USA: Sports bras are the best way to defeat pain, HerRoom
Write:
Ballard [2011-05-20]
According to a research study in the UK more than half of all women experience breast pain. Correct support is the best way to relieve this pain and improve the quality of life for women who have this problem.
HerRoom.com, a leading online lingerie retailer and creators of The Bounce Test, a series of videos showing the effectiveness of sports bras designed for high-impact sports, spoke with Dr. Joanna Scurr, a biomechanics professor at the University of Portsmouth, about her research into breast movement during exercise and the issue of breast pain.
"Breast pain has not received much attention in the past," says Dr. Scurr. "It's not just a cyclical problem. Some women, like myself, have pain throughout the month and it is worse when we exercise." Contrary to popular belief, breast pain does not only affect large-breasted women. Dr.Scurr has tested subjects from an A cup to a JJ. Breast pain can affect breasts of any size.
The incidence of breast pain is highly under-reported, says Dr Scurr. Women don't tell their doctor about it as they feel it's not a 'real' health concern. Subjects in her study were surprised and relieved to learn that it is in fact a major health issue for many women and it can affect their quality of life.
New findings in Dr. Scurr's research show that breasts don't only move up and down -- they also move side-to-side and back and forth. The biggest increase in movement is actually at low-impact activities, such as changing from a walk to a slow jog, so it is not only women who do high-impact sports who need a good sports bra.
Another UK study on treatment of breast pain compared the use of medication against correct breast support that limits motion. A good sports bra won hands down. There are two types of sports bras, explains Dr. Scurr. One is a compression bra that attempts to flatten the breast against the body and the other is called an encapsulation bra, which holds each breast individually. Her scientific testing has shown that the encapsulation sports bra is the most effective design.
HerRoom.com has tested over 30 makes of sports bras designed for high-impact sports to show how effective they are at reducing the movement of the breasts while exercising.