Breastfeeding & Clogged Milk Ducts: How Physio Can Help in Unexpected Ways

Breastfeeding & Clogged Milk Ducts: How Physio Can Help in Unexpected Ways

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Breastfeeding can be beneficial for both mother and baby, but it can also be extremely challenging.  Understandably, difficulty, or pain with breastfeeding has been shown to lead to early breastfeeding cessation.  One of the common challenges mothers face is mastitis or clogged milk ducts. You might be surprised to know that there are several things physio’s can do to help treat clogged milk ducts and ease breastfeeding to support mothers in reaching their specific breastfeeding goals.

What is a Blocked Milk Duct? 

Blocked milk ducts are a common but often painful side effect of breastfeeding.  This occurs when the ducts get compressed and the flow of milk is restricted.  It can be associated with breast engorgement and may present with localized pain, swelling, redness, a tender lump, hot to touch, and there may be a white tip on the nipple.

Several factors can contribute to the development of blocked milk ducts such as breastfeeding techniques, length of time between feedings, hurried feedings, tight clothing/ bra’s, and genetics.  The mother may also develop a fever or have other flu-like symptoms. It is important to note that if mastitis is not cleared early or an abscess develops you must seek urgent medical attention from your doctor.

For more information on these factors please contact your local perinatal society or women’s hospital for breastfeeding support services near you.

In this article, we are going to focus on what Physio can do to help treat inflammation of the breast due to blocked ducts, which can also be termed as non-infectious mastitis.

What can Physiotherapy do to help? 

Draining the ducts if the primary goal of initial treatment and there are several things that women can do to encourage this. The first is to try to encourage the baby to keep feeding as this can help clear the blockage.  Physiotherapy can also help by using therapeutic ultrasound on the area as well as teaching gentle self-massage techniques. Therapeutic ultrasound is applied directly to the area where the blockage is occurring and uses gentle sound waves to provide micro-massage to the breast tissue. Ultrasound is a quick, effective, non-pharmacological treatment, which has been shown to reduce swelling and pain ratings in patients within one or two treatment sessions.

Ultrasound treatment is beneficial at the onset of a blocked duct, but if the mother begins to feel increasing flu-like symptoms or a fever increases is it important that she see her doctor, as a bacterial infection may have developed.  If antibiotics are prescribed, ultrasound can still be extremely beneficial as it can increase the permeability of the cell wall and make the antibiotics more effective.

In addition to ultrasound, several other treatment tips include:

  • Continue breastfeeding or pumping the milk on the side with the blockage at increased intervals
  • Gentle self-massage or effleurage which most physiotherapists can help teach
  • Applying gentle heat prior to breastfeeding
  • Manage pain symptoms with a cold compress
  • Avoid wearing tight-fitting clothing or bra’s, avoid using a carrier or anything else that would apply direct pressure to the affected breast.
  • See a doctor if symptoms persist as you may need antibiotics

If your symptoms progress it is always important to see your doctor earlier instead of later!

For more information contact:

Perinatal Services BC 

or

BC Women’s Hospital and Health Services:
References:

diane
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