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The Corset Cure

Women in the Middle Ages, seeking to achieve a perfect hourglass figure, began wearing corsets beneath their dresses. A partial undergarment of cloth or leather stiffened with boning, a corset could dramatically cinch in the wearer's waist, often by several inches. First appearing in the 16th century for primarily aesthetic reasons, corsets are being used today to improve health or alleviate discomfort in the body.

Medical Corset Although many modern corset wearers find their smaller waists a bonus, corsets can help reduce back pain and support the abdominal regions of both women and men. The medical benefits of corsetry are wide and varied, including helping restore muscle tone after bypass surgery or giving birth, girding compromised hip joints and the sacroiliac region of the pelvis, and providing secure comfort for buxom women poorly supported by brassieres. Corsets have been recommended by doctors to help sufferers of scoliosis, reduce pain and inflammation from muscular or skeletal disorders, and promote good posture. Malaysian women, hoping to alleviate stretch marks from birthing, have been known to apply aloe vera gel to the skin prior to corseting. If worn extensively, a corset can not only help reduce the wearer's waistline, but their appetite and body fat as well.

A corset's boning, once constructed out of animal bones and wood, is now made of strong plastic, helping brace and strengthen the wearer's torso as long as it remains on the body. This medical undergarment provides structural reinforcement for the body, helping carry its weight as well as alleviating some of the back and hip pressure that can worsen or lead to more severe medical conditions.

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