This aesthetic problem has many names: menopausal hump, cervical hump, widow's hump, buffalo hump, buffalo horn. Based on the variety of names, it is clear that, unfortunately, this pathology is familiar to many.
Widow's hump most often occurs in women over 40 years of age, although cases of pathology developing in men and even teenagers are not uncommon. What factors contribute to the development of menopausal hump, who is at risk and what are the most effective treatment methods used today in plastic surgery. Read about this in the article.
What is widow's hump?
The menopausal hump is essentially a “fat trap.” In medical terms, this is a local deposition of adipose tissue in the area of the 7th cervical vertebra, which is characterized by excessive external protrusion. It is in this area that the mobile cervical spine transitions into the stationary thoracic spine.
Fat cells quickly accumulate in areas of least mobility. One of the “weakest” places is the neck.
The roller deforms the vertebrae, posture changes, and the skeletal bones weaken. The widow's hump gradually increases in size, and blood circulation in the skin at the site of its formation worsens, which in turn affects the nutrition of brain cells. Patients with this problem report frequent headaches, dizziness, and insomnia. So this is not only an aesthetic problem, but also a medical one. It is worth noting that the accumulation of fat cells in this area does not decrease even with serious weight loss.
Methods of disposal
If, nevertheless, the withers have grown, it needs to be “melted”.
99% of doctors will offer you a radical option - surgical liposuction. As a rule, doctors do not see any other solution.
In a traditional operation, the skin is cut, the fat is pumped out using a vacuum device, and the injured tissue is sutured.
A “softer” option is laser liposuction. The skin still gets cut. A cannula with a laser probe is inserted through this incision. The laser breaks down fat, but it is not pumped out, but in its disintegrated form enters the circulatory system and creates additional stress on the liver.
Cosmetologists also have their own ways of dealing with salt hump, but they are not very effective. What are these techniques:
- cryolipolysis (fat cells are destroyed by cold),
- ultrasonic liposuction,
- radio wave liposuction,
- injections of lipolytics - drugs for the breakdown of fats.
Often, all these surgical and cosmetic methods eliminate the defect only partially and, most importantly, do not address the root of the problem.
The causes are not eliminated: the vertebrae continue to be displaced, the muscles remain tight, and microcirculation remains impaired. This means the problem is not being solved.
The achieved aesthetic effect will soon go away, and you will return to the state in which you first stepped into the surgeon/cosmetologist's office.
And we are not even talking about complications in the form of edema, vascular damage, tissue necrosis, paralysis, infections, inflammation, etc. – not such rare consequences during an invasive invasion.
Question: Why all these painful and risky surgeries if the hump continues to grow back again and again?
Why does a widow's hump appear on the neck?
The following factors lead to the appearance of this pathology:
- excessive accumulation of fat mass – that is, excess body weight and redistribution of adipose tissue. In obese people prone to obesity, the growth appears faster;
- hormonal imbalance;
- menopause in women;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- vertebral injury;
- degenerative-dystrophic or infectious-inflammatory diseases (syphilis, tuberculosis);
- salt deposits in the vertebrae (Bechterew's disease);
- chronic stress;
- frequent use of gadgets.
For the development of a menopausal hump on the neck, either one of the above factors or several of them at the same time is sufficient. The effectiveness of its treatment depends on the exact determination of the reasons for the appearance of this formation.
Preventive measures against the onset of the disease
It has long been known that disease is easier to prevent than to treat. Therefore, it is important to adhere to the following recommendations:
To avoid the appearance of a menopausal hump, you should constantly maintain the mobility of the spine by performing a set of exercises or taking massage courses.
- Sleep on a moderately hard surface. Avoid overly soft mattresses in advance. It is better to choose orthopedic models that allow you to maintain an anatomically correct body position during sleep.
- The height of the pillow should not be more than 10 cm. Otherwise, distortion of the cervical vertebrae occurs.
- At least once a year, undergo massage sessions focusing on the collar area. You can also constantly self-massage the problem area.
- Perform exercises to constantly maintain mobility and elasticity of the cervical spine. Regularity is important here.
- Proper nutrition. It is important to adjust your diet in a timely manner so that less fatty foods enter your body. To do this, you should eat more vegetables and fruits, fresh, steamed, or baked.
