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What Is the Connection Between Large Breasts and Back Pain?

Many people consider larger breasts to be more desirable. However, if you have heavy, pendulous breasts, they could be causing you discomfort. Your breasts’ size and shape can change throughout your life due to weight fluctuations, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. As you get older, your breast tissue also loses elasticity, which causes skin sagging and downward-pointing nipples. What kinds of discomfort can women with large breasts experience, and are there any solutions?

Where Do Large-Breasted Women Feel Pain?

Women with heavier breasts may live with daily neck, back, and shoulder pain. Large, heavy breasts pull the upper body forward. This can lead to poor posture and continuous tension on the muscles in these areas.

If your shoulders roll forward because of your breasts’ weight, you may also suffer from discomfort related to compression in your thoracic outlet, where nerves pass through a narrow channel between the ribs, shoulder blades, and muscles.

Finally, oversized, sagging breasts can cause your bra straps to dig into your skin, causing chafing and grooves in your shoulders.

How Can You Reduce Discomfort Related to Heavy Breasts?

If you are concerned about back, neck, and shoulder pain stemming from the weight of your breasts, you can start with some conservative measures to ease your discomfort:

  • Lose weight: If you are overweight and have large breasts, you may have more tension in your back muscles, which leads to chronic spinal stress. Shedding excess pounds can make your breasts smaller and decrease muscle strain.
  • Increase your core strength: Having a stronger core will help you improve your posture and will counteract the slouching that often occurs when heavy breasts roll your shoulders forward. Strengthening your core muscles will also help combat back pain and make your daily activities easier.
  • Build up your back muscles: Exercises like bent-over rows and shoulder squeezes can increase your back muscles’ strength. You can also try gentle stretches like spinal twists to release tension in your back.
  • Choose the best bras for larger breasts: Buying supportive bras that fit properly is essential if you have heavy, sagging breasts. For example, wearing a bra that does not fit too tightly and that has broad shoulder straps can help reduce shoulder pain.

Are You a Good Candidate for Breast Reduction Surgery?

If you have taken these moderate steps and are still experiencing pain stemming from your large breasts, take the next step and discuss your symptoms with a qualified plastic surgeon. Dr. Stephanie Teotia can evaluate whether treatment options such as a breast reduction are right for you. Having your breast surgically reduced and lifted can restore your self-confidence and help you reclaim a more youthful, feminine silhouette.

Well-qualified breast reduction candidates are in good overall health, do not smoke, and have reasonable expectations for what this surgery will help them achieve. Consulting with Dr. Teotia can give you a realistic idea of how breast reduction surgery can relieve your back, neck, and shoulder pain, what the recovery process is like, and when you will be able to resume your typical daily activities after you heal.

Breast Reduction Surgery in Dallas

If you live in the Dallas metropolitan area and would like to learn more about your breast surgery options, please contact our office to schedule your consultation. Dr. Teotia’s compassionate, all-female team is here to answer all your questions and address any concerns you might have about the procedure.