Are you having difficulty breast-feeding?
Have you noticed redness, pain or swelling around the breast?
Does the breast feel lumpy or hard?
Are you feeling any flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue, fever, or aches and pains?
Then you may have mastitis.
Mastitis is an inflammatory breast condition caused by blocked milk ducts,
which can lead to an infection.
What are the causes of Mastitis?
- Decreased ability for baby to latch on or suckle hard enough
- Increased abundance of flow
- Not expressing enough, and infrequent feeds
- Fatigue, stress, lack of sleep
- Tight, compressive clothing
Physiotherapy Treatment Options
- Education on the best way to manage the condition
- Gentle self-massage
- Heat packs
- Regular breastfeeding on the affected side or expressing with a
breast pump - Therapeutic Ultrasound:
Ultrasound is the best, most effective, and beneficial treatment for mastitis. Most women get almost immediate relief from their symptoms.
Ultrasound uses sound waves transmitted through the skin at a frequency that causes a mechanical ultrasonic vibration. The sound waves will help to liquefy the blockage within the milk duct, and allow normal flow.
One of our Physio’s, Jasmine, is our resident expert on the treatment of Mastitis.