Changes in posture?

[steprightup]

Hey everyone,

So about a week ago I looked in the mirror and noticed that my neck is slightly slanted. It just appears...off kilter. Anyone notice any changes in posture after surgery? Perhaps it's from what happens during surgery or how the scar tissue heals? I don't know...it's odd...Thanks.

 

[tom in MO]

I had real bad neck problems due to the pulling open of my sternum and tying my arm down on a board for anesthia. I was given exercises by a PT in the hospital. I first wondered if they would work, but did them religously and over many weeks they worked.

I have one residual weirdness. I can bend my head a lot more over to my right shoulder than my left. It's markedly different. I now do the stretching neck exercises in both directions...maybe I'll even out over time.

 

[steprightup]

Interesting Tom. I guess given what happens to us, it's amazing we don't look a lot worse

 

[Guyswell]

If you look closely, you may also notice one eye is set lower than the other in your face and one ear is attached lower on the side of your head.

Sorry to be flip about your question. We're certainly not symmetrical and it could be that you're just paying closer attention than ever before. Relax.

 

[AmyR]

steprightup- Its been how long that you had surgery? My doc had warned me if i do not continue my physiotherapy i would look like a really old man with a hunched back and a neck bent front. LOL. We after surgery find it comfortable hunching our back so as to relax the chest muscles and avoid pain. but the issue here is the muscles are disturbed and need to be warmed up. so it is imp to broaden your shoulders and walk, exercises your muscles esp shoulder neck and chest. Just the basic warm up exercises. I have always observed a better posture in me after my exercises than when i wake up. I wake up with pain and a stooped shoulder to reduce the muscle stress and pain but then make it a point to do my walk and stretching exercises. All the best.

 

[steprightup]

Thanks for the replies. I'm at nearly 11 weeks. I've done a good job of exercising. I think that either it's due to muscle and scar tension or as Guy wrote, it existed prior to surgery and I hadn't noticed it till now. Hard to tell. But I do need to chill out a little more about perceived ailments. Or maybe I just need a good massage