fat, exercise and the right stretches can reduce the appearance of the bump. (Check out our top exercises to help get rid of a neck hump.) Just keep in mind that you can’t spot-reduce fat. Only a total reduction in body fat would help eliminate those extra fat deposits.
Neck hump treatments: The bottom line
No matter the cause of the kyphosis or its severity, there are ways you can improve your posture, diminish the bump and maintain pain-free mobility, assures Dr. Hansraj. “Even in the most rigid of kyphosis, help is available,” he says. “The combination of standing tall and rising, opening up your shoulders and retracting the shoulder blades are powerful posture-fixing strategies that can be achieved even with the frozen vertebrae of rigid kyphosis.” In other words, even a little movement can go a long way to help.
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