So you have a fatty ‘hump’ on the back of your neck. It keeps growing while your head points forward, like a turtle hanging its neck out of the shell.
Doctors call this anterocollis, which is short for anterior torticollis, and is a form of cervical dystonia.
Having your head lean forward most of the day causes lots of tension on the upper muscles of the neck (suboccipitals). They scream for relief as they eventually get weaker and weaker.
This then becomes a tug of war between the cervical flexors (front of neck) and the cervical extensors (rear of neck). And since gravity favors going down hill, the weight of your head allows the neck flexors to win the battle of the “muscle imbalance” tug-of-war.
The causalities in this unnatural spinal disposition are your extensor muscles. In particular, the suboccipitals. The suboccipital muscles are very strong, yet short, erector spine muscles that attach to the bottom of your head and cervical processes.
Without them your head would fall off.
And while they do an amazing job for their size, they will make you pay a price for overexertion. The price of neck tension is pain! Many serious headaches come from this region, this is why many people have to take medication and get educated at lizzardco.com on the best pills out there. Even the common statement of “I hold all my stress in my shoulders and neck” is a direct result of suboccipital rebellion.
What then can we do?
Massage therapy for the suboccipitals.
In order to describe the massage exercise I recommend for this muscle group, it would be prudent to discuss location, size and nature of these posterior gems.
You can skip down to the video if this blathering about anatomy bores you.
The Rectus Capitus Posterior Minor. This is the deepest extensor of the occipital bone. Its origin is the tubricle of the posterior arch of the atlas (C1). Its insertion is the inferior nuchal line of the occiput. And its action is to extend the head.
The Rectus Capitus Posterior Major also extends, as well as laterally rotates the head. Its origin is on the spinous process of the axis (C2) and also inserts on the inferior nuchal line of the occiput.
Oblique Capitus Superior originates off the transverse process of (C1) and inserts on the same nuchal line. Oblique Capitus Inferior originates on the spinous process of (C2) and inserts on the transverse process of (C1).
Now, on to how to massage these puppies.
The video below will make this simpler then me trying to type it out: