Large breasts cause back pain. Large Breasts and Upper Back Pain: Exploring the Connection and Solutions

27.04.202214.07.2023 by alexxlab

What is the relationship between breast size and upper back pain. How can women with large breasts alleviate discomfort. What factors contribute to upper back pain besides breast size. When should you see a doctor about persistent back pain.

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The Link Between Breast Size and Upper Back Pain

Upper back pain is a common issue that affects many individuals, regardless of gender or breast size. However, there has been ongoing debate about whether large breasts contribute significantly to this problem. While the connection may seem logical, the relationship between breast size and upper back pain is more complex than initially thought.

A 2013 study focusing on postmenopausal women, many of whom were overweight or obese, found a correlation between larger breasts and thoracic (upper back) pain. Interestingly, some participants in this study were also wearing improperly sized bras, which could have exacerbated the issue.

It’s important to note that while breast size may play a role, other factors such as body weight, posture, and underlying medical conditions can also contribute significantly to upper back pain.

Common Causes of Upper Back Pain

Upper back pain can stem from various sources, not just breast size. Some common causes include:

Herniated discs
Osteoarthritis in the spine
Myofascial pain
Vertebral fractures
Poor posture
Muscle strain

Understanding these potential causes can help in identifying the root of the problem and seeking appropriate treatment.

The Impact of Breast Size on Shoulder and Neck Pain

While the focus is often on upper back pain, research has shown that breast size can also affect other areas of the body. A 2012 study examined the relationship between breast size, bra cup size, and pain in the shoulders and neck. The findings suggested that a large cup size was a significant contributor to shoulder and neck discomfort.

This highlights the importance of considering the overall impact of breast size on the upper body, not just the back. Women with larger breasts may experience a range of discomforts that extend beyond the back area.

The Role of Bra Fit in Upper Back Pain

Proper bra fit is crucial for women, especially those with larger breasts. A 2008 study on breast size, bra fit, and thoracic pain in young women revealed that 80% of participants were wearing the incorrect bra size. Surprisingly, women with larger breasts were more likely to wear ill-fitting bras.

While the study didn’t find a direct link between bra fit and pain, it did suggest that poorly fitted bras could impair their function as breast support. This lack of proper support could potentially lead to discomfort and contribute to poor posture, which in turn may cause upper back pain.

How to Ensure Proper Bra Fit

To minimize potential discomfort, consider these tips for finding the right bra:

Get professionally measured regularly
Try on multiple sizes and styles
Ensure the band fits snugly but comfortably
Check that the cups fully contain the breast tissue
Adjust the straps for proper support

Strategies for Alleviating Upper Back Pain

For women experiencing upper back pain, regardless of breast size, there are several strategies that may help alleviate discomfort:

Strengthen core muscles through exercises like yoga or Pilates
Maintain good posture throughout the day
Use ergonomic furniture and equipment
Practice stress-reduction techniques
Apply heat or cold therapy as needed
Consider professional massage or physical therapy

Is exercise effective for managing upper back pain? Research suggests that strengthening the core muscles in the abdomen and back can indeed help ease back pain. Yoga, in particular, has been shown to be beneficial. A series of 10 specific yoga poses for back pain can be a good starting point for those looking to incorporate this practice into their pain management routine.

The Role of Nutrition in Back Pain Management

Nutrition plays a crucial role in overall health, including the management of back pain. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of certain nutrients in maintaining a healthy back.

Can vitamin D and calcium help with back pain? A 2021 study found a link between insufficient levels of vitamin D and nonspecific lower back pain. While this study focused on lower back pain, it suggests that maintaining adequate levels of vitamin D and calcium may be beneficial for overall back health.

To ensure you’re getting enough of these nutrients, consider incorporating the following foods into your diet:

Fatty fish (for vitamin D)
Egg yolks (for vitamin D)
Fortified dairy products (for both vitamin D and calcium)
Leafy green vegetables (for calcium)
Nuts and seeds (for calcium)

It’s always best to consult with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet or starting any supplementation regimen.

Breast Reduction Surgery: A Potential Solution?

For some women with large breasts experiencing chronic upper back pain, breast reduction surgery may be considered as a potential solution. Research has shown that this procedure can potentially lessen back pain by allowing for better posture.

Is breast reduction surgery effective for alleviating back pain? While studies have indicated positive outcomes, it’s crucial to understand that surgery is a significant decision that should not be taken lightly. The effectiveness can vary from person to person, and like any surgical procedure, it comes with potential risks and complications.

If you’re considering breast reduction surgery, it’s essential to have an in-depth discussion with your healthcare provider. They can help you weigh the potential benefits against the risks and determine if this option is appropriate for your specific situation.

Factors to Consider Before Opting for Breast Reduction Surgery

The severity and persistence of your back pain
The impact of breast size on your daily activities and quality of life
Your overall health and fitness level
Potential risks and complications of the surgery
Recovery time and post-operative care requirements
Your expectations and desired outcomes

Remember, breast reduction surgery is typically considered after other conservative treatments have been tried without success. Your healthcare provider can guide you through all available options and help you make an informed decision.

When to Seek Medical Attention for Upper Back Pain

While some degree of back discomfort is common, persistent or severe pain should not be ignored. It’s crucial to know when to seek professional medical advice.

When should you consult a doctor about upper back pain? Consider seeking medical attention if:

Your pain persists for more than a few weeks despite home remedies
The pain is severe or getting worse over time
You experience numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arms or legs
The pain is accompanied by unexplained weight loss or fever
You have difficulty controlling your bladder or bowels
The pain is affecting your daily activities and quality of life

Early diagnosis and treatment can lead to better outcomes and prevent potential complications. Your healthcare provider can perform a thorough evaluation, identify the underlying cause of your pain, and recommend appropriate treatment options.

Remember, while large breasts may contribute to upper back pain, they are not always the sole or primary cause. A comprehensive approach considering various factors such as posture, overall health, and lifestyle is essential for effective management of upper back pain.

Large Breasts and Upper Back Pain: What’s the Connection?

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Medically reviewed by Megan Soliman, MD — By Scott Frothingham — Updated on October 28, 2022

Many people experience upper back pain at some point in their lives, whether as a result of intense exercise, poor posture, or injury.

Symptoms of upper back pain may include aching muscles and a stabbing pain in your upper back.

Many people believe large breasts are a cause for upper back pain in women. The theory is that the breasts’ weight strains the ligaments and muscles in the back, resulting in discomfort.

This appears to be a logical connection, though upper back pain is a common condition anyone can experience — regardless of sex or breast size. So, what does the research say?

The relationship between large breasts and upper back pain appears to be somewhat more complex, involving multiple other factors. But a limited amount of research has demonstrated a link between large breasts and upper back pain.

A small 2013 study of postmenopausal women (the majority of whom had overweight or obesity) did find thoracic (upper back) pain was associated with larger breasts. Some of the participants also wore improperly sized bras.

It’s likely that other factors, such as higher body weight or a pinched nerve, are additional primary contributors to upper back pain.

There are a number of causes of upper back pain. They include:

injury to the discs in your back, such as herniation
osteoarthritis as a result of the breakdown of cartilage in your spine
myofascial pain
vertebral fracture

Upper back pain isn’t the only discomfort attributed to breast size.

A 2012 study examined the relationship between breast size, bra cup size, and pain in participants’ shoulders and neck. Researchers concluded large cup size was an important contributor to shoulder and neck pain.

A small 2008 study on breast size, bra fit, and thoracic pain in young women found 80 percent of participants were wearing the incorrect bra size.

What’s more, women with larger breasts were more likely to wear an incorrect bra size. It’s a common belief the wrong fit — and the poor posture that results from it — can lead to upper back pain.

Researchers said bra fit appeared to be unrelated to pain. However, if a bra was poorly fitted, it could impair its function as breast support. This could, in turn, cause certain levels of discomfort.

Breast size is commonly seen as a reason for upper back pain, as are improperly fitted bras.

