Photobiomodulation in breast analgesia in the immediate puerperum

Abstract

Introduction: Breastfeeding is a very important stage in the life of the mother and newborn. However, incorrect handling has been reported in the literature as one of the main reasons that trigger early weaning due to pain from breast lesion and fissure, combined with the contraindication of many analgesics during this period. Low-potency photobiomodulation then emerges as a promising analgesic alternative as it has no contraindications, has anti-inflammatory effects, and promotes tissue healing, preventing early weaning. Objective: To assess whether photobiomodulation influences breast analgesia during the immediate puerperium. Methods: Prospective experimental study on the evaluation of breast pain during breastfeeding in 14 puerperal women in the first 24 hours postpartum at the maternity ward of Hospital Santa Casa de Misericordia Dona Carolina Malheiros, in São João da Boa Vista, São Paulo. As an interventional resource, the Laser Therapy EC® single device was applied. For pain quantification before and after the intervention, the Visual Analog Scale was used, and for comparison between the moments, the Student t-test with 95% confidence interval. This project was approved by the Ethics and Research Committee of the Centro Universitário das Faculdades Associadas, number: 4.962.025. Results: A clinically and statistically significant improvement in pain could be observed, moving from an average of 7.86±1.70 to 3.00±2.25 on the Visual Analog Scale (p<0.001). Conclusion: After the photobiomodulation application, an improvement in breast pain was observed in women in the immediate puerperium.