My breast is causing a serious problem for my back

Hello everyone!I have a problem...

I weight 140 lb; 5"2 and the size of my breast is 32 DDD.It is really heavy and it causes a lot of pain to my back.I decided to loose weight to lighten my back and I lost 10 lb but my breast didn't get any smaller. At some point I was thinking of breast reduction ,but  I really don't wanna do it, so I was wondering are there any solutions for my problem?

 

Thanks, Inga

I wish I had that problem.  ;)

In all seriousness, are you talking about pain all the time or just when you work out? If it's only when you work out, wearing the right sports bra [in your case, I suggest wearing two] should help.

My best friend is a size 32 I and she had to invest in a hundred dollar sports bra! I feel for you, I know how tough it is for her. Get a really good bra is all I could say

I have a similar problem - I'm 5'4, 155 lbs, 34DDD. It is incredibly inconvenient, and I have chronic back pain as a result. I have lost 25 lbs so far, and still haven't lost an ounce of boob - if anything, they're getting bigger. I would like to lose 15 lbs more, but won't be surprised if that doesn't come off the chest either.

I have truly looked into pretty much every way to reduce breast size. If you are taking hormonal birth control it can make your breasts larger, so switching birth control is one thing to consider. Losing weight does help some people, but not everyone. While building up your pecs will make your chest look perkier, it won't make it any smaller. Wearing very supportive (and usually expensive) bras may help the back pain. Strengthening your back and core could also help (but hasn't helped me yet).

Ultimately, I figure that if I get down to my goal weight and still have these absurd things on my chest, I may just start saving up for a reduction.

Get your back stronger if a reduction isn't an option.  More pulling exercises, a lot more.

The reason I asked if it hurt only when working out or all the time is bc back pain bc of large breasts is a MYTH.  One of the biggest mistakes in science is confusing correlation for cause and effect. There are so many people with back pain that it is easy to blame anything happening at the same time, like having breasts or a big belly in front, or carrying backpacks in back, or groceries on the side.

Men have the same or higher incidence of the same upper back pain.

Women who are smaller, or have had breast reduction and double mastectomies can have the same pain.

If straps are binding or cutting into your neck, that can obviously be uncomfortable, so check and fix that.

However, it is not the weight of breasts, by itself, since men and smaller women get this same kind of pain.

The weight that causes it is not in the chest. It is above it.

If you round your shoulders, spend time with the upper body bent forward, or have a forward head, the forward tilt is a common contributor to upper back pain. - This is often common with women with large breasts!

Often, people who think they "stand up straight" find that they are straining their beck and shoulder back, which causes upper body pain. The problem is that they are too tight to stand with healthful position. Strained straightening and the many postures that are mistaken for straight but are not will hurt as much as slouching.
By restoring healthier upper body positioning and use, you will get built-in back muscle exercise all day. Standing straight instead of allowing your upper spine to compress under your weight will stop your pain plus give free calorie burning exercise.

The idea is, that no matter your size, use your own muscles to prevent uncomfortable positioning. If you find that lifting your chest with your hands takes the strain away, then you can do the same with your upper body muscles. It is free exercise to use your muscles to prevent your own body weight from squashing you. Pull your chin inward and shoulders back in a relaxed way by unrounding the upper back. Then weight of your head and upper body will not pull forward on your upper back muscles, making them ache.

The same applies to carrying a grocery bag, a child, or any load. Don't slouch under the load, use muscles to keep healthy comfortable position.

 

Ummm...fitnessgirl, I would appreciate if you showed a little more sensitivity to what is a legitimate medical issue.

Back pain caused by excessively large breasts is NOT A MYTH. The Mayo Clinic says otherwise. Insurance companies will pay for breast reduction surgery if you also have back pain (and we all know that insurance companies will do anything to avoid paying for things!). It is commonly accepted that the extra weight of pregnancy and the accompanying posture change can cause back pain, so why not large breasts? I have been to chiropractors, massage therapists, and regular old medical doctors for the pain I experience on a daily basis. Nothing has offered permanent relief, and my doctor told me that the next steps are either getting painkillers/muscle relaxants injected directly into my shoulders or a breast reduction.

