Contrary to popular belief, a quarter of UK women would actually like to make their breasts smaller (according to a 2008 survey by figleaves.com and the British Chiropractic Association). The main reason is that larger breasts are a real ‘pain in the back’, with 70% of the women surveyed admitting to having suffered back pain at some point in their lives and nearly half (47%) claimed their breast size affected their posture.
According to Tim Hutchful from the British Chiropractic Association, “Bras are like suspension bridges; you need a well-engineered bra, so your shoulders don’t take all of the strain and end up doing all of the work. Spreading the load is important.”
Bras that don’t fit will affect the shoulders and chest and may cause back pain as you get older. It is so important to make sure a bra gives you as much support as possible.”
The staff at Victoria’s Secret, along with many scientists and even, famously, Oprah, say you have only a 20% chance of choosing the right fit. The idea that 80% of women are wearing the wrong bra size has been ingrained in the minds of shoppers for decades, becoming a puzzle that no one can seem to solve.
These are the tell-tale signs that indicate you are wearing the wrong size bra:
The underband is riding up
Lift up your arms to see if the under band is tight enough. Check that the underwire is still fitting on the body. If you are still unsure, here’s how to judge: the underband should fit firmly against the body so that it does not slide around or move away from the chest as you go about your daily activities.
The shoulder straps are digging in
The underband of a bra provides the majority (80% ) of support for the breasts, with the straps providing just 20%. If the bra straps are digging in, it could be because the underband is too loose and you are over-adjusting the straps to feel supported. When you do this, the straps pull the bra up at the back, which is another telltale sign that the band is too loose. In this case, we recommend that you try a smaller band size. Alternatively, you may just need to loosen the straps.
The centre front is lifting away from the body
The centre front should lie flat against the body. If it doesn’t, this could be a sign that the cups are too small, causing the breasts to push the centre front away.
The back band is overstretched
Look at your back straps: they should either be parallel to each other or converge in a slight V-shape at the back. If they are too far apart at the back (an upside-down V), it could mean that your bra band is too small and overstretching.
Of course, if you are suffering from back pain, come see us at Lagos Chiropractic. Solving back pain is what we do!
Lagos Chiropractic
282 768 044
