When Physiotherapists Meet Feeding: The Role of PTs in Breastfeeding
By: Hamza Adwan, MScPT candidate ∙ Estimated reading time 3 minutes

When Physiotherapists Meet Feeding

Physiotherapists (PTs) and breastfeeding, an unexpected pair that you may not have thought about before? 

Well, think again.

Physiotherapists can play a valuable role in supporting a comfortable and pain-free breastfeeding experience, which can help in achieving a better latch and a smoother experience.

As the science behind breastfeeding and lactation evolves, it is time to widen the lens and recognize the integral role that a physiotherapist can play in both the maternal and infant’s well-being.

Feeding is function

Breastfeeding and its many other siblings, such as pumping and supplementing, are not just about nutrition; it is a complex neuromuscular, biomechanical and psychosocial activity involving the person feeding and the infant.

For a physiotherapist, those are all familiar concepts that a PT can address as they treat function, with feeding being one of the earliest yet most critical functions that an infant performs to thrive.

The truth behind breastfeeding

There are many challenges that a person who is breastfeeding may encounter, such as poor latch, inflammation, plugged ducts, loss of skin integrity and more.

One of the main concepts that Pelvic Health Physiotherapist, Mercedes Eustergerling, discusses in her course for infant feeding support is mastitis, a classic condition of breast inflammation. Mercedes discusses in detail how mastitis affects up to 20% of lactating women, mostly in the first 6 weeks postpartum and has many symptoms such as pain, redness, heat, swelling, fevers, and so on.

While those symptoms may be indicative of an infectious condition, mastitis cannot be formally differentiated as infectious or non-infectious. Mercedes discusses multiple intervention options for mastitis, including but not limited to muscle massage, lymphatic draining and more.

Learn more about intervention options

Skin is the game

Maintaining nipple and breast tissue integrity falls under a physiotherapist's scope of practice. Ensuring good skin health is crucial to a successful latch and breastfeeding journey.

What can physiotherapists do?

Physiotherapists can utilize different modalities to provide support to people who are breastfeeding their babies, some of which include:

1. Laser therapy: This can aid with the healing process of damaged nipple and skin integrity by promoting blood flow to the area 
   
   
2. Therapeutic ultrasound: This can be used to treat inflammation, and studies show that continuous ultrasound is more beneficial than pulsed. For more information on the parameters, review the course by Mercedes Eustergerling here
   
   
3. Kinesiotape: This can help with lymphatic movement, reduce pain and pressure on the breasts by decreasing inflammation and improving drainage as well.
   
   
4. Massage: This can help with duct movement (opens the duct) and reduce inflammation. This is usually done on the side that is inflamed or often biased for feeding.

Many of the tools used in physiotherapy practice can be tailored and applied to the needs of breastfeeding parents. The following video outlines other intervention options and techniques that can be applied to clinical practice.

 

The biopsychosocial component

Pain and inflammation do not exist in a vacuum. There could be other reasons why pain is experienced by those who choose to breastfeed. Maternal stress, fatigue, anxiety and lack of/disturbed sleep can contribute to feeding difficulties, hence highlighting the importance of a holistic approach and interprofessional collaboration to deliver an appropriate care plan.

The journey and beyond

Infant feeding is not exclusively a nursing or pediatric issue; it is a PT issue too, and so pelvic health Physiotherapists can get more involved in the breastfeeding journey from latch training to skin care, because when we think functionally, everyone feeds better!

Learn more about how a PT can better support the breastfeeding journey and how you can be involved in the feeding team by checking out these courses on Embodia:

Find more breastfeeding 
courses here

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Date written: 30 April 2025
Last update: 30 April 2025