Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsMammogram PainTips for Managing PainHow Long Pain Lasts
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Mammogram Pain
Tips for Managing Pain
How Long Pain Lasts
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Why a Mammogram Could Cause Pain
This pressure is also applied diagonally for a different image angle. The breast must be pressed firmly so the X-ray can detectbreast lumpsor abnormalities—the flatter the breast tissue, the more accurate the image.
Mammogram machines have various-sized compression tools and single-use padding to help accommodate large and small breast sizes.Still, if you have small breasts, you may experience a bit more discomfort. There isn’t a lot of tissue to spread on the paddle.
For most people, the sensation feels like pressure in the breast and is uncomfortable but not unbearable. However, a 2020 report based on the experience of more than 1,100 people found 6% reported severe pain with a mammogram.
Apart from breast size, factors that may cause mammogram pain include:
Mammography units have been upgraded through the years to make the exam more comfortable and shorten the time it takes for the test. New machines, for example, have a contoured paddle shape that curves rather than pinches the breast.In some cases, the improved accuracy can eliminate the need for a follow-up mammogram.
Tips for Those With a Low Pain Tolerance
A typical mammogram takes only 10 to 15 minutes. To help reduce anxiety and make the exam more comfortable, try these tips:
Anxiety about mammograms may focus on pain, so don’t hesitate to ask questions of your healthcare provider or talk to the facility before your screening. Taking a family member or friend with you, or planning a fun outing afterward, can help to reduce your mammogram stress.
Mammograms with Breast ImplantsSilicone and saline implants make it harder for a mammogram to detect breast cancer, but it’s still important to get screened. Women with implants will get additional images called implant displacement views, which allow for better detection. Call ahead if you have low pain tolerance to let the technologist know you have implants.
Mammograms with Breast Implants
Silicone and saline implants make it harder for a mammogram to detect breast cancer, but it’s still important to get screened. Women with implants will get additional images called implant displacement views, which allow for better detection. Call ahead if you have low pain tolerance to let the technologist know you have implants.
How Long Mammogram Pain Lasts
Each X-ray takes less than a minute to complete, so the discomfort is typically short even though it’s common. Some people experience discomfort in the days after the exam.
You shouldexpect during a mammogramto remove clothing from your upper body and stand for the screening. Some people do have seated options. Your technician will handle the breast when placing it on the compression plates or applying markers for breast features.
Once completed, your discomfort typically stops. Some feel achy for a day or two after the exam.Let your healthcare provider know if you notice visible bruising or extreme soreness.
You can request a female technician if that makes you more comfortable. Just be sure to call ahead and let the facility know. Keep in mind all mammographers are licensed, board-certified technologists specially trained to perform mammograms.
Summary
Early detection with mammogram screening increases the chances of breast cancer survival. Mammograms have come a long way, with updated machines and new technology. The discomfort felt during the exam is momentary (and bearable for most).
If you feel anxious about the pain and overall experience, follow the tips for preparation and talk with your healthcare provider about questions and concerns.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About mammograms.Oeffinger KC, Fontham ETH, Etzioni R, et al.Breast cancer screening for women at average risk: 2015 guideline update from the American Cancer Society.JAMA. 2015;314(15):1599. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.12783The University of Vermont Health Network.11 mammogram questions you’re too shy to ask.Moshina N, Sagstad S, Sebuødegård S, Waade GG, Gran E, Music J,et al.Breast compression and reported pain during mammographic screening.Radiography (Lond). 2020 May;26(2):133-139. doi:10.1016/j.radi.2019.10.003.University of Chicago Medicine.A more comfortable mammogram? Yes, plus other new state-of-the-art breast cancer screening tools.Hackensack Meridian Health.15 Tips to Prepare for Your Next Mammogram: What to Know Before You Go.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Mammography 101: Q&A with a mammographer.American Cancer Society.Mammograms for women with breast implants.Montoro CI, Alcaraz MDC, Galvez-Sánchez CM.Experience of Pain and Unpleasantness during Mammography Screening: A Cross-Sectional Study on the Roles of Emotional, Cognitive, and Personality Factors.Behav Sci (Basel). 2023 May 4;13(5):377. doi:10.3390/bs13050377de Groot JE, Broeders MJ, Grimbergen CA, den Heeten GJ.Pain-preventing strategies in mammography: an observational study of simultaneously recorded pain and breast mechanics throughout the entire breast compression cycle.BMC Women’s Health. 2015;15:26. doi:10.1186/s12905-015-0185-2
