Magazines extol them. Women want them, but are they really worth it? Ask the 1 million women who have big breasts and you might be surprised at the answer you get. Large breast sizes have been linked to a number of physical complaints including neck and back pain, and numbness in the fingers. They can also cause migraines and in some cases, shortness of breath. Women have avoided doing everything from aerobic exercise to picking up their children and even sitting at a desk. These women are at risk for spinal deformity and other repetitive stress injuries to their shoulders and upper extremities due to their large breast size.
The excess weight of the breast combined with weak muscular support, create these problems by changing the normal anatomical structure of the woman’s body. Some women try to hide them by rolling their shoulders forward. This is not a normal posture and will create undue pressure on an area in the upper body near their shoulders, known as the “thoracic outlet”. The pressure then compresses a bundle of nerves and blood vessels, which causes pain and discomfort down her arms to her fingers.
These large breasts that are worshipped in the media, in print and on TV can also affect the natural curve of a woman’s mid to upper back, potentially causing severe lower back pain. If the upper vertebrae of the spine are altered in an attempt to compensate for the extra weight up front, the lower vertebrae pick up the slack and assume more of the load. Proper posture is imperative to these women. Finding that correct pose can be found through proper strengthening and “CORE” stabilization exercises.
Exercise is Killing Me
Imagine the pressure on the spine of a woman who is small in stature and is carrying around exceptionally large breasts. Those muscles in her back bear a tremendous burden attempting to support the top-heavy weight during vigorous exercise. In addition, the constant movement from any high-impact exercise can create intense pain due to muscular oxygen deprivation and fatigue.
Customized or sports bras that are built to distribute the weight across a larger area are often recommended. This could help in reducing muscle strain and improving the overall positioning of the breasts.
Exercise May Just Save Me Though
Before a woman begins an exercise program that is built to address her back pain, it is imperative that she has a full physical assessment. This diagnostic exam will document any postural dysfunctions and their associated muscle imbalances. This will help generate the right exercise regimen that is needed specifically for her issues.
In many cases, lower back pain is a type of chain reaction where several things occur to create the pain. There is no specific machine that can diagnose each problematic area. A Doctor of Chiropractic focuses on balancing the entire body and can follow the dysfunctional areas of the spine to the source.
These physical assessments are critical to the overall health of the spine. From there, a comprehensive plan can be created to eliminate those muscle imbalances. This may not be the type of exercise program a woman is used to, but it can help her get back to a more balanced state where her body can support the extra stress, throughout the rest of her life.
A Possible Last Resort
An increasing number of women are opting to use breast-reduction surgery to deal with their back pain. This article is not an approval or denial of this option, but does want to introduce the topic as a conversational piece. As with any surgical procedure, there are many potential risks and possible negative side effects from this operation.
Both external and internal scarring can occur from this procedure. There are arguments both for and against the surgery in terms of how it can interfere with a mammogram. Some doctors are concerned that the scarring could affect the accuracy of the exam, increasing the risk of breast cancer. On the other hand, other doctors have expressed concern that it may be more difficult to spot any small lesions in a woman with very large breasts.
Breast-reduction surgery could affect the sexual response in the breasts due to a lack of sensitivity in the nipple. For women considering the procedure and still looking to have children, they should be aware that there could be a significant reduction in milk supply after the reduction. For some women, their ability to breastfeed has completely gone away.
Please seek the help and guidance of a medical doctor before making such a life altering decision. It may be the right one for you, but spending the time to confirm that can never hurt. If surgery is not an option, find a local Chiropractor and try a spinal adjustment program combined with specific exercises to restructure the thoracic spine and have the low back take on its proper weight and not distribute it to the neck and upper back.
If you have questions or need further information about this topic, please go to http://www.lynnkerew.com. Other great articles about the spine and body can be found on our fantastic blog (that you should join!) at http://www.lynnkerew.com/blog. If you wish to contact Dr. Lynn Kerew directly, you can email her at lynnkerew@gmail.com.