- Lead an active lifestyle: move more, do some kind of sport (yoga is good), walk for 1.5-2 hours every evening.
At-risk groups
As has already been written, women over 40 are more prone to developing a cervical hump. Based on practice, these are people who are overweight and lead a sedentary lifestyle. At risk: office employees, accountants, cashiers. By the way, in modern realities, the menopausal hump is popularly called “accountant’s withers.”
The next risk group is women during menopause. At this time, hormonal changes occur in a woman’s body. The production of estrogens (female sex hormones) stops, which slows down fat and mineral metabolism. Note that estrogen supports the function of the reproductive system. If a woman does not have an intimate life or has very little sex, then estrogen “works” on the accumulation of adipose tissue. And as a result, increased deposition of fat according to the “male type” is provoked - in the areas of the neck, shoulders, and back.
Also at risk are people who have a genetic predisposition to cervical hump. If your mother or grandmother had this problem, then it is highly likely that you will have it too.
People with concomitant chronic diseases - osteoporosis and cervical osteochondrosis - suffer from menopausal hump. In the first case - with osteoporosis - there is a lack of calcium in the bones, so the cervical and thoracic spine are deformed. In the second case - with cervical osteochondrosis - there is a deposition of salts, which often causes the appearance of a fatty roll.
Unfortunately, a hump on the neck can also appear in athletes due to hardening of the skeletal muscles due to increased physical activity.
Table of contents
- Why is “text neck” syndrome dangerous?
- What problems can “withers” lead to?
- 3 exercises to correct the “withers” and “text neck”
If you are slouched or have cervical hyperlordosis, there is computer neck extension (by the way, this is a sad stigma of the digital age). On average, a person’s head weighs 5 kg, but from a tilt of 15 degrees, which is needed to look at a smartphone screen, the load on the neck will increase to 12 kg, from a tilt of 30 degrees - to 18 kg, and this is the weight of a 6-year-old child. Try hanging a five-kilogram dumbbell around your neck and walking around with it all day.
Anastasia Dubinskaya
Psychophysiologist, specialist in neuromuscular rehabilitation of the face. Leading practitioner in anti-aging massage. Founder and director of the school of natural rejuvenation “Revitonika”. Lecturer at the Department of Physical Therapy and Medical Rehabilitation of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “National Medical Research Center for Rehabilitation and Balneology” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.
Widow's hump: prevention and treatment
A good prevention of the development of menopausal hump is regular swimming, gymnastics, and yoga (preferably 2-3 times a week). It is also recommended to sleep on a medium-firm mattress and pillow. If preventive measures have not been taken, and the widow’s hump has already begun to develop, then physical therapy (shock wave therapy, etc.) will help to cope with it in the early stages. In this case, it is better not to use therapeutic massage, as there is an increased growth of the growth after it.
Only plastic surgery can effectively treat a large menopausal hump - it is removed using liposuction. Liposuction is a surgical method for removing excess subcutaneous fat tissue. This operation is a relatively simple surgical procedure and is minimally traumatic for the body.
Modern vacuum liposuction is often performed. It is performed through micro-punctures, so there is no need for stitches. Liposuction is a plastic surgery that can be performed under local anesthesia (feels like being in a dentist's chair). The patient is conscious, but does not feel anything. Since liposuction is an outpatient procedure, hospitalization is not required. In an hour you can go home.
Rehabilitation after liposuction takes 2-3 weeks - during this time, swelling and slight soreness may remain in the place where the widow’s hump was. The result can be assessed no earlier than 1 month after the operation.
Aids
- A massager in the form of a roller and other forms is an additional method of dealing with a bump. Using self-massage, you will feel a pleasant burning sensation that will last about 30 minutes. This is great because it means the blood supply is being activated.
- The patch with pepper has an effect that distracts from muscle strain, and the budget price of the patch cannot but attract. It drives blood and accelerates the movement of lymph.
- Bath with fragrant brooms. Steam the vertebrae, continuing to gently massage them to prevent displacement. This will not only help with the withers, but will also raise the overall tone of the body and improve the condition of the skin.
- In extreme cases, the patient may undergo surgery - liposuction.
