Good neck posture is a structural alignment where your ears stack vertically over your shoulders, your chin remains level, and the natural inward curve of your cervical spine (the "C-curve") is preserved without muscular strain.
A dowager's hump in older adults is a forward rounding at the base of the neck and upper back caused by long-term postural changes, weakened postural muscles, thoracic stiffness, and in some cases age-related changes in spinal bone density.
Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure that permanently joins two or more vertebrae in the spine, eliminating painful movement between unstable or damaged segments.
Back pain avoidance is a behavioural pattern where people repeatedly delay addressing lower back pain due to normalisation, denial, or a belief that rest alone is sufficient - leading to progressive physical deterioration and longer, more complex recovery.
