What kind of physiotherapy is recommended for lactostasis. Lactostasis: treatment with physical factors. Features of the ultrasound procedure

According to the WHO, half of lactating women develop problems associated with breastfeeding babies. These are diseases of the mammary glands that lead to premature termination of breastfeeding.

One of the main breast pathologies in the first 6 months of the postpartum period is lactostasis. Lactostasis, or lactational mastitis, is a painful and debilitating condition that negatively affects a young mother's desire to breastfeed her baby for as long as possible. Medical professionals responsible for the postpartum period in a woman's life must, with their practical help and moral support, help a young mother overcome this difficult period in her life.

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Causes and signs of lactostasis

Various forms of lactostasis occur during feeding in 4% -35% of women. This scatter in the statistical data indicates the absence of clearly marked clinical signs of lactostasis, its differential diagnosis with mastitis of various etiologies.

Breast diseases that occur during lactation are usually associated with the physiological conditions of the first postpartum weeks, although their manifestations can be expected at any time during breastfeeding. This includes any injuries to the nipples, cracks, the occurrence of milk edema, which signals the closure of the thoracic duct in the nipple area.

Any nipple injuries caused by improper attachment of the baby to the breast, their appearance reduces the possibility of normal breastfeeding. If a nursing woman experiences pain during feeding, the risk of premature termination of feeding increases 10 times.

Violation of the integrity of the skin of the nipple or areola manifests itself in 20% of women in the first postpartum days. The addition of an infection causes a complication of the pathological process and prolongs the treatment period.

Ultrasound in diagnostics

The main purpose of the ultrasound method in mammology is the differential diagnosis of liquid and acoustic dense formations of the mammary gland, as well as visual control of invasive and therapeutic procedures. The positive properties of the method include harmlessness, speed, painlessness, the possibility of frequent repetitions. An extremely important property of echography is the ability to specify the location of the mammary gland formations and the sector of the location of the regional zones of lymph flow.

Ultrasound scan is quite informative. The phenomena of lactostasis on the scans are represented by sharply dilated milk ducts. Dilatation of the distal ducts and sinuses is most clearly defined. Lactostasis differs from mastitis in the preserved structure of the structure of the mammary gland and in the absence of infiltration changes in the tissues.

Compensated and decompensated lactostasis is usually distinguished. A pharmaco-sonographic test with pituitrin helps to distinguish these conditions. The patient is offered to carefully express the mammary gland, after which an ultrasound examination is performed, the diameter of the milk ducts is recorded and 1 ml of pituitrin is injected intramuscularly. After 15-20 minutes, ultrasound is repeated.

The sample is considered positive if, upon repeated examination, a decrease in the diameter of the milk ducts is noted. In the absence of such a result, we can confidently talk about decompensated lactostasis, which requires appropriate drug treatment.

Ultrasound as a method of physiotherapy

The use of physiotherapeutic methods of treatment in the presence of problems with the mammary glands during the feeding period has recently become quite widespread. One of them is ultrasound. This painless and effective method brings relief to a young mother after the first 2-3 sessions. With its help, the work of the thoracic ducts is significantly improved, milk production is increased and the risk of inflammatory processes in the mammary gland is reduced. The procedure is combined with mandatory pumping by an experienced specialist.

Ultrasound has a complex effect on the mammary gland. With its help, the patency of the thoracic ducts increases, the blood vessels of the chest expand and the pain syndrome is completely stopped.

This effect is achieved due to the massage properties of ultrasound and its contribution to enhancing the nutrition of the mammary gland tissues by dilated blood vessels.

The procedure itself is performed by a functionalist doctor. With the ultrasound device sensor, he treats the entire surface of the breast, with the exception of the nipple and areola. The entire therapeutic effect on the chest lasts about 15-20 minutes, and the sessions themselves require 4-8, depending on the severity of the condition and the neglect of the process.

After the manipulation, the procedure of obligatory expression takes place, which, provided that the breast is warmed up and softened, does not cause any unpleasant sensations. If necessary, an experienced healthcare professional will assist the young mother in expressing.

