Who has a Camels Hump?
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Fri Feb 26, 2010 12:48 am

From what I gather, this camels hump (forgot the medical/technical term)....but it's the fat hump that meets at the bottom of the neck, and top of the back...is contributed to high levels of cortisol, insulin levels, or possibly weight gain....don't know if it's genetic.

I get plenty of calcium (supplements & food sources). I don't have a problem with bone-density,Osteoporosis or the like.

Just wondered if anyone has had any success with reducing it? I know I have to clean-up my diet and exercise more...Not sure if a chiropractor can help..I'll have to consult with one.

free skin care · Fri Feb 26, 2010 9:19 am

Thank you, Cazzie, for raising this topic, as I fear the "hump" more than any facial aging. Although I don't have a problem there (well not yet), I have noticed it often on other women in my age range.

I did mention this to my chiropractor a few years back, and he said maintain good posture and my current exercise regime, and I shouldn't have a problem - but I don't think he took the question too seriously as I'm not (now) showing problems in that area.

Would be interested to hear what advice the EDS ladies can give on this? And good luck Cazzie, hope you find some answers.

free skin care · Fri Feb 26, 2010 9:34 am

Oh the Buffalo hump (well that's what I've seen it called on a Cushings Disease forum).

I have a slight 'hump' at the very tip of my spine/base of neck. I have always had a small hump but it's gotten bigger/fattier since gaining weight. Also, my posture is absolutely terrible! I really slouch and when I correct my posture the hump decreases alot.

I think this can be something that runs in the family. My mum has a small hump (she is slim) and so does my dad, who is also not overweight.

So at the moment I think mine looks worse due to this extra weight I am 'carrying'. But if I run my fingers over it I can actually feel a curve/bump in my spine.

I'd be interested on what others have to say about this...

free skin care · Fri Feb 26, 2010 10:20 am

It is all posture,my Mom had this starting in her 50's and her Dr. told her to improve her posture and to start wearing a small strap around her shoulders under her clothes(you couldn't see it)it helped her hold her shoulders back and really helped improve her posture.I don't remember where she got it,sorry but I have seen them in health magazines.

free skin care · Fri Feb 26, 2010 10:46 am

Well I have a "roll" of fat at the back of my neck if I hold my head back and look up. Is that what you mean? I am rather overweight so I just thought that was extra fat... Confused

free skin care · Fri Feb 26, 2010 11:55 am

I'm not really sure,my Mom was about 20 pounds to heavy,but even when lost weight it was still there,but the strap and posture did help it from getting larger.

free skin care · Fri Feb 26, 2010 2:08 pm

I also have a a bit of a bump at bottom of neck/top of back which seems to be more noticable as I've gotten older. Even though I could lose about 10 lbs. now I had it even when I was thin. I'm quite sure it's hereditary as my Mom & neice have it.
I would love to know if there's an answer for this!

free skin care · Fri Feb 26, 2010 2:37 pm

Leggy 61 wrote:

It is all posture

I agree. My mom had that, too, due to poor posture. And sad to say but I have terrible posture. Time to stop slumping and stand up straight!!

free skin care · Fri Feb 26, 2010 3:04 pm

My weight isn't helping, coz I have 'back fat' Laughing

which has made the hump (I hate calling it that Embarassed

) look worse.

But my posture is terrible as I said before. So bad that when I correct myself and sit up straight it feels really strange and actually hurts/makes my back ache! I have gotten so used to slouching over... it's not good Shock

free skin care · Fri Feb 26, 2010 4:35 pm

Kay2008 wrote:

But my posture is terrible as I said before. So bad that when I correct myself and sit up straight it feels really strange and actually hurts/makes my back ache! I have gotten so used to slouching over... it's not good Shock

I have that same problem. It hurts to stand up straight, and I feel better when slouching. You are right, not a good thing!

free skin care · Fri Feb 26, 2010 6:09 pm

I agree with everyone else - it's posture related. Slouching is definitely a no-no.

It's something I worry about too because my posture is terrible - and my mother had a very bad camels hump - so bad she looked more like the "Hunchback of Notre Dame", but hers was due to osteoporosis and it's really quite a serious problem. It got so bad she couldn't lay on her back or sit comfortably in an arm chair.

