Breast Fibroadenoma

How Chinese medicine differentiates breast fibroadenoma — the most common breast lump in women under 35, a smooth rubbery mass that moves easily under the skin — into the five patterns you'll actually meet in practice, and the points for each. Distinct from this site's own Fibrocystic Breast Disease page. Acupuncture only — no herbs.

This page is educational, for practitioners and students — it is not a diagnostic tool and does not replace a proper in-person assessment. A new breast lump always needs medical evaluation (ultrasound, and biopsy if indicated) to confirm the diagnosis before assuming it is a simple fibroadenoma; acupuncture here supports the underlying pattern, not a substitute for that workup.

General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for breast fibroadenoma — 11 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

Point	Key action
LR-3	Subdues Liver-Yang. Promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi.
LR-14	Promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi and harmonizes Liver and Stomach.
ST-40	Resolves Phlegm and Dampness. Opens the chest and subdues rebellious Qi.
ST-36	Tonifies Qi and Blood. Tonifies the Stomach and Spleen.
ST-18	Benefits the breasts and reduces swelling. Moves Qi in the chest.
SP-10	Cools Blood. Invigorates Blood and eliminates stasis.
BL-17	Invigorates Blood. Cools Blood. Stops bleeding. Nourishes Blood.
SP-6	Strengthens the Spleen. Nourishes Blood and Yin.
DU-4	Tonifies Kidney-Yang and warms the Gate of Life. Expels Cold.
BL-23	Tonifies the Kidneys and nourishes Kidney-Essence. Strengthens the lower back.
REN-4	Nourishes Blood and Yin. Strengthens the Uterus and regulates menstruation.

The Five Patterns

↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.

1. Liver Qi Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Breast distension/swelling changing with mood, lump tenderness worsening premenstrually, irritability with frequent sighing, mood swings, rib-side/chest tightness, soft mobile lump.

Tongue: Normal or slightly dark body with red/purple sides and thin white coat. Pulse: Wiry, especially at the left Guan position.

Treatment principle: Soothe Liver Qi and move stagnation.

LR-3 ↓ LR-14 ↓

Note: no moxa. Direct exact-name match with this site's own Liver-Qi-stagnation slide.

2. Phlegm

Clinical manifestations: Mobile, rubbery lump feeling like a soft ball, sensation of heaviness/fullness in the chest, poor appetite with bloating, greasy thick white tongue coating, mental fogginess or excessive sleepiness.

Tongue: Swollen pale body with teeth marks, thick white greasy coating. Pulse: Slippery, possibly wiry if Qi is also stuck.

Treatment principle: Transform Phlegm, strengthen the Spleen, resolve Dampness.

ST-40 ↓ ST-36 ↑ ST-18 ⊥

Note: moxa applicable on ST-36. This site has no plain excess-Phlegm-mass slide on any deck, distinct from the well-established Spleen-deficiency-with-Dampness gap — no pattern link is given here; points still link fine individually.

3. Blood Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Stabbing breast pain fixed in location, pain worsening at night, hard immobile lump, dark menstrual blood with clots, purplish tongue with dark spots.

Tongue: Dark purple body with stasis spots and distended dark sublingual veins, thin white coat. Pulse: Choppy or wiry.

Treatment principle: Invigorate Blood, dispel stasis, break up congealed masses.

SP-10 ↓ BL-17 ↓ LR-3 ↓

Note: no moxa. Direct match with this site's own Liver-Blood-stasis slide.

4. Spleen Deficiency With Dampness

Clinical manifestations: Soft movable lump with mild or no pain, loose stools/diarrhea tendency, heaviness in the body/limbs, poor appetite with postprandial bloating, fatigue/lack of energy.

Tongue: Pale swollen body with teeth marks, white greasy moist coating. Pulse: Soggy, slow, soft, sometimes slippery.

Treatment principle: Strengthen the Spleen, tonify Qi, drain Dampness.

ST-36 ↑ SP-6 ↑ ST-18 ⊥

Note: moxa applicable on ST-36/SP-6. This site has no combined Spleen-deficiency-with-Dampness slide, a gap confirmed absent many times over — no pattern link is given here; points still link fine individually.

5. Kidney Yang Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Feeling cold throughout the body, especially the lower back/legs, soreness and cold pain in the lower back/knees, frequent nighttime urination, fatigue and low spirits, diffuse non-sharp breast lump.

Tongue: Pale puffy tender body with teeth marks. Pulse: Deep, slow, weak, especially at the rear (Chi) position.

Treatment principle: Warm Kidney Yang, tonify Blood, disperse deep Cold.

DU-4 ↑ BL-23 ↑ REN-4 ↑

Note: moxa applicable throughout. Direct exact-name match with this site's own Kidney-Yang-deficiency slide.

Related conditions

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