Contraindications to ultrasound sessions

Despite the simplicity and harmlessness of ultrasound, there are also contraindications to its use. First of all, it is a different pathology of the central nervous system in a woman. Exposure to ultrasound, especially in the area of \u200b\u200bthe heart and mediastinum, can cause various disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system.

Various neoplasms of the mammary glands are also a contraindication for this method. Any thermal procedures usually cause the growth of cancer cells and the degeneration of benign tumors into malignant ones.

Mastopathies in the tissues of the mammary glands are also a possible focus of the future oncological process and should not be exposed to ultrasound.

Well, of course, purulent mastitis of various origins. Any congestive inflammation of the mammary gland requires, first of all, referring to a specialist, to exclude the need for surgical treatment and massive therapy.

Before starting treatment sessions with ultrasound, you should seek the advice of an appropriate specialist. Like any other method of interfering with the physiology of the body, ultrasound can give both positive and negative results. Self-medication should be excluded, especially in a young nursing mother.

Physiotherapy, and in particular ultrasound therapy, is used to treat many diseases of the mammary glands. Ultrasound allows you to eliminate seals in the human body, which is why it is so effective for lactostasis... This is a disease in which milk accumulates in the milk ducts and leads to stagnant processes.

Ultrasound allows you to quickly get rid of seals in the chest and avoid the development of mastitis, which is accompanied by severe pain, fever and a sharp deterioration in health. Mastitis can lead to tissue necrosis and sepsis. That is why it is very important to start the treatment of lactostasis on time.

What a woman should do at the first symptoms of the disease is, first of all, to consult a gynecologist or mammologist.

The essence of the procedure

With lactostasis, milk stagnation occurs, which causes unpleasant and painful sensations. This leads to tissue edema and can cause inflammation.

This can happen if:

A young mother, due to lack of experience, cannot properly attach the baby to the breast.
There are long breaks between feedings, and the baby does not suck out all the milk.
A woman wears tight underwear, which injures her chest or sleeps on her stomach, which causes squeezing of the milk ducts.
The baby cannot breastfeed.

Physiotherapy allows you to quickly get rid of painful sensations and is completely safe for a nursing mother.

Ultrasound works in this way:

Milk is diluted in the mammary glands.
Its outflow is improving.
Blood circulation improves.
It has an anti-inflammatory effect that prevents mastitis.
Fights cracks and microtrauma in the nipple area.

Breast treatment is the use of a special apparatus that emits ultra-high frequency of the order of 3000 kHz. The procedure should be performed by an experienced professional.

Experts believe that there are several stages of ultrasound exposure to the body:

The first stage is the impact itself, during which a microscopic restructuring of cellular structures is observed.
The second stage begins a few hours after the procedure. An increase in the protective functions of leukocytes can be observed.
The third stage is characterized by increased metabolism in tissues.
At the last stage, the metabolism of carbohydrates increases, blood circulation improves.

Based on such a reaction of the body to ultrasound, we can assume that its use in lactostasis is more than appropriate.

How many procedures will have to be done depends on the degree of development of the disease. Treatment must be done every day. Usually, a woman needs 5-8 procedures. One session lasts only 15 minutes. After completing it, the woman should express breast milk. This will be very easy as the ultrasound clears the milk pathways. This milk cannot be used for feeding a baby.

The treatment does not cause any discomfort. A special device allows you to gently affect the breast, creating the effect of a pleasant massage, in which a woman feels only relaxing, pleasant warmth.

It can be painful when expressing after the procedure. But its intensity is much lower. It cannot be compared to what a woman feels when trying to get her hair dry at home without resorting to treatment.

Ultrasound for lactostasis is actively used all over the world. It allows you to quickly improve the condition of the mammary glands. You do not need to do many procedures for the endowment to come. The state of health improves after two or three sessions.

What to do at the first sign of lactostasis?

Physiotherapy is prescribed in advanced cases when there is a threat of mastitis.

To avoid this condition of the mammary glands, you must:

Follow the feeding technique: the child must correctly grasp the breast, it must be applied to the sore breast more often.
During the breastfeeding process, it is necessary to massage the breast in order to completely free it from milk.
You cannot express too often, otherwise more milk will arrive, and the condition of the mammary glands will worsen even more.
A warm diaper should be placed on the breast before breastfeeding. This should be done in order to improve the outflow of milk.
While expressing, you need to try to free the area of \u200b\u200bthe breast compaction from milk as much as possible.