So pay attention to posture, take calcium supplements and if you're menopausal look into some kind of hormone replacement therapy. Doctors told my mother that if she had of done this her condition could have been prevented.

free skin care · Sun Feb 28, 2010 8:49 am

Hello -

One thing that can cause poor posture/slouch are weak chest muscles. The back muscles and chest muscles work in tandem to keep your posture straight. In most women, the back muscles are stronger and the chest muscles are not strong enough to keep the shoulders back.

So... I would try working your chest muscles a bit more. Push ups are the best exercise for this and you do not need to go to a gym to do it!

Also, I also would suggest yoga or pilates. Both have made a huge difference in my posture.

I hope this helps!
Emily Smile

free skin care · Sun Feb 28, 2010 9:29 am

erg wrote:

So... I would try working your chest muscles a bit more. Push ups are the best exercise for this and you do not need to go to a gym to do it!

Also, I also would suggest yoga or pilates. Both have made a huge difference in my posture.

I hope this helps!
Emily Smile

I am working on push-ups and yoga, so we'll see if my posture improves!

free skin care · Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:09 am

Awesome! Even 15 push ups a day will make a huge difference!

free skin care · Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:50 am

And holding plank, guys, for 30 seconds a few times each day. You can do it on your hands or on your front arms. Important thing is to keep your back straight and pull your stomach toward your spine. Not only will this strengthen your upper body, but it will tighten up abs and tum.

free skin care · Sun Feb 28, 2010 11:04 am

Thanks Emily & Pluto for your input!

I believe strenghtening chest muscles is the key for us women for improving our postures!
Now I just have to get disciplined and DO it! Smile

free skin care · Sun Feb 28, 2010 10:40 pm

Cazziek wrote:

From what I gather, this camels hump (forgot the medical/technical term)....but it's the fat hump that meets at the bottom of the neck, and top of the back...is contributed to high levels of cortisol, insulin levels, or possibly weight gain....don't know if it's genetic.

I get plenty of calcium (supplements & food sources). I don't have a problem with bone-density,Osteoporosis or the like.

Just wondered if anyone has had any success with reducing it? I know I have to clean-up my diet and exercise more...Not sure if a chiropractor can help..I'll have to consult with one.

i read your post a while ago and just came up blank. i needed to think about it and perhaps ask friends. no one else knew.
i'm wondering if massage will help this. whether it be manual or using an electrical massager.
i know in the spa they have cellulite trestments that use electrical machines (using microcurrent and such). also at the spa there are special manual massages that are done on the whole body to lose weight, or spot treatments for cellulite. they do the various massages to 'break' up the deposit. and i know these treatments do work. have friends that have done them.
if your camel hump is a fat deposit, would it not be similar to cellulite deposits around the leg, arms, etc?

i know spa treatments can become very expensive, but there are many electrical massagers that can used at home, and are also economical.
HTH
good luck!

free skin care · Mon Mar 01, 2010 10:38 am

Have given this a bit more thought - and I think one of the things I do often in the gym that "might" help is hanging (by hands) from a high bar, just swinging around and twisting. Sadly, don't have the upper body strength of my younger days when I could do pull ups, but I find just hanging/swinging around like a monkey seems to loosen up and stretch out the shoulder/spine area - and it's pretty easy, doesn't take too much upper body strength or exertion. Feels really good after hours slumped over the computer...

Fri Mar 05, 2010 12:41 am

Thanks so much everyone, I really appreciate all of the advice and input. I'm definitely going to try your suggestions. I am going to try to discipline myself more and do the exercises (push-ups,etc).

The massages sound great! I do have one of those portable electric hand-held massagers...I'll give it a whirl.

I am 15pounds overweight, so I will try to amp up the diet. Especially with spring approaching (although I can't tell when I step outside).

Oh, I'm sorry that I referred to this as a "camels hump"...I have no idea how I came up with that term Rolling Eyes

....that one's a little further south..lol. I meant "buffalo hump"...Thanks for the poster who caught this also. I tried to chg it the same night but said I reached some kind of maximum posts...1st time I've encountered such a thing on a forum. I'm just glad I at-least used an animal with a "hump".. Laughing

Sat Jan 29, 2011 7:02 am

HI everyone, it's early and I'm not sure my coffee has kicked in, but I'm going to try to organize my thoughts to communicate something I think is very important.

