How to Fix a Neck Hump at Home: 3 Exercises for a Buffalo Hump or Dowager’s Hump

Three simple, effective exercises that may help correct a neck hump — also known as a buffalo hump or Dowager’s hump — demonstrated by a chiropractor with over 24 years of clinical experience.

A neck hump is a build-up of fatty tissue at the base of the neck. The body lays it down to protect the spine, and it usually develops in response to faulty posture: rounded shoulders and the chin pushed forward, which puts constant pressure on that area.

The good news is that it can often be improved. In this video, our chiropractor Jasper Hulscher shares three of his favourite corrective exercises — the YWTL sequence, a shoulder-blade squeeze with head tilt, and a wall-based turn-and-tilt stretch — alongside the single most important step: sorting out your posture. Consistency is the key; these exercises work best done regularly and combined with keeping upright, shoulders back and chin in.

Because a neck hump and neck pain often go together, this pairs well with our other neck exercise videos.

Related Reading: Is chiropractic safe? What patients in Bury St Edmunds should know

[00:00] What a neck hump is — a deposit of fatty tissue at the base of the neck (also called a buffalo hump or Dowager’s hump), laid down to protect the spine in response to faulty posture: rounded shoulders and a forward-poking chin.

[00:00] Fix your posture first — sit and stand upright, shoulders back, chin in, to stop the constant tension building on that area. Consistency is the key to results.

[01:14] Exercise 1 — YWTL — a sequence that straightens the whole thoracic spine. Arms up in a Y, then W (elbows down), then T (arms spread), then L (elbows in at the sides), pulling the arms back and holding each position about 30 seconds.

[01:37] Exercise 2 — Shoulder squeeze and head tilt — hands behind the back gripping the wrist, straighten the elbows and pull the arms back, squeezing the shoulder blades together, then tilt the head back and hold about 30 seconds while breathing out.

[03:00] Exercise 3 — Wall turn-and-tilt — one hand slid high up a wall, turn towards that side and tilt the head back, holding 10–15 seconds; repeat on both sides. Targets the hump area specifically. Take care not to get dizzy.

Note: neck hump and neck pain often occur together, so combine these with dedicated neck exercises.

A neck hump — also called a buffalo hump or Dowager’s hump — is a deposit of fatty tissue at the base of the neck that the body lays down to protect the spine, usually in response to poor posture: rounded shoulders and a forward head position. This video demonstrates three corrective exercises that may help improve it: the YWTL sequence to straighten the thoracic spine, a shoulder-blade squeeze with a head tilt, and a wall-based turn-and-tilt stretch that targets the hump area directly. The most important step is correcting posture itself — staying upright with the shoulders back and chin in — and doing the exercises consistently. Because a neck hump and neck pain often go together, these work best alongside dedicated neck exercises. If posture and symptoms don’t improve, a chiropractor can assess the underlying cause.