Widow's hump in young adults and adolescents
It is generally accepted that a cervical hump appears in older people, but today it has become “younger” - many young people (25-35 years old), as well as teenagers, are faced with this aesthetic defect. There are two reasons: a sedentary lifestyle, as well as a passion for gadgets and computer games. At the same time, many young people spend time on computers and laptops. A constant static position: a tilted head, hunched shoulders, tension in the arms lead to excessive stress on the cervicothoracic region, and as a result, the formation of an unwanted hump.
Massagers used for massage of the cervical-collar area
Ease of use, mobility and affordable price of massagers are the main advantages that arouse genuine interest among patients who cannot or do not want to visit a massage room. Understanding consumer preferences, medical equipment manufacturers are actively saturating the market with compact devices for muscle stimulation. However, do massagers for the cervical-collar area have any effect and can they replace the impact that is performed by the hands of a specialist?
TYPES OF MASSAGERS FOR INFLUENCE ON SHVZ
Massaging devices differ in design, but their use is always used to achieve two main goals - increasing blood flow and lymph outflow. Depending on the cost of the massager, the model can be equipped with several types of influence (for example, mechanical with infrared).
Types of ShVZ massagers:
- Collar pad.
Ergonomic devices are placed on the upper back to provide a kneading effect using rollers that automatically roll under the fabric. - "Pillow".
A device that is placed under the head is used to stimulate the muscles of the neck and partly the back. The weak vibration arising from the moving heads helps relieve attacks of cervical osteochondrosis. - Manual electric massager.
A device with a handle and replaceable attachments helps massage the neck-collar area even in those areas of the back that are difficult to reach on your own. - Devices with infrared exposure.
Together with the mechanical treatment of the PVZ with rollers, special emitters help warm the skin, accelerating pain relief. - "Butterfly".
The myostimulator sends electronic impulses to the muscles, increasing blood flow. In addition to the weak effect, which is considered a disadvantage of the device, the massager should not be used by persons with a weak cardiovascular system and “pacemakers” (pacemakers). - Massager "Molecule".
A universal device with several protrusions (“legs”), suitable for stimulating muscles over the entire surface of the body. Unlike electric massage devices, this option is less convenient for massage at home: its use is only effective if you have an assistant. Holding the center of the hand simulator, a professional massage therapist or assistant moves it along the CVZ. - Massager "Arc".
A device equipped with spiked rollers has a more intense effect on the neck and back. It is also easier to use without an assistant to break down subcutaneous deposits at the withers and on the hips. - Tape massager with roller teeth.
The muscle stimulation device visually resembles a washcloth belt. Operating principle: has a kneading effect by moving wooden or plastic mini-blocks over the entire surface of the back. The intensity of the massage is adjusted using the knobs.
It is most convenient to use automated options, since they provide massage without physical effort on the part of a person, but the price of these products is much higher than manual devices.
Helpful advice
Portable back and neck exercise machines are useful for office workers and drivers to use during their lunch breaks to prevent pain and cramps at the end of the working day.
CONCLUSIONS
The ability to use massagers for the cervical-collar area at a convenient time brings comfort to patients. Thanks to this convenience, reviews of devices that replace the hands of a massage therapist are mostly positive. However, manual devices and electrical devices are more designed for light muscle kneading (relieving spasms), while the more complex techniques of classical massage - grabbing and pulling - cannot be repeated with their use. For this reason, to correct most neurological diseases, therapists prescribe a course of therapeutic effects in a massage room, and after treatment, they recommend using these devices for prevention.
Widow's hump: psychosomatics
As you know, there is a statement: “all diseases are from nerves,” and psychosomatics is the most powerful thing in the world. Psychological factors also influence the occurrence of a cervical hump.
Based on psychosomatic factors, the neck is the gap between the head and the body, which acts as a conductor of physical and spiritual-mental functions. People who live in harmony, do what they love, love their body, have a healthy cervical region. Psychologists believe that the head bows (which means a hump in the neck) under the pressure of negative thoughts and the lack of realization of one’s own talents.
Also, a widow's hump may appear due to stress or prolonged depression.
What are the signs to distinguish the disease?
If you find at least one of the signs, you need to immediately begin solving the problem:
- aching pain in the cervical region, occipital region, arms, shoulder girdle;
- difficulty turning the head;
- dizziness, ringing or noise in the ears;
- feeling of loss of consciousness when walking;
- weakness in legs and arms;
- loss of sensation in the neck area.