How to Talk To Your Doctor About Corsets

Featured Corset: Emma Black Mesh Corset

If you’re like most people, you’ve been choosing your own clothing since you were about five years old, and you’re probably not keen to ask anyone’s permission to don a particular garment. So, why would you want to talk to your doctor about corsets? 

Unlike other elements of your daily wardrobe, a corset is specifically designed to deliver support and compression. 

While you don’t need a doctor’s note to wear one, it can be uncomfortable and even harmful if you do it wrong, particularly if you have medical conditions (like hernia or high blood pressure) that may be exacerbated by compressing your torso. 

Only your doctor can explain the risk factors based on your health history, which is why it’s always recommended that you consult with a medical professional before starting a waist training regimen. 

Of course, if you wear a corset in a therapeutic capacity, to contend with back pain or anxiety, for example, you might be interested in exploring whether insurance could assist with the cost. Talking to your doctor is the place to start. 

Prepare to Talk to Your Doctor about Corsets

It’s important to talk to your doctor about corsets to make sure you won’t aggravate any existing medical conditions, but before you broach the subject, it’s best to come prepared for an informed discussion. To start, you should bring your corset with you, if you have one, so everyone is on the same page. 

From there, you’ll want to pinpoint your goals, whether they’re medical, cosmetic, or both. Do your own research ahead of time so you can ask targeted questions about potential risks, benefits, and safety. 

You might also want to create a personal plan for wear, whether you’re waist training or seeking therapeutic benefits, so you can present it to your doctor and ask for input and advice moving forward. 

Choose the Right Doctor

When you decide to talk to your doctor about corsets, you want to make sure you select the medical professional most capable of answering your questions and helping you achieve your goals. 

Perhaps you want to start waist training and you need advice to help you proceed in a safe and healthy way. In this case, speaking with your primary physician is a great place to start, and they may be able to recommend other specialists to consult, such as a nutritionist, if your goals include weight loss or maintenance during waist training. 

If you want to waist train after pregnancy, speaking with your OB/GYN is wise.

If you’ve started wearing a corset to help with back pain and you’re also seeing a chiropractor or physical therapist regularly, discuss your experiences with these professionals. 

They may want to see how your corset is affecting your posture and perhaps they can suggest the best corset style, shape, or spring to support short-term and long-term improvement. 

While there is little research related to the relationship between body compression and feelings of anxiety, anecdotally, some people find that the snugness of a corset around their torso feels like a soothing hug. You may want to discuss this with your therapist to see if adding a corset to your wardrobe for therapeutic purposes is worthwhile. 

Will Insurance Pay for My Corset?

Some insurance policies include coverage for devices under the category of Durable Medical Equipment (DME). This could include back, neck, and other types of medical braces, but corsets generally aren’t recognized as a type of medical brace for insurance purposes.

However, a corset that is doctor prescribed and meets the definition for a brace could potentially be considered for some form of coverage, if it is medically necessary treatment, like that for back pain. It may be a long shot, but it’s worth discussing with your doctor. 

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