Yes you have a bra problem still?

“Oh I Can't Wait to Take This Bra Off”
by Maria C. Monti, Postural Therapist


I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have said that very thing at the end of the day just before I tore my bra off to let my breasts free of their societal harness. Apparently I am not alone, as you may well be able to relate.

A recent serendipitous event occurred when I came across a woman claiming she found what she called the “anti-cancer bra”. Now that was food for thought. Is it possible that this modern day contraption could be in any way related to one of the most feared diseases women face today? So I set out to do some research and found some very interesting insight. The internet provided me with a plethora of information gathered by people who had been asking this question much longer than I had. As I read on I wondered why the general public was not privy to this research. Why had I not heard about this on some TV expose, in some of the medical journals that I collected on women’s health or at the very least in the Oprah Magazine ? This was fascinating to me but yet still a very well kept secret. I was intent on sharing what I had discovered.

For example. Dr. Gregory Heigh of Florida had found that over 90% of women with fibrocystic changes had improvement when they stopped wearing their brassieres. As a Postural Therapist and wellness practitioner I could see how that this was plausible since the absence of a constricting garment was no longer potentially impairing proper lymph drainage. But without this support, what would gravity and this weight do over time in terms of structural stress to the upper back, neck and shoulders, not to mention the ligaments of the chest and neck?

Next I learned that a husband and wife research team wrote a book called “Dressed to Kill: The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras”. They found that the more hours per day that women wear bras, the higher their rates of breast cancer. Their theory was that bras can bind and constrict the lymphatic circulation. This prevents the natural flushing out of accumulated cancer-causing wastes and toxins from the breast. Fluid pooling can then result in fibrocystic changes such as benign lumps, cysts and pain. This can give a breeding ground for various problems, including cancer. This made total sense to me.

However, despite what I read I was not ready to give up my bra even if it was a love/hate relationship. For me it was still a matter of stress in other ways as well. During some abnormal hormonal changes in my life, I went from a 36C to a 44DD in one year. Never before had I had difficulty managing the size of my breasts, but now was a different story. I found that my breathing was impaired because the extra weight (braless or not) seemed to be resting right on my diaphragm and I couldn’t expand my lungs as fully as I used to. I also noticed that my neck and shoulders were bearing the stress of the added weight pulling downward and my collarbones were hurting. If that wasn’t enough, the heavier they got, the sorer they got. In fact the breast tenderness that I had before my menses was unbearable. All of these symptoms were there as a result of the poorly supported added weight. At this point wearing a bra still was better than not wearing one at all. So my dilemma continued and so did my research.

An article that was on the National Library of Medicine database explained a Harvard study that was done documenting an increase in breast cancer rates between women who do wear bras versus those who do not. I thought there had to be a way to support my breasts without restricting my lymph flow. I was determined to find it. I had learned too much to stop turning over rocks now. Under the next rock might be the answer to my quest.

Here’s another thing that I knew as a professional exercise instructor. MOVEMENT was imperative to the proper circulation of the lymphatic system. But moving becomes a real challenge if the heavy breast weight you are carrying is not supported properly. Walking was a challenge and forget the most beneficial exercise known to the lymph system- the mini trampoline. I could not stand it.

Unfortunately or fortunately then another complication arose. My massage therapist discovered a rather large and very painful lump deep under my left arm. This was right about the time that I met the above-mentioned “anti-cancer" bra lady. (An accident? I think not.) She went on the explain the features of this kind of bra and that it was designed to assist in all the problems that had been identified by wearing the other poorly supporting, underwire, sports, padded, etc. etc. etc. bras. Diametrically opposed, these bras were designed with a women’s health in mind. What a CONCEPT! And, they really seemed to be. The first I noticed after being fitted in one was that I could breathe much better. Then I began to feel the shift in the support system which was no longer on my shoulders or upper back but in the front on this cleverly designed breast shelf. A few weeks later when my period came I did not have breast tenderness. I was walking for exercise and even jumping on my trampoline. Here’s the best part. Six weeks later I went back to my massage therapist and “no lump” was found.

The moral of the story is never stop looking for answers and never stop listening to your intuition.

For more information on these custom fitted bras & postural information relating to the wearing of poorly designed bras, email me at abraforyou@aol.com or call me @ 360-815-3205 in Bellingham, WA, USA.