Back pain and clogged milk ducts are common problems with nursing moms. Many new moms suffer through painful nursing sessions because they are either too tired to seek out help, don’t realize help is out there, or just assume this is part of the “joys of motherhood”. It is no longer necessary to suffer in silence! We are here to help you!
Proper positioning and support of mother and baby can help alleviate back, neck, or shoulder pain during nursing. Strengthening exercises for the back and shoulders can also help with back pain relief. Sometimes even just a change in the type of bra you are wearing for support can make a difference. Physical therapy could consist of just one or two visits to make appropriate modifications and establish an exercise routine.
Clogged milk ducts are also very common, and can come and go throughout the nursing process as supply and demand changes, with clothing or carrier restrictions, or with changes in diet or exercise. We are having excellent success treating these clogs with a combination of positioning/postural changes, modalities (heat, vibration, ultrasound), and manual lymph drainage. Women are seen for three visits over consecutive days, which is often enough to relieve the clogs. Physical therapy is typically more effective if the nursing mom is treated when the clog is small or only a portion of the breast is involved. When entire quadrants of the breast are involved, or when mastitis is also present, treatment is still helpful, but often takes longer to resolve the issue.