If it was not possible to correct the situation on your own, you need to contact a specialist as soon as possible. The hospital will prescribe the necessary medications, physical therapy and help to express the diseased breast.

Who is not suitable for treatment

Despite the undoubtedly positive effect on the body, not everyone can use ultrasound.

Such treatment is contraindicated for those who:

Suffers from various diseases of the nervous system.
With malignant tumors.
With mastopathy. Ultrasound treatment in this case can lead to the formation of cancer cells.
Suffering from fibroadenoma of the mammary glands.

If such health problems are absent, ultrasound will be a real salvation for milk stagnation.

Experts have proven that the use of ultrasound is absolutely safe, so no matter how many procedures a woman has to undergo, she may not be afraid that this will negatively affect her further condition.

Ultrasonic waves transform stagnant milk masses into an emulsion, thereby improving the outflow. This allows you to get rid of the symptoms of lactostasis in a short period of time. That is why ultrasound treatment is the best solution to this problem.

Ultrasound for lactostasis refers to an effective physiotherapeutic method for eliminating milk stagnation when breastfeeding a child.

It helps nursing mothers to get rid of problems in the mammary gland, without waiting for the situation to worsen.

Sometimes one or two sessions of this therapy is enough for a woman to feel relief.

Lactostasis is an abnormal phenomenon when a woman feels pain and discomfort in the mammary gland during lactation, i.e.

This condition is caused by the accumulation and stagnation of excess milk, which occurs as a result of excessive milk production or impaired outflow.

The anomaly is fraught with the development of edema and inflammatory reactions, which can lead to such a serious pathology as mastitis.

The etiological mechanism of the appearance of lactostasis is associated with the following factors:

Anatomical defects in the structure of the mammary gland - sagging, insufficiently elastic breasts; flattened nipples; excessively narrow milk ducts. Breast shape often makes it difficult to express milk.
Incomplete emptying of the mammary gland as a result of improper attachment of the baby. This is most common for young, inexperienced mothers.
Irregular baby feeding, long intervals between feedings, skipping scheduled feeds.
The location of the woman on her stomach during a night's sleep.
Mechanical damage to the nipples, cracks in them.
Tight and uncomfortable bra.
The satiety of the child with additional artificial feeding, which causes the refusal to breastfeed.
Dehydration of the female body.
Mechanical injuries (bruises and other influences) in the chest area.
Nervous overload and stress.
Physical overload, lack of sleep, physical exhaustion.

Lactostasis is manifested by pain and discomfort. If problems arise, the child refuses to feed, the woman's temperature rises above 37 ºС, it is necessary to consult a doctor.

Lactostasis requires timely and effective treatment, since after 3-4 days there is a high probability of its transformation into mastitis.

Acting on biological tissues, ultrasound has a mechanical, thermal and physicochemical effect on them.

With the passage of a wave of ultrasonic frequency, a local increase in temperature and micromassage occurs.

As a result of this effect, milk is liquefied, blood and lymph flow increases.

The physicochemical effect contributes to the emergence of bactericidal and antioxidant abilities, which is very important to exclude the addition of infection. The result is real anti-inflammatory properties.

No less important is the reflex mechanism of ultrasonic radiation exposure. The response of the female body to it is divided into several stages:

Immediate impact. During the procedure, cellular alteration occurs at the microscopic level with the appearance of a thixotropic effect. At this stage, moderate mechanical, chemical and thermal reactions are noted. Local heating of the breast tissue causes immediate reactions.
Stress-inducing stage. It develops within 3.5-4.5 hours after the completion of the procedure. At this stage, amines, cortisol, prostaglandins and other hormones and enzymes are released into the blood. As a result of this effect, leukocyte protection is enhanced, which ensures the bactericidal ability of ultrasound.
Stress-limiting stage. Within 11-13 hours after the cessation of the action of ultrasound in the blood, the content of cortisol decreases and the level of prostaglandin increases, which causes the active work of the antioxidant system. This effect is expressed in the enhancement of metabolic cellular processes.
Compensatory stage. A further reaction of the female body leads to an improvement in carbohydrate metabolism, oxygen saturation of tissues, and increased blood and lymphatic circulation.

