Could The Wrong Size Bra Actually Be Making You Sick?

Could your bra actually be making you physically ill? New research shows that the wrong size could be bad for your overall health, not just your back.

New stats show that between 70 to 80 percent of women are wearing the wrong bra size and some are even choosing to skip wearing a sports bra when they're hitting the gym.

"Wearing the wrong bra size not only looks bad but also puts you at risk of various health problems," said Sammy Margo, of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, via the MailOnline. "It can lead to neck, shoulder, middle and low back pain, pinched nerve in the neck and sagging breasts - not a pretty picture."

In a somewhat similar matter, previous research led by professor Jean-Denis Rouillon of the University of Besançon in eastern France found that wearing a bra could actually affect the way our breasts look in the future. Instead of letting them breathe naturally, Roullin found that study participants who wore a bra during a 15-year study period had saggier breasts and it helped little to ease back pain.

"Medically, physiologically, anatomically - breasts gain no benefit from being denied gravity," Rouillon said, according to The Daily Mail. "On the contrary, they get saggier with a bra."

However, consultant osteopath and sports massage therapist in Nottingham noted that bras can help provide proper posture and keep your breasts looking firm and nice (with exercise though, of course.) But it's all about a proper fitting that makes it really count.

"On many occasions I have been able to link women's back and neck complaints directly to badly-fitted bras that not only offer limited or no support but creating visible problems in posture, resulting in pain and tension," Moore said, via the news organization. "Traditional bras are often too tight around the ribs, creating a pivot point in the middle of the back, dividing it into two smaller areas that can't work as effectively.

"The lack of support at the front can also bring the upper back forward and to compensate for this, many women end up tilting their heads backwards.

"All these slight but continuous maladjustments put unnecessary pressure on the diaphragm, which if you are sitting at a desk for hours each day, affect the breathing mechanism and can also be a direct link to digestion problems and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

"Overly tight straps not only cause skin irritations but reduce blood flow, affecting the nerves and contribute to tension headaches."

Knowing how to find the right bra size for you isn't always so easy. And these days, depending on the store you're in, it may not always be so easy to trust the bra specialist you're working with. When looking for a new bra make sure to remember these easy fitting tips. Also keep in mind that bras do not last forever and need to be replaced every few years.