Clogged Milk Ducts

How Chinese medicine differentiates a clogged milk duct into the three patterns you'll actually meet in practice, and the points for each. Distinct from this site's own Low Milk Supply 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. High fever, an abscess, or pus needs prompt medical evaluation before assuming a simple pattern.

General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for a clogged milk duct — 8 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

Point	Key action
ST-18	Benefits the breasts and reduces swelling. Moves Qi in the chest.
LR-3	Subdues Liver-Yang. Promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi.
S.I.-1	Expels Wind-Heat. Clears Heat. Promotes lactation.
G.B.-21	Relaxes the sinews. Benefits the breasts and promotes lactation. Stimulates the descending of Qi.
L.I.-11	Clears Heat and cools Blood. Resolves Dampness.
ST-36	Benefits Stomach and Spleen. Tonifies Qi and Blood.
SP-6	Strengthens the Spleen. Nourishes Blood and Yin.
REN-6	Tonifies Qi and Yang. Raises sinking Qi.
SP-10	Cools Blood. Invigorates Blood and eliminates stasis.

The Three Patterns

↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.

1. Liver Qi Stagnation That Transforms Into Heat View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Breast lumps and distension worsening with stress, irritability and explosive anger, bitter taste in the mouth, distending pain along the ribcage, partial milk expression difficulty, mildly red skin.

Tongue: Red body with redder sides and a yellow coating. Pulse: Wiry and rapid.

Treatment principle: Soothes Liver-Qi stagnation, clears accumulating Heat, unblocks the milk ducts, disperses swelling.

ST-18 ⊥ LR-3 ↓ S.I.-1 ↓

Note: no moxa. Direct exact-name match with this site's own Stagnant-Liver-Qi-turning-into-Heat slide.

2. Toxic-Heat Stagnation

Clinical manifestations: Intense redness and swelling, severe throbbing pain, high fever and chills, abscess formation with pus, extreme thirst with desire for cold drinks, restlessness and irritability.

Tongue: Deep red or crimson body, prickly papillae, thick dry yellow coating. Pulse: Rapid and forceful.

Treatment principle: Clears toxic Heat, cools the Blood, reduces inflammation, disperses swelling, prevents abscess deepening.

ST-18 ⊥ G.B.-21 ↓ S.I.-1 ⊥ L.I.-11 ↓

Note: no moxa; high fever, an abscess, or pus needs prompt medical evaluation regardless (possible mastitis). This site has no standalone Toxic-Heat slide on any deck — no pattern link is given here; points still link fine individually.

3. Qi and Blood Deficiency

Clinical manifestations: Soft breast lump, not very red or hot, thin watery milk leaking easily, persistent fatigue and weakness, pale complexion and lips, poor appetite, spontaneous sweating, slow wound healing after an abscess.

Tongue: Pale body, may be thin or have teeth marks, thin white coating. Pulse: Fine and weak.

Treatment principle: Tonifies Qi and Blood, supports the body's ability to expel toxins, generates new tissue.

ST-36 ↑ SP-6 ⊥ REN-6 ↑ SP-10 ⊥

Note: moxa applicable on ST-36/REN-6. This site has no combined Qi-and-Blood-deficiency slide, a gap confirmed absent many times over this session — no pattern link is given here; points still link fine individually.

Related conditions

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