What is breast hyperplasia? How to prevent and treat it? How does traditional Chinese medicine treat it?

Chen Jiaxian Attending Physician

Chen Jiaxian Chinese Medicine Clinic, Nansha District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province

Breast hyperplasia is also known as breast hyperplasia, which is a disease caused by the proliferation and degeneration of breast tissue, often manifested as breast pain and breast nodules. The department to be consulted should be breast surgery, general surgery, endocrinology department: Chinese medicine breast surgery department, breast surgery, Chinese medicine internal medicine department, etc.

Main symptoms : anger, overwork, sometimes soreness, pain in shoulders, upper limbs, and back. This disease is related to endocrine disorders and menstruation. Before menstruation, the lump increases, the breast becomes painful, and small lumps of varying sizes and shapes can be felt during breast examination. The pain increases with pressure. The lumps mostly occur on the upper outer side of the breast. If they grow rapidly in a short period of time, the possibility of cancer should be considered.

How does Traditional Chinese Medicine prevent and treat?

Traditional Chinese medicine calls breast hyperplasia "breast lumps". It is generally believed that breast lumps are caused by various reasons leading to liver depression and qi stagnation or Chong and Ren disorders.

The liver is responsible for regulating the secretion of the body. The secretion and regulation of female hormones are completed by the liver. Irregular diet, stress, depression, staying up late and other bad living habits will affect the liver function. Weak liver function will lead to poor secretion, resulting in endocrine disorders and a series of gynecological problems. This is an important cause of breast hyperplasia. The second is dry lungs. 80% of modern female patients with dry lungs have breast hyperplasia.

Therefore, in clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine, soothing the liver and relieving depression, and regulating the Chong and Ren meridians should be the main method for diagnosis and treatment.

The treatment is mainly carried out through Chinese medicine, external treatment with Chinese patent medicine and compress therapy. Commonly used Chinese patent medicines include Xiaoyao Pills and Rupi'an. For external treatment with Chinese patent medicine, drugs such as Jinhuangsan and Glauber's Salt can be applied externally. For compress therapy, drugs such as Sheng Nanxing and Fengfang can be used to prepare paste for external application. In addition, Chinese medicine also advocates physical therapy, moxibustion, massage and other methods for conditioning and treatment.

**1. Internal treatment with Chinese medicine: **The commonly used Chinese medicines in traditional Chinese medicine have the effects of invigorating qi and promoting blood circulation, reducing swelling and dispersing nodules, such as peach kernel, safflower, angelica, etc. Treatment according to the principles of Chinese medicine differentiation and treatment can improve the symptoms of patients with breast hyperplasia and prevent the condition from turning into breast cancer.

**2. Acupuncture treatment: **Traditional Chinese medicine believes that breast hyperplasia is caused by poor blood circulation and internal accumulation of dampness. Acupuncture can be used to adjust the meridians to smooth the blood circulation of the breast, thereby achieving the effect of reducing swelling, relieving pain and reducing toxins.

Appropriate technology in traditional Chinese medicine

Massage

Massage is possible after breast hyperplasia occurs, but attention should be paid to the direction, strength, sequence, and frequency of massage. The following massage methods for breast hyperplasia are provided for your reference:

1. Push and caress method:

The patient sits or lies on his side, fully exposing his chest. First, sprinkle some talcum powder or apply a little paraffin oil on the affected breast, then use both hands to gently massage along the breast duct towards the nipple 50 to 100 times.

2. Kneading method:

Use the hypothenar or thenar eminence of your palm to apply pressure to the affected area, and gently knead the red, swollen and painful areas. If there are lumps, knead them repeatedly several times until the lumps become soft.

3. Kneading, pinching and holding methods:

Use the five fingers of your right hand to grab the affected breast and knead it, grasping and loosening it, repeating the procedure 10 to 15 times. Use your left hand to gently pull the nipple several times to expand the milk ducts in the nipple.

4. Oscillation method:

Use the right hand's hypothenar eminence to push from the breast lump along the breast base toward the nipple with high-speed oscillation, repeat 3 to 5 times. The effect is better when there is a slight warm feeling locally.

Foot massage

1. Reflex zones on the soles of the feet : head (brain), pituitary gland, cerebellum and brain stem, neck, trapezius muscles, lungs and bronchi, parathyroid glands, liver, gallbladder, heart, spleen, adrenal glands, kidneys, ureters, bladder, and gonads.

2. Reflex areas on the inside of the foot : cervical vertebrae, thoracic vertebrae, lumbar vertebrae, sacrum, urethra, vagina, and uterus.

3. Reflexology area on the outside of the foot : shoulder blade, gonads.

4. Dorsal reflexology areas : upper body lymph nodes, lower body lymph nodes, ribs, diaphragm, chest (breast), chest lymph glands (thymus).

How to prevent and control it in daily life?

Regular breast self-examination and follow-up examinations should be performed to promptly detect and treat breast abnormalities. Start from the following aspects:

**1. **Keep a good mood, be less angry, and avoid excessive tension and anxiety, because psychological factors have an important impact on the occurrence and development of breast hyperplasia. Keep a good mood: If you are in a good mood, the normal ovulation of the ovaries will not be hindered by bad emotions.

**2. **Change the dietary structure, reduce the intake of high-fat, high-calorie foods, eat more low-fat, high-fiber foods, whole-grain foods, beans and vegetables to increase the body's metabolic pathways.

**3. **Live a regular life, pay attention to the combination of work and rest, and avoid excessive fatigue and mental stress.

**4. **Take part in more physical exercise to improve physical fitness and immunity and avoid obesity. Maintain regular sleep: Sleep provides a balanced and healthy environment for various hormones in the body.

**5. **Do not abuse contraceptives and beauty products containing estrogen, and avoid using foods and health products containing estrogen.

In short, the prevention and treatment of breast hyperplasia needs to start from multiple aspects, including psychology, diet, lifestyle, physical exercise, etc., and Chinese medicine treatment also has certain efficacy. If there are doubts or symptoms, it is recommended to seek medical treatment in time and follow the doctor's advice for treatment.

**Author: **Chia-Hsien Chen, attending physician

**Unit:** Chen Jiaxian Chinese Medicine Clinic, Nansha District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province