How does your back feel? Shoulders? Neck?
If you're wearing an ill-fitting bra and have medium to large breast tissue, the answer may be "not great actually- how'd you know?"
We often get women sent to the shop by their doctors and physical therapists for specialty bras or just bras that fit before more drastic surgery can be performed.
While we don't shame you with the "80% of women are in the wrong bra" stat (80% of women don't have education or access to properly fitting bras- it's not your fault!), we do find that when women find the right bra for their body, many aches and pains disappear.
You want the band of your bra firmly anchored on your torso. It needs to be tight enough to leave a mark while still being comfortable.
Like your socks. Jeans. That rubberband on your wrist. Yes, your bra will touch you. Like a firm hug. Comforting, but not too tight.
The band of your bra should hold at least 80% of the weight of your breasts. If you slide the straps down, the bra should not sag.
By shifting the weight off your shoulders, you're going to see an immediate improvement in upper back, shoulder and neck pain. Breasts can be heavy. Hanging them off your shoulders puts undue pressure on your muscles and nerves. Use the strength of your skeleton instead.
While you're at it, make sure all your breast tissue is in the cup. As another shop owner put it once, "everyone sleeps in the house- no one on the porch."
This is where most of us run into trouble. You see, department and discount stores have limited sizes, often ending at DD, maybe DDD if you're lucky.
So what do we do? Well, the bigger the band, the bigger the cup. So, women end up buying a 40DDD because that's what covers their tissue but the band barely touches because they really measure 36 inches around. To have the same cup volume as a 4oDDD in a 36 band, you need an H cup. Common in our store, not common at discount retail. The 40DDD also doesn't anchor against her sternum, and the ends of the underwire probably don't sit nicely on ribs. It's just kind of floating there covering her nipples.
Do bras help with posture? We think they can. Not because of the structure exactly, but because you feel better. With the weight off your shoulders and down on your strong torso, you are free to move- free to stand up straighter and more confidently tackle your day. Also, with all your breast tissue in the cup and lifted where it belongs, your clothes fit better. Posture can be a state of mind- feel good? Sand tall. In pain? Shrink back.
Are you experiencing back, neck or shoulder pain? Come in and see us- we don't take insurance, but we can make a world of difference!
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