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Mastitis Treatment in Montreal and Online Throughout Quebec
Web physio is now available for Mastits. Click to find out more!
Call Active Solution Physiotherapy Verdun for an appointment with our experienced physiotherapists:
(514) 767-6858 or click below.

What is it?

Mastitis is an inflammation of the breast. Symptoms may include fever, redness, heat, swelling/edema, pain and loss of the ability to express milk from the affected breast.

What causes it?

While mastitis can be caused by an infection, there are also other potential causes for the condition:
  • Nipple injuries can occur, and are often related to poor latch and poor suction of the baby. Your doctor or lactation consultant can check for a tongue tie or a lip tie which can explain your baby’s difficulty to  achieve and maintain a good latch.
  • Changes in feeding times or infrequent milk expression
  • Excess milk production
  • Pressure on the breasts, such as lying on your breast or wearing an unsuitable bra
  • The mother may be ill
  • Stress and fatigue of the mother
There are no tests that differentiate between infectious mastitis and non-infectious mastitis.

What can pelvic floor physio do?

If you have a high fever with a red, tender, and swollen breast, you should consult your doctor in case you may need medication or further testing. In all other cases, the initial recommended treatments is conservative for the first 24 hours:
  • Rest
  • Continue breastfeeding
  • Breast massage
  • Empty the breast of milk
  • Application of cold

If this does not help, then you should consult your doctor to determine whether antibiotics may be needed. If the doctor does not feel that antibiotics are warranted, then you are a good candidate for physiotherapy.

Your physiotherapist will use different breast massage techniques to reduce inflammation, and review the position of the baby and mom during the feedings to prevent future episodes. We often get mothers asking about ultrasound therapy in the treatment of mastitis. While it was previously used frequently in the treatment of mastitis, current research suggests that ultrasound is not more effective than massage in the conservative approach to mastitis treatment. Generally, 1 to 2 sessions are needed to treat mastitis.


Read about Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy in Montreal.
Read about Web Pelvic Floor and Perineal Physiotherapy.

Physiotherapist

Laetitia Bourgeon, Pht., DPT., Cert. MDT
If you have any further questions about what pelvic floor physio can do for your specific problem or want to book an appointment, please do not hesitate to call us at 514-767-6858 or click below.