Date 2015-11-24
Category ARTICLES, Tips & Tricks
Those with bowel disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome should wear shapewear with caution. People who have weakness in the bowel and a tendency towards incontinence, increasing intra-abdominal pressure can certainly provoke episodes of incontinence.
There is also a tendency for those wearing shapewear to not to want to go to the bathroom, but if you postpone urination, it can cause stress incontinence, where you leak, or it can exaggerate stress incontinence with people who already have it.
Another problem with shapewear is shallow breathing. When you inhale, your diaphragm expands and your abdomen flares out, but shapewear restricts this movement.
Sitting in shapewear can lead to a condition called meralgia paresthetica, which is when the peripheral nerve in your thigh is compressed. This leads to tingling, numbness and pain in your legs. It’s like putting rubber bands around your upper thighs and tightening them when you sit down. This rubber band effect can also decrease your circulation and lead to blood clots. When you sit in shapewear, those genetically prone to varicosities can develop varicose veins and lymph congestion, which appears as swollen ankles. Click here for treatments for vein issues.
Shapewear is no substitute for having strong muscles. It’s important to develop muscle tone, because those muscles promote perfect posture, and help keep your back alignment. Many people use shapewear as a crutch to avoid using those muscles, but don’t be fooled into thinking that shapewear works like a medical back brace. Shapewear is not therapeutically designed, it’s cosmetically designed, and that’s a big difference.