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About mammograms.Oeffinger KC, Fontham ETH, Etzioni R, et al.Breast cancer screening for women at average risk: 2015 guideline update from the American Cancer Society.JAMA. 2015;314(15):1599. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.12783The University of Vermont Health Network.11 mammogram questions you’re too shy to ask.Moshina N, Sagstad S, Sebuødegård S, Waade GG, Gran E, Music J,et al.Breast compression and reported pain during mammographic screening.Radiography (Lond). 2020 May;26(2):133-139. doi:10.1016/j.radi.2019.10.003.University of Chicago Medicine.A more comfortable mammogram? Yes, plus other new state-of-the-art breast cancer screening tools.Hackensack Meridian Health.15 Tips to Prepare for Your Next Mammogram: What to Know Before You Go.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Mammography 101: Q&A with a mammographer.American Cancer Society.Mammograms for women with breast implants.Montoro CI, Alcaraz MDC, Galvez-Sánchez CM.Experience of Pain and Unpleasantness during Mammography Screening: A Cross-Sectional Study on the Roles of Emotional, Cognitive, and Personality Factors.Behav Sci (Basel). 2023 May 4;13(5):377. doi:10.3390/bs13050377de Groot JE, Broeders MJ, Grimbergen CA, den Heeten GJ.Pain-preventing strategies in mammography: an observational study of simultaneously recorded pain and breast mechanics throughout the entire breast compression cycle.BMC Women’s Health. 2015;15:26. doi:10.1186/s12905-015-0185-2
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About mammograms.Oeffinger KC, Fontham ETH, Etzioni R, et al.Breast cancer screening for women at average risk: 2015 guideline update from the American Cancer Society.JAMA. 2015;314(15):1599. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.12783The University of Vermont Health Network.11 mammogram questions you’re too shy to ask.Moshina N, Sagstad S, Sebuødegård S, Waade GG, Gran E, Music J,et al.Breast compression and reported pain during mammographic screening.Radiography (Lond). 2020 May;26(2):133-139. doi:10.1016/j.radi.2019.10.003.University of Chicago Medicine.A more comfortable mammogram? Yes, plus other new state-of-the-art breast cancer screening tools.Hackensack Meridian Health.15 Tips to Prepare for Your Next Mammogram: What to Know Before You Go.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Mammography 101: Q&A with a mammographer.American Cancer Society.Mammograms for women with breast implants.Montoro CI, Alcaraz MDC, Galvez-Sánchez CM.Experience of Pain and Unpleasantness during Mammography Screening: A Cross-Sectional Study on the Roles of Emotional, Cognitive, and Personality Factors.Behav Sci (Basel). 2023 May 4;13(5):377. doi:10.3390/bs13050377de Groot JE, Broeders MJ, Grimbergen CA, den Heeten GJ.Pain-preventing strategies in mammography: an observational study of simultaneously recorded pain and breast mechanics throughout the entire breast compression cycle.BMC Women’s Health. 2015;15:26. doi:10.1186/s12905-015-0185-2
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About mammograms.
Oeffinger KC, Fontham ETH, Etzioni R, et al.Breast cancer screening for women at average risk: 2015 guideline update from the American Cancer Society.JAMA. 2015;314(15):1599. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.12783
The University of Vermont Health Network.11 mammogram questions you’re too shy to ask.
Moshina N, Sagstad S, Sebuødegård S, Waade GG, Gran E, Music J,et al.Breast compression and reported pain during mammographic screening.Radiography (Lond). 2020 May;26(2):133-139. doi:10.1016/j.radi.2019.10.003.
University of Chicago Medicine.A more comfortable mammogram? Yes, plus other new state-of-the-art breast cancer screening tools.
Hackensack Meridian Health.15 Tips to Prepare for Your Next Mammogram: What to Know Before You Go.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Mammography 101: Q&A with a mammographer.
American Cancer Society.Mammograms for women with breast implants.
Montoro CI, Alcaraz MDC, Galvez-Sánchez CM.Experience of Pain and Unpleasantness during Mammography Screening: A Cross-Sectional Study on the Roles of Emotional, Cognitive, and Personality Factors.Behav Sci (Basel). 2023 May 4;13(5):377. doi:10.3390/bs13050377
de Groot JE, Broeders MJ, Grimbergen CA, den Heeten GJ.Pain-preventing strategies in mammography: an observational study of simultaneously recorded pain and breast mechanics throughout the entire breast compression cycle.BMC Women’s Health. 2015;15:26. doi:10.1186/s12905-015-0185-2
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