Is Your Bra Causing Back Pain? It Could be the Wrong Size

Back pain sucks. It might be because your bra does too. A bra that fits you just right can change everything. From how you look in every outfit to how you feel when you’re not wearing it. We’ll explore all the reasons why your bad bra could be causing you back pain. Plus, we’ll give all the tips on how to tell if you’re wearing the right size.

Why Does My Back Hurt?

For anyone who has larger breasts, you’re always going to need extra support to keep your breasts from weighing you down. When your breasts aren’t supported properly there are lots of issues that come from it. One of them is your posture. If the bra you’re wearing isn’t supporting your breast tissue, that extra weight is put on your shoulders and back. That distribution of weight causes you to hunch over and create a curve in your neck and back. Misalignment with your shoulders and back creates that discomfort you’ll feel even when doing the smallest things like bending over or picking something up. If you do get fitted and find a better bra that supports your breast tissue, you’ll likely sit up straighter and feel the tension ease up.

How Should My Bra Straps Fit?

Your bra straps shouldn’t slide off of your shoulders to start. Most wired bras or better wireless designs have adjustable sliding clips attached to the straps so you can easily tighten or loosen them. When you put on a new bra it’s important that you make sure you tighten the straps enough so they’re not slipping off of you, but not too tight. You should still be able to slip a finger underneath your straps.

While having your straps tightened so they hold comfortably on top of your shoulders, your straps aren’t the only part of your bra that’s supposed to support you. In addition to your bra straps, the cups should to do their share of keeping your breasts in place. If your bra cups aren’t fitting properly, your breasts can slip under the wire or bulge out. So be sure to check your straps are comfortably adjusted to fit and not slip. And get a bra fitting to make sure your cup size is right. You might not be a full cup size, you might be in between which is why we have half cup sizes for most of our bras. Take our Fitting Room Quiz and find out here.

Can a poorly fitting bra cause back pain?

If your breasts aren’t held and supported from top to bottom then you’ll notice extra movement and adjustments. You shouldn’t need to constantly adjust your bra after you first put it on. The best bras are ones you don’t feel when you’re wearing them. They support you all day long and stay in place. When your breasts are held in place and supported, then it won’t mess with your back, neck, shoulders, or anything else. Bottom line — a poorly fitting bra, especially if you haven’t been refitted since you’ve gotten older or been pregnant, can cause back pain.

For women who are above a C cup and into the DD and G cups, we know that you have quite a bit to support. Not only should your straps be tightened but you’ll probably also need wider straps that are padded so they don’t dig in and cause you to hunch forward. Full coverage bras are there to give you more support all around, including higher sides (wings), and cups that offer more coverage.

Can I Just Not Wear a Bra?

Of course you can. If you have larger breasts you might find it uncomfortable to not wear a bra, so we suggest trying something like a better wireless bra that supports and smooths. We love our Form Wireless Bra, made with the softest material that keeps you supported without the wire. Not wearing a bra is fine when you’re not moving around too much, but not wearing one long term can leave you to deal with gravity. And gravity is unkind to our breasts. When we leave our boobs unsupported the tissue can start to stretch from the added weight and sag. We have an article that goes into much more detail about breast sagging and not wearing a bra here.

How to Keep Your Bra from Hurting Your Back

The easiest way to get rid of back pain is to first get yourself a bra that fits your body. When you’ve lost weight, had a child, or it’s been a while since you’ve last checked your bra size and your bra just doesn’t fit right, you want to check on that fit. You’ll want to again check the straps, that they’re tightened so they’re not slipping. You want to also be sure that your breast is within the cup and that you’re not overflowing or there isn’t too much space in the cup. If your straps are tightened and you’re fitting in the cup, then check your band. When you get a new bra, you should hook it on the last hook so you don’t stretch it out. Even on this last hook, your bra should fit snugly but not too tight; you should be able to get two fingers comfortably underneath the band.

While there are so many other things that can cause back pain, finding the right bra that fits can take care of some of the weight from your breasts and hold you in place. Once you’re supported and your back is aligned, no shoulders hunching forward, you’ll notice some of the tension ease. Your back alignment is important, so having a strengthened core couldn’t hurt in addition to a better fitting bra. Once you have the right bra on, give yourself a few days to feel the adjustment in your body as you redistribute the weight in your chest as your bra gets to work. If you’re someone who stays fairly active it’s important to wear the right bra for the right activity like a sports bra. So in addition to your everyday bra, we recommend getting activewear that can support any jumping or running so your breast tissue doesn’t pull or bounce around.

So now you know it’s your bad bra that’s causing you back pain, go ahead and toss it so you can get the bra you deserve. Get a bra that supports you and makes you look and feel great every single day. It’s possible. In fact, you can try our 24/7® Classic T-Shirt Bra free for 60 days just to see what we mean. Here’s to saying bye bye to back pain and finding a bra you’ll love that loves you back.