Can large breasts or breast implants cause pain in your back? That’s the question I received from Carol. Here’s what she said:
“Kathryn – Hi, maybe you have some ideas. I am considering breast reduction. How much do large breasts play into my back strain? I used to belly-dance but I think the extra weight up top & out front puts me out of alignment. I always get low back strain now when I try to dance.”
“The Dr I went to for cosmetic assistance (enlargement) went overboard. Do you think breast reduction will help? I am 5’4″, weigh 120 lbs, with a slight build. I wear 36DD.”
Here’s my answer:
Yes, large breasts do cause back and neck pain issues.
I don’t know how much weight implants have but if they are about the same as natural breasts that’s a lot of weight.
The women I know who have had breast reduction surgery said it made a great deal of difference in their neck and back pain.
In the meantime, you can still do things to strengthen your back and that will help you hold yourself upright. And if you have flat feet wearing a good sturdy arch support will also help you stand up straight and take strain off your upper back.
There are articles on strengthening your back at http://SimpleStrengthening.com They don’t cost a thing but you will have to sift through the articles to find the best ones for you.
Breast reduction surgery will get rid of the extra weight that pulls you forward and strains your back muscles.
Note for women without breast implants:
Before you consider surgery, if you are overweight, you may find that losing weight will also reduce the weight of your natural breasts and help get rid of your back pain naturally.
We posted a blog last summer about the lack of research on breast augmentation and back pain, but there is a lot of information on breast reduction / back pain reduction and how any reduction is directly propotional to the reduction in back pain.
Hi Nikki, Thank you for writing. I found the article on your website http://richmondhillgachiropractor.com/2011/06/12/does-breast-augmentation-lead-to-back-pain/ and pulled the 2 reference articles about large breast reduction and reduction in back pain, etc., following reduction. Here are those 2 links:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17805110 (This is from the National Institutes of Health)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091025194422.htm
I haven’t noticed increased back pain in women with breast implants in my practice but here’s my suspicion about that: Naturally large breasted women may tend to slump to hide their breasts. Women who have surgery may tend to stick their chests out (and have better posture) to call more attention to new breast size. And I have not seen anyone with implants who got to the size of very large natural breasts, either. Large, yes, but not very large.
At any rate, carrying all of that extra breast weight can cause a great deal of discomfort. And the women I know who have had reduction surgery have all been happy.
Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach