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10th Corset Seasoning session – possible causes of headache/tension while corseted

Last updated on April 2nd, 2021 at 05:28 pm

(via Pixabay)

I’ve been wearing the corset a total of 24 hours (of a minimum seasoning time of about 30 hours). I’m now quite comfortable in this corset, and the corset is wrapping around my body very nicely – I’m noticing negligible change from today’s seasoning session compared to the previous couple of sessions. Another person had written me about their corset giving them a migraine, which I’d like to address:

Why might one get a headache, neck ache or tense back while wearing a corset?

While I’d like to remind everyone that I’m not a doctor, nor do I pretend to be one on the internet, there are several possible reasons I can personally think of that might cause tension, soreness or headaches while corseted.

  • it may be due to holding a posture that you’re not accustomed to, and subsequently getting sore/tense and knotted back muscles. It’s also important not to tie your corset too tight or too long such that you experience pain or discomfort, as people in discomfort have a tendency to round their shoulders and tense their muscles – you want to be comfortable, relaxed, and sitting with your shoulders down and your chest open. (If it’s too late and you do have some muscle tension, I offer some stretching ideas in the video, like lying with a pile of pillows or a squishy large ball between your wingbones to open up the chest –  and I also suggest bumming a massage off one of your good friends to loosen the knots)
  • it may be caused by dehydration (drink more water while you’re corseted, even if you feel you don’t need it – I personally notice that symptoms of dehydration come on much quicker while I’m corseted).
  • it could be caused by hypertension – although not all headaches are caused by high blood pressure, and not everyone with high bp may experience headaches, there is a positive correlation between headaches and elevated bp, so do make sure your blood pressure is in a healthy range and talk to your doctor about any health concerns you may have before starting to wear corsets. I talk more about this in my article about Corsets and Blood Pressure here.
I should also add (AGAIN) that pain while corseted IS NOT NORMAL. Whether it’s in your abdomen, in your hip, in your neck, head or big toe, you should NOT feel pain in a well-fitted, properly worn corset. Please practice some common sense when you’re corseted and don’t force yourself down more than you’re ready for any reason. Got it? Good.

Changes in the visible wear to the corset after the 10th seasoning session is negligible, although I was able to get in touch with the maker about getting some matching silk to cut down and change the binding, to fix the fraying area. Some of the crystals have started to become slightly loose (my fault) which I show in the video.

 

6 thoughts on “10th Corset Seasoning session – possible causes of headache/tension while corseted

  1. Hi Lucy,

    I wanted to add a little bit about this topic. I have multiple health conditions including low CSF pressure (the fluid that surrounds your brain and spinal cord). Sometimes when trying to treat it you can get a rebound high CSF pressure and the length of time that occurs varies greatly. But if you’re trying to manage symptoms at home for low CSF pressure, abdominal compression is fantastic because it increases pressure on the dural space therefore increasing intracranial pressure. For some people who already have high intracranial pressure, corsets/abdominal compression can cause pretty severe pain. But in general that change in pressure could be causing the headaches.

  2. Hi Lucy!
    I just started my corset/waist training journey. I am in my first day of seasoning and one think I have noticed is a lot of pressure in my face and head. But other than that, I feel great & cannot wait to continue! Love your videos & blog!

    1. Hi Kait, if you have a feeling of pressure like standing on your head, it could be that your blood pressure is temporarily up. If anyone in your home has a personal blood pressure monitor you can check it and make sure that your bp isn’t spiking. I have a separate article about blood pressure here!

      1. Thank you for the tip! I personally struggle with blood pressure/heart issues due to a health issue. I will be keeping an eye on it & plan to check out your article! Thanks so much for responding ❤️

  3. My experience of starting to season my first corset, and previously reading many of your articles. I know it will take a while for me to do this. I have moderate to severe scoliosis. Corsets to me are similar to back braces. I over did it a little yesterday now my back is a little sore. Just have to slow down.

    1. Thank you for sharing your experience, Nikki! Very smart of you to slow down if you experience any discomfort whatsoever.
      I recently started walking long distances, and it’s amazing that I still had to remind myself to slow down and walk less on days when my feet are sore. It’s all part of the process.

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