Sports Brassiere: Is It a Solution for Mastalgia?

Breast pain is a very common complaint in women presenting to the outpatient department. It causes a certain degree of discomfort, anxiety leading to repeated investigations, and to some degree disturbs their lifestyle. This prospective study was carried out at King Fahd Hospital of the University, Alkhobar. Two hundred women presenting to the outpatient surgical department with mastalgia were included; 100 women received treatment with danazole, and the other 100 were asked to wear sports brassieres for 12 weeks. They were requested to answer a structured questionnaire during the specified period, and an extensive review of the literature was also performed. Patients were compliant with the instructions. The first group had 58% relief of symptoms, but 42% experienced drug side effects; in the second group, all participants had some degree of initial discomfort followed by relief of symptoms in 85% of cases. Most patients claimed that their lifestyle had changed dramatically after using the sports brassieres. Mastalgia is a common disease that may run a chronic course. Many patients are unsatisfied with prescribed medications and tend to discontinue treatment when side effects develop. Active breast movement on its weak suspensory ligaments may contribute considerably to mastalgia. Good external support by sports brassieres can relieve most of the patient's symptoms.