Does the Breast Size in Females Correlate with the Severity of Mechanical Low Back Pain?

Abstract

Background: Large breast is postulated to cause undue tension in the paraspinal muscles and may result in back pain. Improved pain score following mammaplasty supports this assertion. Such a question has not been evaluated in an indigenous black population. Objectives: To assess the correlation between the breast cup size and the severity of low back pain among women with mechanical low back pain. Method: This was a prospective cohort study. Eighty-four women with chronic backpain attending the Orthopaedic clinic participated excluding psychogenic back pain. The breast cup sizes were estimated from the difference between the bust and band sizes measured with an inelastic tape. The severity of pain was determined with the Oswestry disability index (ODI) data analysed with IBM SPSS version 26. Results: The mean age was 49.35 years. The predominant breast cup size was A, (88%), while the largest cup size was C. The mean duration of symptoms and ODI score was 3.33 months (SD = 2.63), and 42.30 (SD = 16.98) respectively. The breast cup size did not show a positive correlation with ODI score, r = −0.021, p = 0.846. Conclusion: The severity of mechanical low back pain does not correlate with the breast cup size.