Trying on a black strappy dress for an event a few weeks ago, I turned sideways to look at my reflection in the changing room mirror and stared back at myself in horror.
The dress was fine, but my posture wasn't. A distinct curve had formed at the base of my neck, creating a small but unmistakable hump that pushed my head forward and rounded my shoulders.
Seen in profile, the effect was matronly, which, at 56, hit a nerve. I've recently become a grandmother, but that doesn't mean I'm ready to start looking like one.
A quick Google confirmed what I was seeing. The old-fashioned term is dowager's hump, named for the visible stoop once associated with frail, old women.
That condition can be partially caused by a weakening of bones in the neck due to osteoporosis, but bad posture plays a part, too.
These days, the look is mimicked in men and women of all ages, thanks to 'tech neck', a modern condition caused by hours spent bent forward over phones, laptops and tablets.
I believe my 'hump' is the latter kind, purely down to bad posture. And, for me, the issue isn't just cosmetic. Most working days now end with a dragging ache across the top of my neck and a tight, pinching sensation from hours spent slumped forward at my desk typing.
Like most people, I also often spend my breaks scrolling on my phone, my head dropping forward again.
Before taking action, Rachel's upper back had showed telltale signs of developing a hump
Six years ago researchers created the figure of 'Emma', a life-sized dummy to show how office workers might look after spending hours hunched over their desks
'Your body adapts to whatever position you're in most,' says Phil Evans, lead physiotherapist at Urban Body in the West Midlands. 'If you sit for long periods or look down at your phone a lot, certain muscles tighten and the opposite muscles weaken.
'Over time you lose the strength to hold yourself tall, so your head shifts forward and the upper back rounds.'
Phil says many people only realise what's happening when they see themselves in a side-profile photograph, perhaps in swimwear on holiday or, like me, when they catch their reflection in a strappy dress.
'Clothes hide a lot in everyday life,' says Phil. 'But the moment your shoulders and upper back are exposed, the rounding becomes obvious.
'Because it occurs gradually, most people don't spots the signs early on.'
The good news is that this kind of postural change doesn't have to be permanent. It can be eased and, in many cases, reversed.
Here are Phil's top five tips that can help...
Undo the hunch with child's pose
Child's pose is a simple yoga move and one of the stretches Phil recommends for people with neck and upper-back pain because it directly counteracts the forward rounded position most of us spend far too much time in.
Start on your hands and knees on the floor, then sit your bottom back towards your heels and stretch your arms out in front of you, palms down, letting your chest sink gently towards the surface beneath you, and your forehead rest gently on the floor.
'This forces the shoulders into extension and encourages the upper back to flatten,' says Phil.
Holding the position for 30 to 60 seconds eases the heavy, bunched feeling across the tops of the shoulders and takes pressure off the neck.
Create a double chin
Deliberately creating a double chin goes against the grain, but if it helps reverse that hump, I'm game.
Sit or stand tall, look straight ahead, then draw your chin straight back without tipping your head up or down. The movement is small but precise.
'This strengthens the deep neck muscles that hold your head in the correct position,' says Phil.
'When those muscles weaken, the head drifts forward and the strain builds at the base of the neck.'
Yes, it looks unflattering, but ten slow repetitions, two or three times a day, help pull the head back into line and reduce pressure on the neck.
Re-learn what upright actually feels like
Most of us think we're sitting upright when we're not. Shoulder rolls are a simple way to remind the body where neutral posture really is.
Sit or stand tall. Lift your shoulders gently towards your ears, roll them back, then let them drop down and away from your neck.
Repeat slowly five to ten times, then pause and notice where your shoulders settle. ‘This re-engages the muscles that support the upper back,’ says Phil. ‘People forget what good posture feels like. These movements remind the body how it should be aligned.’
Done regularly through the day, it stops the shoulders creeping forward and dragging the neck with them.
Change how you work
Screens that sit too low force the head forward without us even noticing.
Raising your laptop or tablet closer to eye level reduces strain immediately.
Sitting at a table with back support is far better than collapsing into a sofa where the spine naturally curves.
How you scroll matters, too. Instead of dropping your head down to your phone, bring the phone up to eye level.
It feels awkward at first, but it keeps the neck in a far safer position.
Ideally, we shouldn't go on our phones in bed, but Phil's advice is more realistic rather than idealistic.
He says that using a larger screen, such as a tablet, encourages you to sit more upright against pillows instead of lying flat with your chin tucked into your chest.
Interrupting long periods of sitting
Staying still for long stretches allows the spine to sink into a curved position. Once that posture settles, it becomes harder to undo.
'The longer you stay still, the faster problems develop,' says Phil. His advice is to set a reminder every 30 to 60 minutes to get up and move, even if only briefly.
Standing during phone calls, stretching your arms overhead or rolling your shoulders all interrupt the slump.
These small resets stop poor posture becoming fixed and give muscles the chance to rebalance before that dreaded hump deepens.