Mastitis Treatment Chelmsford

Breastfeeding can be a rewarding experience, however it is often not without its issues.

Research tells us of the multiple benefits of breastfeeding to both mother and baby but issues such as engorgement, blocked ducts and mastitis can be extremely painful and stressful and can cause cessation of breastfeeding earlier than planned. 

Women's Health Physiotherapists are expertly placed to effectively treat these conditions, reducing pain, identifying contributing factors and supporting you on your breast feeding journey. 

Breast engorgement - This is when the breasts become painfully overfull. It happens in the first 3-5 days postnatally when your milk comes in and can develop after this time too. It happens when the breasts are producing more milk than is being drained and results in enlarged, firm, tender breasts. This usually resolves however if it persists it can contribute to the development of blocked ducts and mastitis. Hot/cold compress, lymphatic drainage and therapeutic ultrasound can help ease these symptoms. 

Blocked ducts - This occurs when the ducts and pathways carrying milk become blocked, causing a build up of static milk in the tissue. The area can become tender, red and hardened. In some cases this can lead onto mastitis. 

Mastitis - This is the body's inflammatory response to insufficient milk removal. When milk is not removed a blocked duct can form. Over time, the pressure within the duct rises causing milk to leak out of the duct into surrounding breast tissue. This causes inflammation and leads to the symptoms of mastitis. Left untreated, mastitis can devlop into a breast abscess which requires emergency care.

In other cases, mastitis can have a bacterial cause. Bacteria can enter the breast especially if the nipples are damaged or cracked. This bacteria leads to an inflammatory response from the body causing the symptoms of mastitis. 

Symptoms of Mastitis

• Feeling unwell - fever, chills, body aches, flu-like symptoms
• Breast pain and tenderness 
• Breast hardness 
• Breast swelling or engorgement
• Breast redness 
• Increased temperature of the area
• Difficulty and pain feeding 

Physiotherapy treatment 

Physiotherapy is effective in the prevention and treatment of engorgement, blocked ducts and mastitis. 

• Therapeutic ultrasound uses high frequency sound waves to penetrate into the breast tissue. As the sound waves vibrate they break down blockages within the milk ducts. The vibrations also break down cell walls, enabling inflammatory products to leave the cell and allowing antibiotics that may have been prescribed to you to enter the cell. Most women feel immediate improvement after the first session and require 1-3 sessions to complete the treatment. Therapeutic ultrasound is recommended for the treatment of mastitis by the Academy of Breast Feeding Medicine (ABM), a global organisation of doctors who give guidelines and advice on matters of lactation and breast feeding. 
• Lymphatic drainage is a  technique used to encourage movement of lymphatic fluid to assist in alleviating breast swelling, engorgement and pain. 
• Education and advice is offered during the treatment to ensure you are aware how best to manage your pain, reduce your symptoms and reduce the likelihood of suffering from mastitis again. 

Mastitis is curable with physiotherapy.  It offers a quick, effective, non-pharmacological solution to this conditions. However, if you have symptoms of fever, chills and flu like symptoms it should be used alongside antibiotic treatment prescribed by a doctor.

Breast abscess is a localised collection of pus that within the breast that can develop from mastitis, if left untreated. This typically presents as a very swollen painful breast with a breast lump alongside fever, fatigue and feeling unwell. If you think you have a breast abscess you should seek emergency care

Nest Physiotherapy are able to provide mastitis treatment Chelmsford, Brentwood, Maldon and surrounding areas.