Is your bra affecting your health?

Did you know that 70-80% of women are wearing the wrong size bra?

AND

Did you know a badly fitted bra can have long term effects on your health?

How?

When a bra doesn’t fit correctly, it offers little to no support and over time can affect your posture.

If there is a lack of support at the front of the bra, it means our shoulders and upper back start to round forward – to compensate for this, we end up pulling our neck and head backwards. This change in posture can cause neck pain, back pain and even headaches.

It also leads to premature breast sagging… which nobody wants!!

I notice a lot of women are wearing the wrong bra size. They often get it bigger as it feels more comfortable, but what happens if its too big, the underwires sit too low on the ribcage and create unnecessary pressure on the diaphragm… which has been linked with changes to the breathing mechanism and even digestive issues.

On the other hand, some women wear the straps and back band too tight, which can affect blood flow and entrap nerves which can lead to arm pain, neck pain, skin irritations and headaches.

Top tips for a well fitted bra!

Most women have probably been measured in the past using a tape measure. This method is actually quite old fashioned and often incorrect. The best way to make sure a bra fits correctly is to try them on! Brands and styles vary as well, so you may be different sizes in different brands!

1. Back size: You want to make sure the band is comfortable around the rib cage but still firm. Ideally, you shouldn’t be able to put more than 2 fingers between your back and your bra (without stretching the bra). When you buy a bra, start with it on the loosest hooks and as the bra material naturally loosens over time- slowly go onto the second and third hooks.
2. Make sure that the back strap is level and not riding up.

• Wire between your breasts: The point where the bra cups meet in between your cleavage should sit flat against your chest (without digging in or poking you). Use your finger to track the bra – it should sit on your rib cage and not your boobs.

• Cup size: Your boobs should be fully enclosed within the cup. Do the “Scoop, wiggle and jiggle” to make sure your boobs are in the cup properly. Is there any over-spill of breast tissue above the seam? Then you may need to go up a size (Overspill gets worse as the day goes on!) Is the material at the seam too loose? Then you may need to go down a cup size.

• If you change the back size, then you most probably need to change the cup size too.

• Sports bras: All women that do aerobic activity should wear a sports bra, especially those who are a C+ cup. Your breast tissue is suspended by ligaments and so with all the bouncing involved in exercise, it can stretch these tissues and cause sagging. Compression bras are good for smaller cup sizes and encapsulated bras are better for the more well-endowed.

Personal bra related story:

I went into a well-known bra fitting shop to get measured and using the old-fashioned tape measure they measured me as a size 40E. I put the bra on, and it really didn’t seem right, so I left and got measured elsewhere by trying on the bras, I was actually a size 34GG.

If you need some extra help, then I highly recommend the Bravissimo website – they have a brilliant fitting guide.

Click here to visit the Bravissimo Fitting Guide

If you think you need help with the aches and pains caused by your bra, then please don’t hesitate to contact me.

I can help the pain and give you exercise advice that would help; such as neck stretches and upper back strengthening.

Warm wishes,

Mel Harrison – Osteopath

Tel: 07727 666312