High Tone Power Therapy Versus Interferential Current Therapy in Mothers With Breastfeeding-Related Neck Pain

Breastfeeding is very essential for the growth and development of an infant. World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding of the baby for the first six months. Duration of breastfeeding ranges from 15-20 minutes and is done after every 2-3 hours. The frequency of breastfeeding is approximately 8-12 times a day. So collectively 5-6 hours in an entire day are spent while feeding the baby. Breastfeeding mothers encounter various musculoskeletal problems. These problems arise due to the inappropriate positions acquired during breastfeeding the baby. Since these positions are maintained for longer durations, they can lead to long-term postural deformities by altering the normal curvature of spine. Moreover hormonal changes of pregnancy may last from 12 weeks postpartum to 6 months postpartum. All these changes will have a long-lasting effect while performing activities of daily living, hampering baby care and self-care (Dandekar et al., 2022). In addition to breast soreness, engorgement, maternal illness, blocked ducts, and mastitis, breastfeeding-related neck pain has a high prevalence among nursing women. It is commonly associated with the adoption of awkward postures during feeding sessions. One of the most common awkward positions adopted by nursing mothers is unsupported head/neck posture, resulting in sustained neck flexion to monitor the infant during feeding. Such a sustained awkward position with excessive repetition usually puts stress on the neck and back muscles

High tone power therapy is a new application with unique characteristics of electrotherapy and its main effects for the body are entering energy into the body to revitalize the body to affect and stimulate cells and inducing a resonance effect that makes vibration or an oscillation in the tissues and cells to relieve pain, enhance metabolism and distributing the pain mediators and inflammation, waste substances and nutrients; thus normalizing the cell and organizing metabolism and nerve regeneration The application of the high tone power therapy proved to be a very effective treatment that improved the extent of cervical spine mobility with significant pain alleviation in patients with cervical pain Interferential current therapy is a safe physical therapy method that has been used for many years in the treatment of musculoskeletal system disorders. It has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, sympatholytic, local vasodilatory, and muscle stimulatory actions. It shows significant analgesic effects in patients with neck pain

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* All mothers are medically stable.
* All mothers are primiparous and currently breastfeed their infants.
* All mothers will be exclusive breastfeeding mothers.
* Their ages will be 18-35 years old.
* Their body mass index will be 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2.
* All mothers will provide an informed consent form agreeing to participate and publication of the study results.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Mothers who were pregnant and nursing with known orthopedic and neurological conditions of the spine, upper limbs and shoulder regions prior to breastfeeding.
* Mothers had cesarean delivery.
* Mothers with cerebrovascular problems, or any disorder affect the goal of the study.
* Mothers with preterm babies, low-birth weight babies, intrauterine growth restriction, with chronic diseases like cancer, human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis and with postpartum complications like postpartum hemorrhage and eclampsia.