Your Bra and Your Back
The bra isn’t an item of clothing many of us immediately associate with health, however recent studies have shown how important your bra can be to the wellbeing (or detriment) of your posture and spine.If you are suffering from shoulder tension, arm pain, headaches, chest or back pain then your bra choice may be part of the problem. The simple fact is that many women wear incorrectly fitted bras that are actually causing their body damage.
Think about the bra you’re wearing today for example. How did you know what size bra to buy? Were you fitted? Or did the size you’re wearing simply ‘seem right’ when you tried it on? Perhaps you were once fitted 10 years ago and you have grown since then, lost weight or had a child and are still wearing that same size? If you weren’t properly fitted by a professional, thn the chances are that you could be wearing the wrong size.
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As women we love to think our cup size is larger and our chest circumference smaller than they really are. But by making this mistake the damages may be greater than we imagine. Studies over the last ten years have shown that a poorly fitted bra may cause back pain, spinal restriction, decreased lung function and even breast cancer, due to the restriction causing decreased lymph drainage around the area.
A recent study in 2006 by Osteopath, Amedea Incorvaia, at the British College of Osteopathic Medicine researched the effect of cup size on the thoracic spine range of movement and its effects at the level of the bra strap, proving that the subjects with bigger cup sizes and smaller circumferences were more likely to have back pain and spinal restriction at the level of the bra strap. The main culprit for the symptoms however remained not being correctly fitted.
It is essential that your bra fits well. If it is too loose, it is not supportive enough and if too tight and restrictive, it can lead to decreased lung function, back pain and loss of spinal movement.
The study showed that the larger the cup size the more the incidence of decreased spinal range of movement. But no fear, wearing a bra that is correctly fitted can help support the spine and the surrounding muscles reducing the likelihood of muscle spasm that may contribute to spinal restriction. Basically, it’s all about correct support.
This message however is not solely for those with bigger cup sizes. The study showed it was the smaller cup sizes who did not take interest in being fitted correctly. The research indicated that more than 50% of subjects below a cup B were incorrectly fitted. Many of those women reported back pain. Overall, 41% of subjects were incorrectly fitted. 59% of those incorrectly fitted were found to have reduced range of movement at their bra strap level in the spine.
If you have a mid-back crushing pain that you can never seem to get rid of no matter how much you stretch or massage. Or maybe your shoulders get sore due to the weight of the breasts tied with the need to keep tightening those straps, then the chances are you're wearing an ill-fitting bra. Make an effort to go and get yourself expertly measured, you might be surprised.
September 2007 |
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