Research shows that even though breast size isn’t the only determining factor in upper back pain, it can be a factor.

You can ease your back pain by strengthening the core muscles in your abdomen and back. Try these 10 yoga poses for back pain to get started.

Maintaining sufficient levels of vitamin D and calcium may also help ease back pain. A 2021 study found insufficient levels of vitamin D to be linked to nonspecific lower back pain.

There’s also literature showing that breast reduction surgery may lessen back pain by helping to allow for better posture. This is something you would need to discuss closely with your physician when considering the source of pain and treatments available.

If your back pain persists or increases in intensity, visit a doctor. The earlier you get a diagnosis, the sooner you can get treatment and relief.

Last medically reviewed on October 28, 2022

How we reviewed this article:

Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Goulart R, et al. (2013). Reduction mammoplasty improves body posture and decreases the perception of pain.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3891107/
Oo M, et al. (2012). Relationship between brassiere cup size and shoulder-neck pain in women.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3322448/
Papanastasiou C, et al. (2019). The effects of breast reduction on back pain and spine measurements: A systematic review.
journals.lww.com/prsgo/Fulltext/2019/08000/The_Effects_of_Breast_Reduction_on_Back_Pain_and.12.aspx
Spencer L, et al. (2013). Breast size, thoracic kyphosis & thoracic spine pain – Association & relevance of bra fitting in post-menopausal women: A correlational study.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3704920/
Wood K, et al. (2008). Breast size, bra fit and thoracic pain in young women: A correlational study.
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Xu HW, et al. (2021). Relationship between vitamin D and nonspecific low back pain may be mediated by inflammatory markers.
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Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

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Oct 28, 2022

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Medically reviewed by Megan Soliman, MD — By Scott Frothingham — Updated on October 28, 2022

Back Pain: Breast Size

The upper part of the spine is very strong, acting as an anchor to the rib cage and supporting the upper body, but it can also be prone to upper back pain. As with lower back pain, upper back pain is most often caused by strain on the muscles and ligaments from poor posture and repetitive motions.

But for women with very large breasts, it doesn’t take hours spent slouched in front of a computer or a vigorous game of tennis to cause upper back pain. Simply the weight of their breasts alone can be enough to cause back pain, sometimes even leading to long-term chronic pain that lasts for months or years.

The Link Between Large Breasts and Back Pain

Having very large breasts can place excess weight on the chest. Without enough support from the surrounding muscles and the rest of the body, the weight of the breasts can cause severe pain, make it difficult to maintain good posture, and even lead to spinal deformity. And being self-conscious about large breasts also makes some women hunch forward in an attempt to hide their chest, which can worsen existing back pain.

Very large-breasted women sometimes have to grapple not only with chronic pain in their backs and necks, but also with bra straps that dig into their skin and limitations on the activities that they can comfortably engage in.

Back Pain and Breast Size: Research Findings

Studies have shown that there can be a chain reaction of painful symptoms resulting from large breasts, as the body compensates for an abnormal position in one part of the back by shifting the position of another. Breast cups size D and above can cause upper back pain by altering the curvature of the spine, according to research, and can have an important impact on posture.

Easing the Pain: What Can Help?

If you suffer from neck or upper back pain caused by large breasts, help is available. There is no need to suffer from back pain caused by large breast size.

Options for upper back pain relief range from lifestyle changes to medications, and in severe cases even surgery. You might consider trying:

Customized bras and sports bras. Because they are specially designed, these types of bras can help distribute and support the weight of large breasts — especially for women with narrow backs, who have a more concentrated distribution of weight than women whose backs are wider.
Physical therapy and exercise. Working with a therapist or personal trainer can improve posture and encourage weight loss in women who are overweight or obese.
Medication. Taking an occasional over-the-counter pain reliever (such as ibuprofen or aspirin) when upper back pain strikes is just fine. And your doctor can prescribe stronger medication to “get you over the hump” of more severe pain caused by large breast size. But keep in mind that painkillers for back pain caused by large breasts are not intended as a long-term solution.
Breast reduction surgery. Often recommended to women with upper back pain caused by large breasts, breast reduction surgery may be the only way to permanently resolve the issue. Research published by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons found that, prior to breast reduction surgery, half of 179 women with breasts size DD or larger had almost constant upper back pain or pain in their necks, shoulders, or lower backs. After the surgery, only 10 percent of women had these symptoms.

