CASE STUDY : Lactation Mastitis

Introduction

Mastitis is an inflammation of breast tissue that sometimes involves an infection. The inflammation results in breast pain, swelling, warmth and redness. You might also have fever and chills. Mastitis most commonly affects women who are breast-feeding (lactation mastitis)

Presentation

A client had blocked milk ducts (her baby was 3 months) on her right breast. There was redness around the lump, no milk was coming out.

Treatment

The following day after the acupuncture treatment, the breast lump had completely disappeared, and the baby could feed from both breasts.

A mother who had been breastfeeding for 9 months (was struggling with supply and quite stressed and depleted) developed mastitis. Her entire lower left breast was hard - several milk ducts were blocked. I treated her with acupuncture that day. By the following morning, the breast had softened, and her baby was feeding again. I continued seeing her weekly and this greatly increased her milk supply and let down response.