What is breast cyst? How to treat it with traditional Chinese medicine

For female friends, once breast cysts appear on their bodies, they may turn into breast cancer and endanger their lives. Therefore, we must understand the causes of breast cysts in advance.

What is a breast cyst?

There are many causes of breast cysts. If you suffer from breast hyperplasia, inflammation or tumor compression during lactation, it may cause blockage of the duct of one lobe or lobule of the breast, causing milk to accumulate in the duct and form a breast cyst. It may also be due to poor breastfeeding habits, causing milk to stagnate in the ducts, causing the ducts to dilate and form cysts, bacterial invasion, and secondary infection, leading to acute mastitis or breast abscesses.

If there is no bacterial invasion and infection, cysts can exist in the breast for a long time. During lactation, the mammary glands swell and the lumps are difficult to detect, and they can often only be clearly felt after weaning. The cyst is round or oval, with a smooth surface and can be pushed. Most of them are unilateral, single cysts, which may be slightly tender and feel cystic when touched. In the early stage, the cyst contains thin milk. Later, due to the long-term presence of the cyst, the water in the milk is absorbed and the milk is concentrated into a milky white viscous substance, such as condensed milk. Occasionally it may be curd or even solid like powdered milk.

TCM treatment of breast cysts:

(1) Liver depression and spleen deficiency type

Main symptoms: Breast lump, spherical, smooth and movable, may be painful, chest and flank fullness and stuffiness, poor appetite, slightly fat tongue, white and slightly greasy tongue coating, stringy pulse, weak spleen pulse.

Treatment: Soothe the liver and promote qi circulation, strengthen the spleen and eliminate dampness. 15g of Huodeng, 6g of Codonopsis pilosula, 15g of Citrus aurantium, 10g of Atractylodes lancea, 20g of Hylocereus macrocephala, 12g of Magnolia officinalis, 6g of Angelica sinensis, 12g of Atractylodes macrocephala, 15g of Atractylodes macrocephala, 20g of stir-fried lentil, 12g of papaya, 12g of Fritillaria thunbergii, 6g of Licorice root, 15g of Luffa loofah, and 60g of stir-fried malt.

Acupuncture: Balanced tonification and purgation, selected acupoints such as Ganshu, Yinlingquan, Zusanli, Shanzhong, Pishu, and Shenshu. The treatment of breast cysts is done four times a week, with the needles retained for 30 minutes each time, including a 10-minute needling session.

(2) Chong and Ren disorders

Main symptoms: The lump changes with the menstrual cycle, swelling and hardening before menstruation, softening after menstruation, abnormal menstrual period, amount, color and quality, soreness of waist and knees, pale red or red tongue, thin white or scanty fur, and thready pulse.

Treatment method: Regulate Chong and Ren. Prescription: Modified Shouwu Dihuang Decoction. 10g of Polygonum multiflorum, 12g of Rehmannia glutinosa, 15g of Dioscorea opposita, 15g of Jusi, 12g of Raw Yam, 12g of Cornus officinalis, 12g of White Peony Root, 15g of Poria cocos, 12g of Atractylodes macrocephala, 60g of roasted malt, 12g of Fritillaria thunbergii, 9g of Atractylodes macrocephala, and 9g of Paeonia lactiflora.

Acupuncture: Mainly use tonifying method, and select acupoints such as Si Man, San Yin Jiao, Gan Shu, Shen Shu, Zu San Li, Tai Chong, Jian Jing, Yin Ling Quan, etc. Perform 3 to 4 groups of acupoints each time, leaving the needles in for 3 minutes, four times a week.