Brassieres - Health Issues - Shoulder-neck Pain

Shoulder-neck Pain

Women wearing bras may experience neck and shoulder pain, numbness and tingling in the arm, and headaches. In Japan, about 13% of women report experiencing some form of shoulder pain, while in a 2006 survey of 339 female hospital employees, 59% of the respondents said their bra causes them to occasionally experience back, shoulder, or neck pain. The majority cited their bra straps as the biggest problem. Among a group of 31 British women who requested reduction mamoplasty, 81% complained of neck and back pain, while 77% complained of shoulder pain.

One long-term clinical study in 1987 showed that women with large breasts can suffer shoulder pain from wearing bras. In the study, E. L. Ryan of the University of Melbourne and colleagues found that the inherent design of bras causes fatigue and possibly shoulder pain. They showed that when women perform an activity that requires them to raise their arms above shoulder level, the weight of the woman's breasts are transferred from the band around her torso to the bra straps. Bra straps put downward pressure on the scapula, effectively turning the shoulder into a pulley, doubling the total downward pull on both shoulders. The tension may be continuously present in large or heavy-breasted women. Researchers in Turkey found that women with who wore bras with cup sizes D and above experienced upper back pain due to changes in the curvature of the spine.

Any woman who wears a bra with bra straps that are too tight puts extra pressure on the trapezius muscles that can lead to chronic pain. Tight bra straps transfer the weight of the breasts to the scapula and puts direct pressure on the serratus anterior and trapezius muscles which serve to elevate the scapula. The muscles become fatigued which may lead to back, shoulder and neck pain. Even strapless bras can cause problems for larger-breasted women. They put all the breasts' weight onto the chest band and cause extra strain onto the rib cage and back.

Some occupations require women to repeatedly raise their arms above the shoulders. Female volleyball, high jump, or long jump athletes must continually lift their arms above their shoulders. This can cause the shoulder straps to dig in, putting the athletes at risk for shoulder pain. Even smaller-busted women who repeatedly lift their arms while wearing a poorly designed or badly fitted bras can experience shoulder pain. To compensate, female athletes can wear athletic or sports bras that offer improved support. However, sports bras may not meet some larger-busted women's needs. Judy Mahle Lutter, president of the Melpomene Institute, a Minnesota-based research organization devoted to women's health and physical activity, reports that "Larger-breasted women, and women who are breast-feeding, often have trouble finding a sports bra that fits, feels comfortable and provides sufficient motion control."