Bottom line: If you are suffering from upper back pain due to large breasts, talk with your doctor. Together, you can put together a plan that will be effective for you.

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Big breasts call out from the back? Breast augmentation surgery brings relief

One of the most frequently requested and most successfully performed plastic surgery procedures is the change of female breasts. A lot of women suffer from symptoms that call out from their breasts. Unfortunately, non-surgical methods of healing often do not bring any relief.

A rich woman with great breasts looks at her back.

The medical term for large breasts is macromastia, and if large breasts are associated with other physical problems, they are called symptomatic macromastia. Important breasts can cause damage to the various systems of the body. In addition, injecting macromast can take away obesity, reducing the physical activity of a woman.

Macromass symptoms may include chronic pain in the neck, back and shoulders; pain in the breast; headaches; filthy postavu; furrows on the shoulders; naming and shaking hands; buttocks, disturbed by sleep, hanging under the breasts and between the breasts, as well as in the furrows on the straps of the bra and low tolerance of physical stress. The symptoms may be similar to those of arthritis or other disc problems, thoracic outlet syndrome, migraine, sleep apnea, and other conditions. However, for most patients, the diagnosis of symptomatic macromastia is simple and does not depend on the large number of tests.

Can you treat the symptoms of important breasts without surgery? Mild debilitating symptoms can be relieved by anti-spasmodic liposuction, heat packs, massage, chiropractic, physiotherapy, etc. Unfortunately, for women with more important and persistent symptoms, such treatment methods rarely provide permanent relief. Low success rate of non-surgical methods and the success of these patients in good documentation in the medical literature.

How about a bra for a trim? A good fit of a bra should not be worn out, as it can worsen the symptoms of the neck, chest wall and shoulder.

What does the loss of the vaga help? Although vtrata vaga often bazhana beyond the camp of health, it has been shown more than once that there are no effective symptoms associated with important breasts. All right in gravity. Great breasts become more and more important under the force of gravity, but not to the one who expands the skin of the breasts, like a yo-yo, but to the one who grows in volume. Shkіra of breasts is an important thing, to make a significant contribution to the deep vaga of the breasts, and if it is an increase in the obligation of the shkir of the breasts, it’s constant, so that it’s not a werewolf with an extra vaga.

Breast reshaping surgery, also called reduction mammoplasty, is a highly effective method of treatment of symptomatic macromastia, and oscillation is inadvertently associated with the cause of symptoms. Numerous medical reports have confirmed the success of breast reshaping surgery for women with symptoms related to the epigastric vago of the breasts. Benefits include improvement in physical functioning, improvement in pain, improvement in skeletal stability, improvement in leg function, improvement in sleep quality, improvement in headaches, and improvement in visualization of breast cancer on mammography. Indicators of patient satisfaction after the change of the breasts are at the temples, and the patient is not aware of a significant relief of her symptoms after the operation.

Breast augmentation surgery is a standard part of plastic surgery, although plastic surgeons may not be able to complete the same procedure. Deyakі surgeons send their patients home on the day of the operation, at that hour, as others vvazhayut for better, so that their patients are left for nothing in the likarni or short-line setting. In case of any type of patients, call to rob the operation under general anesthesia. Keeping an eye on the opening after the operation is not difficult, although small zatriki in the zastrіchayutsya often finish. Most of the patients can be fully restored for six days, but the residual shape of the breasts will not be seen for many months. Women are guilty of knowing that all operations on the breasts cause scarring, which may interfere with the interpretation of possible mammograms by a radiologist and may yearn for an additional assessment.

