For women, shoulder pain, back pain and pains throughout the neck is often experienced by women daily.
However, most women simply get used to this. But, what is the cause? In most cases, the bra that a woman is wearing can be the cause of much of the pain that she is feeling.
In fact, an ill-fitting bra can be the reason for several issues including back pain, ill posture and low self-esteem. Therefore, it is important to ensure that you are wearing the proper bra.
Shoulder Pain and Bra Straps
Why do bra straps cause should pain? There are many reasons! For one, your shoulder strap is not meant to support the weight of the breasts, something that most women do not know.
The band of the bra is meant to support the weight of the breasts. However, if a woman is wearing an ill fitted bra, the straps may be pulling the weight of the breast up, resulting in shoulder pain.
Secondly, bra straps that do not fit as they should can cut into the shoulder. This can cause nerve damage, restrict the movement of the shoulder and lead to headaches that are starting in the neck of the woman.
So how does one ensure that the bra straps are not going to be the reason for pain that is being felt in the shoulders?
One of the best pieces of advice that women can utilize is to get professional fit for their bra.
They will find that this will ensure the shoulder straps fit as they should and that the band of the bra is holding up the weight of their breasts.
Reducing Shoulder Pain
The shoulder pain that is felt when wearing a bra, can only be reduced and eliminated through the proper bra.
However, for women who are having this issue now, they may find some of these at home tips good for reducing the pain in which they are feeling!
- A shoulder massage can work wonders on tired and achy shoulders that the bra strap has irritated all day.
- Over the counter pain relief can help with tense shoulders that have led to a headache, however, it is not advisable for someone to use these pain relief products every single day.
- For the muscle pain that may be felt, muscle rub cream on the affected area can help to decrease the pain felt in the muscles.
- A nice hot shower or bath in which the shoulders are submerged can help with the pain that is being felt.
- Consider exercises and stretched that will keep the shoulder loose and can also help in dealing with the pain.
How You Are Making your Bra Straps Cause Pain
It is interesting to note that many women who are having pain from their bra straps are actually doing this to themselves.
Women, consider this scenario: the bra feels loose or is not supporting the breasts enough. What do you do?
Most women tighten up the shoulder straps in hopes that the straps will make their bras look better and feel better.
In the end, these tight straps can cause more pain, cut into the shoulder leaving indents on the skin, and if you do this with a tight shirt on, you will have an indention that can be seen by everyone around you. Therefore, never tighten up the bra straps.
The only times in which a bra strap should be tighten is if this is falling off the shoulders.
And even then, the bra strap should allow you to easily slide your finger underneath this. If the shoulder strap is too tight and it seems to be cutting in the skin, adjust this accordingly.
How to Stop the Shoulder Pain from a Bra
As stated beforehand, stopping the shoulder pain that is felt when wearing a bra, all comes down to the bra fit and the style of the bra.
Yes, the style can have just as much of an effect on the shoulder straps as having the wrong size. First things first, get measured.
There are several lingerie stores that cater to women and finding the perfect bra for them. If you are not comfortable with getting measured, consider these instructions for doing this yourself:
1- Measure your band size
Stand straight, exhale and then wrap a measuring tape around your back. You will want to place this tape above the bust.
For best results do this where the straps of your bra are meeting the cups of the brand. Then read the number.
If the number is not a whole number, go up to the next whole number. This is your band size!
2- Measure your cup size
Take the tape measure and put this around the fullest part of your bust. You want to pull this measuring tape snug, but avoid doing this too tight.
And then jot down this number. Remember, if the number is a decimal, round up or down the nearest whole number, depending on the actual number.
3- Calculate what your cup size is
To figure out your cup size, subtract the band size from the cup size that you measure. The difference is going to result in the cup size:
- Difference of 0 equals an AA
- Difference of 1 equals an A
- Difference of 2 equals a B
- Difference of 3 equals C
- Difference of 4 equals D
And the cup sizes keep increasing.
4- Find a Bra
The bra is going to be the band size number, followed by the cup size letter that you calculated.
After knowing this information, simply finding the bra is the next task. Be sure to try on a few styles as they are all going to offer a different fit.
Your goal is to find a bra that is comfortable and supportive. You do not want to deal with shoulder pain for your entire life, thus finding a bra that fits perfectly should be a main goal for women everywhere!
