Blocked breast ducts are not only an inconvenience, as they can dramatically slow down the flow of your breast milk, but they can be incredibly painful as well. The cause of blocked ducts is plentiful, however a few of the main causes maybe and are not limited to:

1. A poor latch of your baby on the breast and hence poor emptying of your breast
2. Excessively thick / fatty milk constituency
3. Inexperience with the various positions of breast feeding -may lead to poor latching
4. Fatigue of the mother
5. Low hydration and poor supply of milk
6. Over supply of milk

Physiotherapy working in conduction with a good Breast Lactation Consultant, may assist in successfully clearing blocked reast ducts. A noninvasive physiotherapy modality such as Ultrasound is often a key to successfully clearing blocked ducts.

Therapeutic ultrasound uses sound waves to create a ripple effect that passes through the breast tissue and ducts and hence clear the blockage in the blocked milk ducts.

Ultrasound is painless, and affective. Depending on the extent of the blockage of the breast duct, Treatment sessions may need needs to be 30 – 45 minutes in duration and may need to be applied over 1-3 sessions to clear the blocked ducts. Treatment sessions are most affective when applied daily or 1 day apart.

Often a combination of the ultrasound treatment plus soft tissue massage, rest, and good hydration, support good milk flow. Please address block ducts sooner rather than later to avoid further complications such as Mastitis. Mastitis can be very painful and make a new mum feel very unwell.

The signs of Mastitis are:

1. Pain in the breast or at the blocked duct or arm pit
2. Redness around or near the blocked breast duct
3. Heat of the breast or blocked area
4. You may feel unwell with flu like symptoms and or a fever that arises suddenly
5. Milk flow slows down or stops
6. If you have any signs of Mastitis please ask your General Practitioners (GP) advise as soon as you notice any of the above signs and start antibiotics immediately.

Ultrasound may then be applied to your breast 1 – 3 days after you start your antibiotic treatment.

Happy Breast-Feeding Ladies!

Decompression Therapy for Spine is your answer for non-surgical relief of lower back pain, sciatica, pinched nerve, neck pain and degenerated / herniated disc disease. With specific targeting for spinal levels, separate lumbar and cervical decompression programming, it is highly effective treatment for Back and Neck Pain.

This type of decompression can be done in different positions including one side bending or rotated position to achieve maximum corrective pulls.

The different patterns of pull are designed to facilitate Anti-inflammatory effect for healing, Decompressive effect on disc and reducing pressure on the compressed nerve and Spinal mobilization effect for reducing stiffness.

How does it work?

Decompression Therapy for Spine is performed on a specially designed table in either a face up or face down position. You are fitted with a harness attached to the computer controlled traction which is programmed to deliver a gentle stretching force to the spinal vertebra.

Vacuum or pumping effect

Stretching and relaxing the spine in a controlled manner causes a pumping action that helps to resupply the disc with nutrients and blood to help the disc heal (often lost in damaged and degenerative disc conditions). Thus creating negative pressure in the disc (decompression) that can help the drawing in of a bulge and help take pressure off a “pinched” spinal nerve. This will also help to mobilize the stiff spine.

What other treatment is involved in addition to Spinal Decompression?

In addition, it may include any of the following therapies as indicated by your condition: – electrical stimulation, ultrasound therapy, short wave diathermy, cold laser therapy, spinal mobilization and active exercises. 

Core muscle strengthening (SCORES)

We also need to focus on rehabilitating the structures supporting the disc in order to keep the pain from returning. Improving spine flexibility and muscle control is vital for spinal health.

A program of focused rehabilitative exercise with Stabilizer Pressure Biofeedback may begin during or after your Decompression Therapy. Through a series of specific controlled exercise techniques (often targeting the deep abdominal muscles) the Biofeedback monitors n Real time ultrasound for the correctness and effectiveness of your exercise performance by providing you continual visual feedback.

Long term pain relief

Post treatment you will be taught a home-based exercise program that will help to bring your spine back to full health. This exercise program may include postural advice, resistance training, Stabilizer/ Exercise ball /other “core” exercises.

How often do I take the treatment? 

It depends on the complexity and extent of rehabilitation needed. Decompression is usually performed 2-3 times a week for 5-12 sessions and your response is continually evaluated and change in frequency may be recommended accordingly.

If you suffer from chronic, debilitating, low back or neck pain, our physiotherapy practice is dedicated to offering the latest and state-of-the-art therapy, call us today to make an appointment.

For Further details on Decompression Therapy, please call us at 67364142.