Fix Your Tech Neck/Hump Back
Have you noticed that you have a strange hump on your back, somewhere between where your neck and shoulders connect? Have you been living with a computer in the palm of your hand or working at a desk for hours on end? This may become a useful post for you to learn how to fix your posture, tech neck or hump back that you have been creating since forever ago.
Here at MVNT Studio, we take a different approach. This post will walk you through why our Pilates-based rehabilitation actually works—especially when it’s personalized, consistent, and rooted in your unique recovery needs.
Find Your Posture
The spine has natural curvatures to allow for shock absorption from our upright posture. In the ideal world a perfect posture is when
From the side view:
Ear lobes align with the shoulder heads to the hip bones to the boney outer ankle
From the front view:
The front boney parts that align are the front ribs align to our front hip bones so that the abdomen is not flared and the back is lengthened
From the back view:
The backside boney parts that align are the back rib points with the back hip bones align so that the pelvis in all plains are neutral and the lengthening of the lower back is only a slight curvature
There is a detailed video on the site through our fundamentals course here
Fix Your Posture
To truly fix your posture it requires exercise, to build the strength to hold the bones in the ideal position. To first align the joints in the ideal position we start with slow progressive movements. Some will begin with a stretching format such as: cat-cow, thoracic spine stretch/thread a needle, deep breathing and doorway stretch (both arms are on the doorway as your step one foot forward). These movements allow for the upper back to mobilize and move more freely when given enough time.
Upper back exercises that help mobilize and strengthen to undo your tech neck/humpback are those such as push up plus, scapular protraction/retraction. This is done on hands and knees while the limbs don't change the shoulder blades move together and apart. Optional to add a band between the hands and over the back. For those with weights a reverse row and reverse fly help in the same manner while providing more weight to build long lasting changes.
For those able to lay on their stomach you can include chin slides, from the chin on the floor towards the ceiling. Building muscle strength specifically in the back neck to keep the length of the neck while continuing with the other exercise routines.
Overall there are several other ways to continue building strength such as using a foam roller, a loop band, or even heavier weights or gym equipment. Over time with the improved mobility of the spine, shoulder and the strength the neck will eventually become more lengthened. Reducing the tech neck posture as long as it is kept up with the same considerations throughout the day you can expect long term results.
How Our Studio Differs from PT and Pilates
Combining pilates, holistic health, corrective exercise and physical therapy aware procedures we create a plan and routine for you to do that helps your injury, your compensation patterns, and muscular imbalances that may be a cause of tension in other parts of your body. This combined, focused and developed work not only helps you reduce pain but allows you to reduce re-injury, prevent future setbacks and plan to be healthier than you’ve ever been before!
Our MVNT Approach
A deep dive on our approach is in my previous post here. Our MVNT method in summary focuses on all your past history, your lifestyle that may increase inflammation, and your goals and movement needs day to day.
These factors in mind develop into our full MVNT practice. Involved with in person or virtual pilates based training, following client education with an at home practice to continue daily. These become the stepping stones so that once each is met in ways that pain is reduced we continue to return your body to the abilities of it’s fullest potential while preventing further pain and discomfort that may involve more corrective exercises for imbalances in your musculature. Once each step is achieved we slowly progress to the movements the spine is able to do and challenge your areas of issue so that we provide the guidance and skills so that those movements no longer become an issue!
Our goal is to get you back to moving as your best self while preventing future set backs. So if this was informative to you and may interest you in becoming a client with me. Find our studio and see us for a consultation any day.