.jpg?width=670&name=Untitled%20design%20(18).jpg "Breast Reduction: Upper Back and Neck Pain Treatment - Dr. Beverly Fischer - Timonium, MD")
Large breasts, or symptomatic macromastia, have been known to cause shoulder, neck and back pain to nearly 1 million women around the world. The burden of heavy and dense breasts has long caused pain and possible numbness in various parts of the upper body. If you suffer from pain due to a larger bust size, a breast reduction procedure may be the answer for you.
Women who carry a large bust and are experiencing shoulder, upper back, and neck pain may want to consider reducing the size of their breasts. Breast reduction procedures, also known as reduction mammaplasty, reduces the overall size of the breasts, offering the ability to maintain a better posture and ultimately relieving upper body pain.
In addition, women who love to be active through jogging and aerobic exercises may find it more difficult to perform due to the burden of large breasts, always having to "double down" when wearing sports bras.
Bigger busts cause upper back pain
If you are experiencing symptoms of upper back pain, studies have shown that large breasts can lead to a chain reaction of painful symptoms along the back. Large breasts can put pressure on the spinal cord, causing an alteration in the curvature of the spine. In most cases, the body tries to compensate for an abnormal position in one part of the back due to heavy breasts pulling your posture forward. As it compensates, it shifts the one part of the back from one position to another, impacting posture and causing back pain.
Large breasts cause neck pain
Large and heavy breasts often cause neck pain too. If your breast size is disproportional and too heavy for the surrounding muscles to support, the breasts can put extra weight on the chest, leading to the straining of neck muscles. The discs in the spine also tend to bulge out of position, leading to an agitation of the sensory nerves along the spine and resulting in pain.
How can breast reductions relieve pain?
Chronic neck and back pain that is caused by large breasts can be alleviated through a breast reduction. The surgical procedure can reduce your breasts to a size that is proportionate to the rest of the body, relieving pressure on the surrounding muscles and allowing your body to maintain good posture.
After a breast reduction, you can also engage more actively in activities such as sports and other exercises that you could not participate in before the procedure. Stretching becomes an easier task, which also helps reduce back and joint pain.
What does a breast reduction involve?
A breast reduction procedure typically takes about 4 hours, and it is performed under general anesthesia. During the procedure, a portion of the glandular tissue of the breast is removed. The remaining loose skin is tightened in a manner that supports and reshapes the newly reduced breast.
The incision area is normally located in front of and under the breast, or around the nipple area. Patients are normally able to resume their daily routines after 10-14 days but always follow your surgeon's post-operative instructions.
While the Advanced Center for Plastic Surgery does not accept insurance, check with your insurance provider to see if you qualify for insurance coverage for this procedure.
Your plastic surgeon will provide more in-depth information pertaining to your specific breast reduction procedure at your consultation. To learn more or to schedule your breast reduction consultation, contact the Advanced Center for Plastic Surgery today!