Features of the ultrasound procedure

Ultrasound therapy (UST) is carried out in specialized medical offices using special equipment.

The ultrasound source provides radiation with a frequency of 850-3000 kHz.

Using higher frequencies may cause negative effects.

Modern devices allow you to precisely control the duration, intensity and mode of radiation. Wave generation can be carried out in continuous or pulsed mode.

The direct procedure is carried out by a specialist by treating the entire surface of the breast with the exception of the nipples. The electrode moves slowly and smoothly in a circular motion around the nipples. A special environment is created between the skin surface and the vibrator, eliminating the air gap. To do this, a special composition is applied to the skin, similar to the lubricant during ultrasound.

The UST course is prescribed by the doctor, taking into account the real state of the woman and the individual characteristics of the body. In total, from 3 to 8 procedures can be prescribed on a daily basis. The duration of one procedure is 12-16 minutes. Immediately after the end of the ultrasound action, milk is manually expressed. During this period, it is sufficiently liquefied, which facilitates the process. Minor pains may be felt, but they are no match for pain that occurs without ultrasound.

You cannot feed a baby with milk expressed immediately after ultrasound exposure.

The UST session is absolutely painless. The woman feels a slight warmth and signs of vibration massage of the breast. After 1-2 procedures, significant relief is found, the disappearance of frightening lumps and bumps. However, to exclude relapse, it is necessary to complete the entire prescribed course. In this case, manual expression of milk is mandatory only after the first session.

Diagnostics of lactostasis

To determine the degree of damage to the mammary gland, determine the ultrasound scan mode and the effectiveness of treatment, ultrasound diagnostics are performed.

The scan allows you to identify the localization of stagnant zones, the state of the ducts and sinuses.

It is important to differentiate the form of lactostasis, which can develop in a compensated or decompensated form.

Such studies are carried out using a pharmacosonographic test.

With the development of a compensated type of disease, UST gives high efficiency, and studies can reveal the dynamics of improving the condition of the breast. With a neglected, decompensated form, you will have to resort to drug therapy.

Contraindications

Despite the safety of UST, there are contraindications to the use of ultrasound radiation. The procedures cannot be carried out in the following circumstances:

serious neurological abnormalities;
malignant tumors of various localization;
mastitis during the period of its exacerbation;
a sharp hormonal imbalance (mastopathy);
the presence of fibroadenomatosis of the mammary gland.

Prevention of lactostasis

Lactostasis, as a rule, is due to reasons that depend on the behavior of a nursing woman.

In order to prevent this phenomenon, you should adhere to:

A breastfeeding woman should sleep on her back or side.
Choose the right bra. He should not tighten his chest. It is best to use underwear specially designed for nursing mothers.
When feeding a baby, you should not press on the breast with your fingers, since in this case the ducts are clamped.
The baby must be positioned in an optimal position so that he can release the mammary gland as much as possible. Active artificial feeding with sufficient production of your own milk is not recommended.
Baby feeding should be done regularly.
Hypothermia and chest trauma should not be allowed. It is very dangerous to be in a draft with an open chest.

What will help eliminate the risk of disease

If the first signs of lactostasis appear, then you need to consult a doctor and start ultrasound treatment. At the same time, you should take your own measures to eliminate the disease:

Carefully monitor the feeding process and how much milk the baby is able to suck. The remaining milk must be expressed immediately.
Additional bottle feeding is not recommended. This causes him to improperly grip the nipple during feeding.
The baby is often attached to the affected breast, but healthy breasts should not be launched, so as not to cause a similar phenomenon in it.
Taking a warm shower before breastfeeding will help milk flow out.
A woman's body should not be dehydrated. It is necessary to drink at the first sensation of thirst, without artificial containment.

Lactostasis in a nursing woman can have serious consequences. It needs to be identified and treated early. Ultrasound therapy is one of the most effective ways to combat this phenomenon. This procedure is recognized as absolutely safe, and the positive effect is achieved after 3-4 sessions.