One of the biggest problems for wealthy women who are planning breast augmentation surgery is the loss of insurance coverage for such surgery. Stay with us for some discussion in a forthcoming post.

How big breasts affect back health

October 29, 2019 17:56 Society What the fair sex does not go to in order to attract as many admiring glances as possible. However, girls with small breasts will never understand busty beauties. It seems that all the problems of women with a large bust are ridiculous and far-fetched. Why big breasts are the cause of dissatisfaction with many women, “Vechernyaya Moskva” was told by the candidate of medical sciences, plastic surgeon Lyubov Gauer.

Many girls envy the owners of large breasts often in vain. On the agenda is the question: why do some women try to get rid of large breasts? After all, once it was considered an ideal. However, it is impossible to keep up with fashion. Naturalness is in trend now, so beautiful, but natural forms attract the eye more than a magnificent bust.

In fact, the cult of big breasts is still in vogue, but it has begun to slowly depart into the past. The myth that “men only look at size” gradually began to dissipate. Many girls have seen by their own example what inconvenience large breasts can cause. It is precisely because of a health disorder that many stars abandoned implants and decided to return to their original size.

Victoria Beckham. The wife of a famous football player made the decision to enlarge her breasts many years ago. However, after the birth of her third child, Victoria refused the previously installed implants. Beckham explained this by the fact that her breasts gave her significant inconvenience. Together with silicone, the woman received discomfort.

Nicole Kidman decided that her big breasted fans would love her even more. However, the star’s hopes did not come true. Nicole instead of new fans received a lot of criticism and negativity. For unknown reasons, after a few years, the star decided to return to her natural size. Rumor has it that big breasts prevented Kidman from fully exercising.

Courtney Love. Implants did not bypass another Hollywood diva. Courtney Love “made” herself a new chest in the early 2000s. True, the magnificent bust did not remain “forever”. The girl said that she was very tired of her breasts, which bring discomfort and a lot of inconvenience. However, Courtney never stopped loving dresses with a deep neckline.

Doctor Lyubov Gauer is sure that the fashion for a large bust is a thing of the past / Photo: From the personal archive of Lyubov Gauer

So why did even foreign stars begin to believe that a large bust is not a gift from nature, but some kind of discomfort and constant restrictions?

The most frequent complaints from buxom beauties are back and neck pain. Due to the overload of the spine, a curvature of the posture can be observed. Large breasts make their mistress stoop, and the ligaments of the spine are in constant tension. Often there may be pain between the shoulder blades due to the weight of the breast. Girls with large breasts are most often faced with diagnoses such as osteochondrosis and curvature of the spine. Back pain, heart and even difficulty breathing – all this is most often experienced by women with large breasts.

How can you “make friends” with a voluminous bust? The first thing to do is to choose the right bra. Otherwise, the chest can cause problems in the upper back by twisting the spine. However, doing this is not as easy as it seems. It is not at all easy for owners of large breasts to find the right bra in the store. Usually they all squeeze and rub. And finding the right color is not so easy.

You need to exercise, get massages and lead a healthy lifestyle. Only thanks to the excellent condition of strong ligaments and muscles, it is possible to somehow control the pain in the thoracic and cervical spine. But be prepared for the fact that playing sports will bring a lot of discomfort. Many physical exercises simply cannot be done correctly and fully with large breasts: squats, push-ups, running, etc.

The fold between the skin and the underside of the chest is often irritated and chafed. In summer, water can collect under the breasts, leaving wet spots on clothes. Sound sleep is another reason why many girls refuse a magnificent bust. For example, sleeping on your stomach is definitely not going to work. Due to the displacement of the tissue mass of the mammary glands, sleeping on the side also becomes difficult. The tension of the skin on the chest prevents quality sleep and makes busty beauties toss and turn for several hours in search of a comfortable position.

There are many reasons to complain about large breasts. Therefore, the reduction operation is in increasing demand. The fashion for natural forms and natural sizes has replaced the general obsession with a magnificent bust. Convenience and comfortable life sometimes exceed the desire to enjoy the close attention of men.