And no, you really don't wish you had that problem.

Original Post by theholla:

I have been to chiropractors, massage therapists, and regular old medical doctors for the pain I experience on a daily basis. Nothing has offered permanent relief...

Have you tried physical therapy or worked with a highly qualified personal trainer? 

Original Post by fitnessgirll:

However, it is not the weight of breasts, by itself, since men and smaller women get this same kind of pain.

Just because people have similar pain, doesn't mean the pain is caused by the same stressor. 

Original Post by floggingsully:

Original Post by theholla:

I have been to chiropractors, massage therapists, and regular old medical doctors for the pain I experience on a daily basis. Nothing has offered permanent relief...

Have you tried physical therapy or worked with a highly qualified personal trainer? 

No, but that is a great idea! Trainers are out (due to $), but I will see if my insurance will cover physical therapy for this.

Even if you can't afford a good trainer, there are some great one's with lots of free info out there.  I'd start by googling Eric Cressey's 'Neanderthal No More' series.

Looks intriguing and full of fun science-y stuff - thanks!

Let me try and elaborate..I was not trying to be insensitive. In the happy to give/get surgery world that we live in, people forget that surgery carries enormous risk. All surgeries. The 'myth' I am referring to is that millions of women have large breasts and do not have back pain bc they have been able to correct their posture, etc....back pain can result from changes in the normal anatomical structure caused by the excess weight on the chest and weak muscular support. Another fact related to this condition is that some women even feel ashamed and actually try to hide them buy altering their posture by allowing their shoulders to roll forward. This abnormal posture will possibly put pressure on an area of the upper body near the shoulder called the "thoracic outlet". When this occurs, a bundle of nerves and blood vessels can become compressed and cause pain and discomfort down the upper extremities.

 Now, yes, very large breasts not only can cause a reduction in the normal curve of the upper and mid-back region but potentially also cause severe low back pain. When the upper vertebrae of the spine are altered, the lower vertebrae then assume more stress. The challenge for these women is to maintain an efficient posture through proper strengthening and "CORE" stabilization exercises.

Active women with large breasts are especially prone to back pain. Constant breast movement from high-impact exercise can cause acute pain due to muscular oxygen deprivation and fatigue. The muscles in the back bear a significant burden trying to support very large breasts during vigorous exercise.

Physical therapy, posture exercises, etc are often a woman's first line of defense. Many doctors recommend purchasing customized bras or sports bras that can better distribute the substantial weight of large breasts across a larger area, thereby reducing muscle strain and improving overall breast positioning. This is especially important for women with a small frame, since their breasts place stress on a more concentrated area, it may be necessary to incorporate all of the strategies to get relief. Before any woman begins any exercise program that is intended to help with their back pain, they need to have a full physical assessment performed making sure that any postural dysfunctions are accounted for and their associated muscle imbalances are corrected. Muscle imbalances can be described as one muscle group being overly strong and tight and the opposing muscle groups weaker and overly stretched out.

Postural Dysfunctions can be described as abnormal position of the pelvis or abnormal position of the upper neck, head and shoulders. As I mentioned earlier, a woman can hold her shoulders in a rounded position, thus adding the weight of the breast and you now have the shoulders internally rotated, depressed and adducted, which will pull the head forward of the shoulder which in turn will cause the neck to be pulled forward and down.

There are many other adapted responses that happen including counter balancing the weight of the body in the upper spine as well as the position of the pelvis. It is the pelvis than usually accommodates the most while also having the greatest influence on the curvature on the spine.

What I have just described is a process that is repeated every day and no single piece of high tech diagnostic equipment available to the medical community can systematically piece it all together. There are many chain reactions that occur to cause low back pain which is why the physical assessments are so critical.

In this case, the assessments need to take into account the postural dysfunction of the upper neck back and shoulder as well as the position of the pelvis. Which muscles are tight and overly strong and which muscles are weak and not able to support the body adequately. There needs to be a comprehensive plan to accomplish a new resting tension or elimination of the muscle imbalances. Essentially a woman will be asked to do a very unbalanced workout to get back to a more balanced state and to a point that her body can support the extra stress, throughout the rest of her life.

