Back pain is typically associated with injuries, active lifestyle or extensive physical work, but in women, another factor that could potentially contribute to the issue is breast size. Research suggests that a bigger breast size could cause a range of back issues from postural issues to neck pain, as well as upper and lower back pain.
In extreme cases, the condition known as breast hypertrophy can be observed when a patient’s breasts are more than 3% of their overall weight. While the majority of women don’t have problems with having bigger breasts, others find it difficult, and sometimes even painful.
How Are Large Breasts Causing Back Pain?…
Breast-related back pain is caused by a shift in the centre of gravity or the regular body alignment. When a woman’s breasts are large or heavy they can pull her upper body forwards, which puts continuous tension on the neck, back and shoulder muscles.
This may cause her to suffer from compression in the thoracic outlet – an area where nerves pass through a narrow opening between the shoulder blades, muscles and ribs. Compression there is what can sometimes cause upper back pain. In addition, women with bigger sized breasts can sometimes also have a more hunched-over pose as a result.
Another factor that could play an important role in breast-related back or neck pain is weight. During weight gain, it’s common for women’s breasts to become larger. So if a woman is on the overweight side and has bigger breasts, there might be even more tension on her back muscles, which can also increase the strain on her spine.
How to relieve back pain from large breasts?…
One of the best ways to relieve breast-related back pain is by losing weight. This will help reduce your breast size and will lower the stress in your neck, shoulders and upper back. Doing exercises to increase your core strength can also be beneficial as it can help you slouch less and maintain an upright posture.
It’s also important to choose a bra that fits you properly. A bra shouldn’t fit too tight or have thin straps as this can also contribute to back pain. Always go for bras that offer good support and have wider shoulder straps.
Another option for treatment in some cases could be surgical breast reduction. This is an invasive procedure which means it comes with risks and it can be quite expensive so it’s suggested to try alternative methods first.
Specialists recommend starting with conservative methods such as weight loss and workouts to increase the strength in your core and back muscles. However, if you have tried all of those and still experience pain, you may want to discuss your symptoms with a GP and see if a breast reduction surgery could be a suitable choice of treatment for you.
Guest Post from Denitsa Gencheva Content Writer Pod Digital
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