Ultrasound therapy for a blocked milk duct
A blocked milk duct can cause significant discomfort for breastfeeding mothers. It occurs when milk is unable to flow freely through the duct due to local inflammation, which causes a narrowing of the duct, leading to swelling, pain, and sometimes the formation of a lump. The conservative treatment of blockages include cold compress with ice packs (warm compresses used to be recommended but we now understand that the cause of a blockage is inflammation, which shouldn’t be treated with heat) frequent feeding an gentle lymphatic drainage massage. Ultrasound therapy is a fairly new treatment modality, which offers an advanced solution for stubborn or recurrent blockages, engorgement and mastitis.
