Would Breast Reduction Help Relieve Body Pain?

asked 3 years ago by the niffer in cincinnati ohio
Latest answer by Tom J. Pousti, MD
Question viewed 470 times
Tags: breasts

I am 36J now, and only 5'2". I have been having a lot of body pain. Would a breast reduction help relieve me of some pain? How can I find a good doctor to trust this to? Will insurance cover it? Please help me in making this decision.

9 answers to Would Breast Reduction Help Relieve Body Pain?

Breast Reduction and Pain

Overly large breasts for a person's frame frequently leads to back, hips, shoulders, and knees. In fact, that is one of the key factors in insurance determining if the procedure is medically necessary and one that they will cover. Your familiy physician will help you detemine the origins of the pain, and will generally know if a referral to a board certified plastic surgeon is in order.

Kris M. Reddy, MD, FACS
West Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon

Probably yes.

It sounds like your breast size is way out of proportion to your body size. Commonly, large breasts cause aches and strains to the body in a characteristic constellation of symptoms. Depending on the location and nature of the symptoms you may get significant relief. Seek out a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon in your area and discuss this with him or her. The surgeon will help to apply for insurance coverage and can counsel you in regards to the possibility of... more

Marcus L. Peterson, MD
Saint George Plastic Surgeon

A good test

It depends on what you mean by body pain. Usually large breasts cause strain, aching and pain in the shoulders, back of the neck and upper back. Your size would certainly be expected to produce some of these sensations but you could also have other reasons for other types of pain that might not be relieved by breast reduction. One test would be to cradle your breasts in your arms and carry them around when you have your body pain and see if that doesn't relieve the discomfort. Most... more

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Breast Reduction and Body Pain?

Thank you for the question. Based on your description, your breasts may be responsible for a significant portion of your “body pain". Only you and the physicians who examine you will be able to determine to what degree the breasts are the culprit and be able to rule out other causes of “body pain". Best wishes.

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

Breast Reduction To Relieve Pain

Large breasts can certainly cause back pain, neck pain, breast pain and other medical problems, but you'll need to discuss your particulars with your physician to help determine the cause of your pain. Breast reduction is often performed to relieve those types of neck and back pain symptoms and since it is considered a reconstructive surgery, it is often covered by insurance. In most cases, insurance carriers will reimburse the majority of the cost as long as certain amount of... more

Ricardo Rodriguez, MD
Baltimore Plastic Surgeon

Body pain and breast reduction

It sounds like that your breasts are very large for your overall body size. I would imagine that neck, back, shoulder and bra strap discomfort would be improved by a reduction. However, generalized aches such as in the hips, lower back, knees etc. are not usually related to breast size. Your family physician and/or surgeon should be able to give you guidance regarding this matter and can also discuss insurance coverage with you.

Deason Dunagan, MD
Huntsville Plastic Surgeon

Breast reduction for back pain

Breast reduction surgery can alleviate back pain that is cause by the excessive size of your breasts. Before your surgery consider receiving evaluation by orthopedist to determine that your pain is not caused by other musculoskeletal, bone, or joint problems. It is determined that is that it is the excessive size of your breasts is causing this pain breast reduction surgery will literally take the weight off your back and alleviate this discomfort.

B. Pat Pazmino, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Body pain and a breast reduction

Breast reduction surgery can sometimes help improve neck and back pain and bra strap grooving. Overall body pain sounds like it could be from another source. Every insurance company is different and you should check with yours to see what they require for coverage.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Improve body pain with breast reduction

With breasts as large as you are describing, not only may you have a good shot at insurance coverage (if your doctor participates) but the enormous strain of the weight on your spine and neck can create much pain. A good chiropractor can document this and perhaps help write a letter for your insurance.