This brings me to breast-reduction surgery. Imo, this option is/should be a last resort, since there are many risks and negative side effects.

In addition to the external scars, scarring inside the breast may also occur as well as lack of sensitivity in the nipple and a decrease in sexual response. Many doctors also caution that there can be a significant reduction in milk supply after surgery. Some women find they can't breast feed at all.

On top of that, the average cost of breast-reduction surgery in the U.S. is close to $6,000 and can run much higher depending on where you live. As a result, many insurance companies have written breast-reduction surgery out of their coverage completely.

Fortunately, there are alternatives to surgery that can bring relief to women who suffer from back pain caused by overly large breasts//poor posture,etc. Muscle balance therapy is a safe and effective way to restore some stability to the pelvis and spine, in order to help the body tolerate the stress of everyday life for the woman with larger breasts.

I hope this is less 'insensitive' than my previous post. I am an advocate for surgery being the LAST resort for everything and believe strongly that most surgeries, [with exceptions], can be replaced with alternatives..

 

 

wow, for someone who doesn't have this problem you certainly think you know a lot about it

So, I can totally sympathize here - I'm a 36F...  It's really uncomfortable working out in an unsupportive bra.  I have yet to find any store that stock sports bras with enough support for anyone larger than a C cup...  I've invested in a few of the Shock Absorber bras - found them on Figleaves.com http://www.figleaves.com/uk/product.asp?produ ct_id=BB-109&mci=&size=&colour=&a mp;image=r574155-p19005-front

I find I don't move at all in them, and I'm quite comfortable running in this bra (I can't even do a light jog in my day to day bras!)

I've heard good things about the "Last Resort Bra" from Title Nine http://www.titlenine.com/shopping/product/det ailmain.jsp?itemID=2172&itemType=PRODUCT& amp;iProductID=2172&RS=1&keyword=enel l also, but I haven't tried this one myself yet!

Good luck finding something that works - it really makes a world of difference!

I know what you mean (I'm a 32DDDD or 32G), and you need to go to a specialty store.  I've been to Intimacy and Nordstrom, and even though it takes some time and quite a ridiculous amount of money, it's totally worth it!  You look better, feel better, and while your back problems may not totally go away, it will be easier to exercise if you have a proper sports bra.  When I exercise, I wear two bras, a t-shirt bra and a really amazing sports bra that I got from Intimacy.  My favorite bras are my minimizers from Nordstrom, and they work wonders!  I can even wear a strapless bra, which I always thought would be impossible!

Fitness girl, yes, that was less insensitive. However, everything you said seems to be in direct opposition to your previous assertion that it is a myth that large breasts cause back pain.

Anyway, regarding bras:

I have to order my bras online. My current favorite site is barenecessities.com. Pricy, but at least they fit and offer enough support!

I tried on the "Last Resort Bra" at the urging of a woman at a running store - actually found it less supportive than some other sports bras, and it made my breasts and torso look so lumpy I wouldn't have been comfortable wearing it in public. I have a couple sports bras that I love - especially the one by Moving Comfort. It really keeps the girls in place!

Thank you everyone for answering.

theholla, I tried physical therapy and they taught me some exersices to streighten my back muscles. When I do those everyday,it really helpes:)

Original Post by snowic:

 I tried physical therapy and they taught me some exersices to streighten my back muscles. When I do those everyday,it really helpes:)

 annnnd, THERE YA GO!!! Awesome news and in short exactly what I was saying!

Best of luck

I have this problem also. I am fortunate not to have pain, I always try to get a supportive bra. I got a new one last week (was under £30) and the best I have ever had. I am an F cup. It the Freya active bra. I found it amazing, may be worth a look at.

All I can say is that, leaning up may help. It worked for me. Ok, not exactly the same thing. But when I was fatter, I did have a fatter chest.

Yes, they would kind of bounce when I ran down the stairs.

And once I got leaner (not skinnier) (Finally after 15+ years), they no longer bounce. Well, it's more of a muscular bounce now.

If you are already lean, or if it is not really a fat problem, then ignore all of what was mentioned above.