The introduction will be short, but for anyone interested you can read the review: Breastfeeding. Hyperlactation. When there is a LOT of milk. When a breast pump is needed. Link:

When my daughter was only 10 days old, I invited a consultant. It cost me 3 thousand rubles. She invited me to think it would help, she showed how to apply, it turned out to be a whole science. Probably psychologically I needed to communicate with someone, maybe there was not really anyone. And, behold, she found out that I was straining and strictly forbade me to do it. In general, her advice was not much different from all the advice on the Internet. As a result, after a couple of days I had a terrible lactostasis in all its manifestations.

Fever, pain, and stony chest. The consultant herself repeated only the positions in attachment, they did not help me in any way, not from that, not from that. There was stagnation in one lobe, but milk came from the others, and this was quite enough to feed the child. Therefore, having sucked a little, my daughter was full, and I was left alone with my problem.

It should be noted that the daughter did not make much effort in sucking. I think she should have started, as the milk itself poured into her mouth, she just opened her mouth and swallowed. What kind of help is there in straining? Then she never hung on her chest, feedings were always short, only to eat.

Therefore, the breast pump was my great helper. I used it to strain with milk stagnation, and with it I pumped my breasts to relief, no more.

BUT, and the breast pump did not help to strain so that everything would work out again. I even called the government seating office. They didn't help me at all! They said that I have the flu))

On the Internet, I read about ULTRASOUND. It was after this procedure that the milk began to flow and was further distilled with a breast pump. I had AVENT automatic.

LACTOSTASIS which helped me:

Traumeel C cream
Cabbage leaves beaten off (I never liked my grandmother's recipes, but here it seems they helped
Expressions with a breast pump (I had an automatic AVENT, in my case only an automatic one was suitable, I can't imagine how to sort out stagnation manually)
You can still to massage chest in soul, having previously lubricated with vazilin, well, this is as an addition, not the main one.
Further, if this does not help you, feel free to go to the gynecologist and ask for a referral to ultrasound... 2-3 sessions were enough for me. They say that milk starts to flow right in the office, this did not happen to me, I tried to quickly get home and shove my breast to my daughter, then I strained it with a breast pump.

I also read a lot about Magnesia and Aloe, I even bought ingredients, the reviews are only good, but after 2 lactostasis it was not useful to me and I did not have time to try it.

In both cases, it was the ULTRASOUND that became the decisive factor in helping with milk stagnation.

You must bring to the procedure:

Petrolatum

Diaper

You can use breast pads if the milk is already on the way home

Dear mothers, do not torture yourself with painful hand straining. Do not spend money on aunts who will torment your breasts for 5000 rubles to help you unhook.

The ultrasound procedure is free, safe and painless... Talk to your gynecologist or mammologist. It is these doctors who give directions for ultrasound.

Lactostasis worries many women who are breastfeeding, both immediately after childbirth and in the following months. Milk stagnation is provoked by increased lactation, inadequate nutritional activity of the child, the wrong approach to feeding and other reasons, but this condition should be treated immediately after the first signs are detected. Ultrasound for lactostasis is one of the procedures that allow for a short time to establish the outflow of milk, release clogged ducts, eliminate pain and lumps in the chest.

The essence of the problem

Ultrasound is prescribed for women who are faced with swelling and soreness of the mammary glands caused by lactostasis. The reasons for this condition can be many, from the anatomical properties of the body to improper breastfeeding. Here are the main ones:

poor-quality emptying of the glands due to improper attachment of the child - when it captures only the nipple, and not almost the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe areola (this is fraught not only with lactostasis, but also with damage to the skin on the nipples);
a monotonous posture when feeding - while not all breast lobes are released, and in the rest, blockage of the ducts begins;
sleeping on the stomach, on the side without changing position, wearing a tight bra, holding the breast while feeding with two fingers - all this contributes to the development of stagnation;
chest trauma, general or local hypothermia;
the transition from natural feeding to artificial mixtures - with the previous lactation, the baby sucks out less milk, provoking the onset of lactostasis;
stress and lack of proper rest;
expressing unnecessarily with increased milk production - it becomes even more, the crumb cannot cope with the volume of fluid, stagnation occurs.

