Pain Caused By Ill Fitting Bras

It is estimated that well over 70 percent of women wear ill-fitting bras. Not only does this lead to discomfort, it can actually manifest as actual pain over time.

Most people view bras as top down support systems. In English, this means they view the support being provided by the straps over the shoulders. In truth, bras are meant to be bottom up support system. The strap around the bottom of the bra is intend to carry 80 percent of the weight of the breasts with the cups and straps taking on the remaining weight.

Most women wear bras that rely too much on strap support. This can lead to physical discomfort that one might not always associate with the ill fitting bra. Let’s take a closer look at some of the common pain issues that arise.

Shoulder pain is one of the more obvious problems of an ill fitting bra. The straps dig into the shoulders causing pain. For some, however, the problem is a bit more intense. The straps may dig into the trapeze muscle and nerves. This can lead to numbness and tingling in the arms.

A second area of pain that most women are familiar with is the back. When straps are carrying more weight than intended, they tend to pull the upper back forward and down. This creates poor posture and strain on the upper back. This can lead to aches and a knot in the middle of the upper back. As the back tries to compensate, it can also lead to significant lower back pain.

Neck problems are a third area of pain that can arise with an ill fitting problem. It can be easy to miss the cause and effect relationship, however. Pain can manifest in the form of headaches and shooting pain which is derived from pinched nerves. Running ones hands along the outer edge of the back of the neck can quickly reveal tight areas.

The vast majority of women wear the wrong size of bra. Smaller breasted women tend to wear bras that are to big for them. Plus size women tend to wear bras that have cups that are too small. If you are having any of the above pain issues, try changing to a different fitting bra. Remember – support should be from the bottom.

Tiffany Hart writes about bra issues for DivaBras.com where you can find elegant and practical plus size bras.