Breasts and Back Pain…Too much?

Ever wondered if breasts can cause back pain? Do you experience any kind of back pain that you may associate with your breasts? After much research, there are a few factors that can bring on chronic back pain from breasts. I will like to inform you of such and help you find solutions to this issue.

Where is this pain?

Well in all fairness, it isn’t just the back that hurts but also the neck and shoulders. According to an article from Dr. Mark Doyle of Gold Coast Plastic Surgery, women who have large breasts can experience upper back pain due to the extensive pressure placed on the Trapezius muscle. That pressure can cause strain on the spinal chord and this results in a forward droop in posture. The incorrect posture then leads to neck and shoulder pain.

Larger Bust Line

Having larger breasts may lead to this kind of chronic pain. Even though breasts are in the front, the excessive weight can put pressure on the chest and upper abdomen. If these muscles aren’t strong enough to support the breasts, it can lead your upper back to compensate for the weight at the front.

Another issue that may arise is the onset of some health risks such as herniated disc and osteoarthritis. This is due to having bad posture over the course of your life. Women who are especially going through menopause need to pay closer attention, as bone and muscle density change over time.

Thirdly, not wearing the correct bra size to support the breasts can lead to the above problems. Support being the key word, means that women who wear the wrong bra size are not getting enough support. Statistics show that about 80% of women are either wearing a bra too big or too small for them, leading to daily pain, whether in their shoulders, neck or back.

Recommendations

Based on the information we now have, how can we combat or reverse these issues. I can safely conclude on the importance of the following three things:

Diet

Exercise

Correct Bra size

Diet will help to reduce the weight of the breasts. If you are anything like me, my breasts are the first place I gain weight and the last place weight leaves. Maintaining my diet is essential to the increase or decrease of breast tissue over time, and that is important to our health.

Exercise. Now this goes hand in hand with diet if you want to lose some weight in general. However, if you want to lose weight on your breasts, then you must have specific exercises that target the strengthening of the Trapezius muscles. There will be a more detailed post at a later date but take a look at this short video about Trapezius Exercise for Women.

Wearing the correct bra size is essential for women with a larger bust line. Not only do you avoid discomfort, you also avoid the long term affects of the chronic back, neck and shoulder pain. Also, try to find bras that have a wider bra strap for additional support, as thinner straps tend to leave grooves due to the weight of breasts. Use my prevoius post ‘Good Bras and Large Breasts’ to get an idea of what you should be looking for.

Get a start on those recommendations if you are having any issues with upper back pain. I really hope it helps. Until next time!