Body mechanics, alignment, grace in movement, and posture are (to me anyway) some of the most important elements in beauty, ones that are overlooked by many people.

These are more important than makeup, skin creams, clothing, whether you are 10 lbs over weight, etc. in terms of your overall appearance.

If you don't believe me, go somewhere and people watch where you can see people of a wide age range.

As we age, we develop suboptimal postural habits from several sources: hunching over desks all day, holding stress in our shoulders, hiding our bodies through body language, letting our muscles atrophy from lack of exercise, and also compensatory habits picked up following injuries (these can stick around for years or decades). All of these can absolutely be undone, but most people don't see them or lack the body awareness or motivation to try to change them.

I experienced a physical epiphany a few years ago when I began studying the Alexander Technique. If any of you are dancers or musicians, you have probably heard of this system of body learning. It is not therapy or alternative medicine, but a method through which an AT teacher teaches you optimal movement and use of muscles. (musicians, actors and dancers can get very messed up physically by holding tension improperly, to the point they cannot perform without pain; AT was originally developed to help these kinds of issues).

Pre AT, I was holding alot of tension in my neck and upper body, tension that was pulling downward, making me move and appear stiff. WEight training and stretching helped but only so much. My main motivation in studying AT was (and still is) function, not appearance, but I have to say I enjoyed an amazing change in my appearance through elongating and lengthening my spine.

Anyway, this post turned really long, but my point is that I think the neck rolls being discussed here are largely postural issues that can be changed. Alexander Technique is only one possible method that could get someone there. Feldenkrais, yoga, weight training, body work (massage, rolfing, etc), are other possible routes, but working with an AT teacher is probably the most efficient way to optimize posture and movement.

Google it if interested; there are many web resources.

free skin care · Sun Jan 30, 2011 1:55 am

Another exercise I was told to do at phisio is to stand up straight with your back up against the wall and try and raise your arms without them leaving the wall....

supposed to strengthen your back muscles.

Also on your hands and knees try and lift one leg up straight and the oposite arm and hold for 10 seconds.
That is quite hard to do I find ;(

so like have your left leg up and your right arm and try and balance.

you can also do the arm exercises with small weights if it is too easy.

I hurt my back last week,so it is hard to try and do stuff..but am getting better slowly (was in a "small" car accident last week Sad

free skin care · Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:56 am

THIS IS SO WEIRD, I wonder if hormones have anything to do with this? Back when I was younger and got periods it used to swell and cause headaches. My doctor would give me water pills and B6 when the excess water and pressure left so would my headache. Now that I no longer have any hormones Rolling Eyes

I don't have a hump! My Mother has that also. Now she has blood pressure issues and edema and sure enough it swells. When the water is gone the swelling is noticeably decreased. So DUH I guess it wouldn't be hormonal then since Mom is 80. Embarassed

Sat Nov 30, 2013 11:44 pm

I have this also. I completely disagree with those saying this is purely a "posture issue." I'm a professional brass musician, so my posture needs to be impeccable, and I've been struggling with this issue since my early teens. My doctor said this is just a fat pad/deposit under the skin that won't go away with solely exercise. Unfortunately the only way to combat this is lipo or some sort of tissue decreasing surgical procedure.

free skin care · Sat Nov 30, 2013 11:55 pm

My biological father had that VERY bad and my husband notices that I tend to tense up in that same spot on my upper back. I think ours is related to posture/stress. It may not be the same for everyone of course. We're all different.

Sun Dec 01, 2013 10:02 am

My mom has this and it became apparent when she was sick for quite awhile. She spent most of the day in bed and put on a lot of weight. When she loses weight, it shrinks (like every other part of her) but doesn't go away. Her doctor told her that she basically created it by lying down so long and that it is now a physiological change. Since she's been up and active more, it seems smaller to me, but that maybe related to her weight loss. She does have lower calcium and at the time was considered to be at risk for osteoporosis, though with calcium supplementation she's not been diagnosed with that. At the time of her illness, her calcium levels were not really the primary concern, so I couldn't tell you the range they were in.

I agree that this maybe something that has multiple causes. It doesn't seem to have a strong genetic component in our family and it definitely appeared after her illness, when she was in her mid to late fifties.

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