Another reason for stagnant milk, doctors consider feeding on a schedule, with an interval of 3-4 hours. Mothers who apply the baby to the breast on demand are less likely to complain of signs of lactostasis, since their glands are emptied efficiently and regularly.

Important! The first signs of stagnation are soreness in the chest, the appearance of puffiness and lumps, which can be felt through the skin. The temperature may remain within normal limits, but in the area of \u200b\u200bthe mammary glands it is felt that the skin is hot. It is impossible to delay the start of therapy, because after 2-3 days lactostasis can turn into purulent-infectious mastitis.

Straining of lactostasis with ultrasound is an effective and safe procedure, thanks to which you can quickly stop the development of the inflammatory process in the breast, soften the seals, adjust the outflow of milk and make the nursing mother feel better. In the absence of contraindications, UST or ultrasound therapy for lactostasis has the following advantages:

improving the blood supply to tissues in the area of \u200b\u200bstagnation;
elimination of pain;
removal of edema;
arresting the inflammatory process and preventing its further development;
getting rid of spasms.

Need to know! The action of ultrasonic waves with a frequency of 20-3000 kHz on the mammary glands is also considered bactericidal, restorative and relaxing, it does not damage the breast, at the same time it massages and warms the tissues by 1 o C. The ultrasonic wave breaks the seal, and the body reacts to an increase in temperature by improving metabolism.

As a result, the patient quickly and painlessly receives three types of treatment at once - mechanical, thermal and physicochemical. In this case, the recovery function is triggered at the cellular level, providing removal of puffiness, resorption of seals, elimination of pain and stagnation in the ducts of the mammary glands.

Features of the ultrasound procedure

Treatment of lactostasis with ultrasound is carried out on a special apparatus. It creates waves that pass from the sensor deep into the glandular tissues by means of a gel - the breast is warmed up, receiving the effect of a micromassage. The specialist makes light movements in a circle on the breast surface, without affecting the nipple and areola, the session time is 10-15 minutes. The intensity of the impact of the device is chosen by the physiotherapist, it can be continuous or pulsed, the power is 0.2-0.4 W per square centimeter.

The peculiarities of ultrasound therapy of lactostasis is that the effect of waves on the gland is not limited only by the time of the procedure. The body's responses proceed in several phases:

Direct effect on the glandular tissue, accompanied by the release of heat and the beginning of chemical reactions in the cells.
The phase of the next four hours after ultrasound exposure - hormones and nutrients are released into the blood, causing the activation of immunity, an increase in the protective properties of leukocytes and the destruction of bacteria.
Phase twelve hours - after the procedure, the metabolism in the cells is accelerated.
The final phase is blood flow to the glands, increased oxygen supply to tissues, active carbohydrate and lymphatic metabolism.

On a note! After ultrasound treatment, the breast immediately becomes soft and painless, milk should be expressed from it, since it is impossible to feed the baby to it. It is proposed to do this directly in the physiotherapy room. After 2-3 sessions, the patients notice a significant improvement in the condition of the mammary glands, but the full course of therapy is 7-8 ultrasound procedures.

Contraindications

There are a number of contraindications in which the doctor may consider ultrasound to be harmful.

Despite the fact that the treatment of lactostasis with ultrasound is considered an effective and absolutely not harmful procedure, there are situations when such therapy cannot be carried out. The following health problems are contraindications:

diseases of the central nervous system - under the influence of ultrasonic waves in the region of the heart and chest, disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system may appear;
hormonal disruptions that provoked the development of mastopathy, fibroadenoma, breast cysts - all these diseases can be exacerbated as a result of ultrasound treatment, causing the process of degeneration of benign cells into malignant ones;
pulmonary tuberculosis;
high blood pressure;
acute purulent infectious mastitis, as well as other viral and bacterial inflammatory processes occurring in the body;
endocrine system pathologies, for example, diabetes mellitus;
breast cancer;
pregnancy.

A specialist who knows the medical history of a particular patient can tell in more detail about contraindications to ultrasound treatment. Before signing up for a course of sessions to eliminate signs of lactostasis, a woman must definitely come to an appointment with a physiotherapist.