Hormones, Pain, and Exercise: Sports Bras for Full-Busted Women

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This Phase 1 interventional study evaluates a sports bra designed for women with larger bust sizes to relieve neck, shoulder, arm, and back pain. Participants will undergo a series of online and in-person testing sessions while wearing the specific bra, with attention to mechanical support and its relation to non-mechanical pain pathways. The study also explores how sex hormones, inflammatory markers, and brain region remapping may influence pain expression across the lifespan. Enrollment targets individuals aged 18–60 who are assigned female at birth, right-handed, and meet specific bra size and activity criteria. The lead site is the University of Houston, with NIAMS and UTHealth as collaborators.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Able to provide informed consent
2. Age of 18 to 60 years
3. Assigned female sex at birth
4. Right-handed by self-declaration
5. Willing to participate in one online testing session and up to four in-person testing sessions
6. Bra band size between 32-40"
7. International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form (IPAQ-SF) score of 2 or higher
8. An answer of "NO" to any item of the general health questions of the PARQ+
9. No history of surgery to the: back, neck, or shoulders or joint replacement
10. No history of implanted pacemakers or other stimulation devices
11. No history of spinal cord injury (SCI)

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Inability to provide informed consent
2. Age 17 years old or younger or 61 years or older
3. Assigned male sex at birth
4. Left-handed by self-declaration
5. Not willing to participate in one online testing session and up to four in-person testing sessions
6. Bra band size greater than 40" or less than 32"
7. IPAQ-SF score of 1 or lower
8. An answer of "YES" to any item of the general health questions of the PARQ+
9. History of limb amputation (upper or lower extremity)
10. Presence of open pressure sores on the upper or lower extremities
11. Currently pregnant or lactating/breastfeeding
12. History of surgery to the: back, neck, or shoulders or joint replacement
13. History of breast cancer and/or mastectomy
14. History of implanted pacemakers or other stimulation devices
15. History of spinal cord injury (SCI)
16. History of joint disease including osteoarthritis and/or Rheumatoid Arthritis
17. History of the following neurological diseases: Cerebrovascular accident (CVA, stroke), Alzheimer's Disease (AD), Dementia (of any form), Huntington's Disease, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Spinal cord injury (SCI), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's Disease (PD), Polio, Paraproteinaemic Demyelinating Neuropathy (PDN) and/or Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS), Myasthenia Gravis, Muscular Dystrophy, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Scoliosis, Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disorder or other hereditary neuropathies

Additional Inclusion Criteria for Intervention Group:

a. Self-declared breast size of D-I cup (US sizes: D, E, F, G, H)

Additional Inclusion Criteria for the Control Group:

a. Self-declared breast size of A-C cup (US sizes: AA, A, B, C)

Where it's running

• University of Houston
  Houston, Texas, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Stacey L Gorniak, PhD — University of Houston
• Study coordinator: Stacey L Gorniak, PhD
• Email: sgorniak@uh.edu
• Phone: 713-743-4802

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.