For some men, it may be difficult to see a downside to women with large breasts. But for millions of women who are – let us say “generously endowed” – it can be a source of considerable pain. Some women, in fact, suffer with severe pain, deteriorating posture, and are at risk for spinal deformity and other repetitive stress injuries to the shoulders and upper extremities due to their proportionately large breasts. The pain at the back seems to be worse during changes in their menstrual circle.
These problems result from changes in the normal anatomical structure caused by the excess weight on the chest and weak muscular support. Another fact related to this condition is that some women even feel ashamed and actually try to hide them by altering their posture by allowing their shoulders to roll forward. This abnormal posture will possibly put pressure on an area of the upper body near the shoulder called the “thoracic outlet”. When this occurs, a bundle of nerves and blood vessels can become compressed and cause pain and discomfort down the upper extremities.
Very large breasts not only can cause a reduction in the normal curve of the upper and mid-back region but also will potentially also cause severe low back pain. When the upper vertebrae of the spine are altered, the lower vertebrae then assume more stress. The challenge for these women is to maintain an efficient posture through proper strengthening and “CORE” stabilisation exercises, that can be prescribed by skilled physiotherapists, knowledgeable in anatomy and biomechanics of the human back.
Workouts may make it worse. Some years ago, while working at Power Mike International Promotions, a workout centre located at the outskirts of the commercial town of Onitsha, Anambra State and owned by the late Chief Michael Okpala, popularly known as “Power Mike,” the World, Middle Weight Wrestling Champion, I observed and learnt so much. As a consultant physiotherapist attached to the workout centre, I had the privilege of taking most of these women who registered in the centre through strengthening and postural exercises. Many confessed that hitherto, they have been doing the wrong exercises, which involved sit-ups, high-impact exercises such as jogging, etc, and this had aggravated their back pain challenge.
Active women with large breasts are especially prone to back pain. Constant breast movement from high-impact exercise can cause acute pain due to muscular oxygen deprivation and fatigue. The muscles in the back bear a significant burden trying to support very large breasts during vigorous exercise. It is clearly obvious anatomically and even supported by the principles of lever in physics that the weight of the large breasts in front of the chest hinges at the mid back. In other words, the weight of the breasts forms a fulcrum or pivots at a point in the back of the chest.
Physiotherapy by way of posture exercises is often a woman’s first line of defense. Many doctors would recommend purchasing customised bras or sports bras that can better distribute the substantial weight of large breasts across a larger area, thereby reducing muscle strain and improving overall breast positioning. This is especially important for women with a small frame, since their breasts place stress on a more concentrated area, it may be necessary to incorporate all of the strategies to get relief.
Before any women begins any exercise programme that is intended to help with their back pain, they need to have a full physical assessment performed making sure that any postural dysfunctions are accounted for and their associated muscle imbalances are corrected. Muscle imbalances can be described as one muscle group being overly strong and tight and the opposing muscle groups weaker and overly stretched out.
Postural dysfunctions can be described as abnormal position of the pelvis or abnormal position of the upper neck, head and shoulders. As we mentioned earlier, a woman can hold her shoulders in a rounded position as in breast-feeding, thus adding to the weight of the breast and you now have the shoulders internally rotated, depressed and adducted (pulled together), which will pull the head forward off the shoulder which in turn will cause the neck to be pulled forward and down.
There are many other adapted responses that happen, including counter-balancing the weight of the body in the upper spine as well as the position of the pelvis. It is the pelvis that usually accommodates the most while also having the greatest influence on the curvature on the spine.
As a practicing physiotherapist, what I have just described above is a process that is repeated every day and no single piece of high tech diagnostic equipment available to the medical community can systematically piece it all together. There are many chain reactions that occur to cause low back pain, which is why the physical assessments are so critical. If you are busty and frequently complain of pain and discomfort on your mid back (back of your chest), visit a good and functional physiotherapy outfit or obtain a referral from your physician to one. With appropriate physiotherapy care and home programme, the pain in the back will be relieved and the weak muscles of the mid back and the neck, strengthened.
A pharmaceutical company in Onitsha shall be sponsoring this year’s first biannual free physiotherapy intervention programme for back pain sufferers in Onitsha metropolis. The programme, which was scheduled this month, has been shifted to the month of March because of change in the date of elections. The areas for the exercise include Awada, Omogba Phases 1& 2, Npor, Okpoko and “33.”
The facilitators are the Back Pain Care foundation and Omega Physiotherapy & Back Pain Care Clinics.