Logout 📊 Admin
🏠 Home

Galactorrhea

How Chinese medicine differentiates galactorrhea — breast milk produced and released without pregnancy or breastfeeding — into the four patterns you'll actually meet in practice, and the points for each. 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. Galactorrhea unrelated to pregnancy or breastfeeding needs medical evaluation (hormone levels, pituitary imaging) to rule out a prolactinoma or medication side effect before assuming a simple pattern.
General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for galactorrhea — 9 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

PointKey action
ST-36Tonifies Qi and Blood. Tonifies the Stomach and Spleen.
SP-6Strengthens the Spleen. Nourishes Blood and Yin.
ST-18Benefits the breasts and reduces swelling. Moves Qi in the chest.
REN-6Tonifies Qi and Yang. Raises sinking Qi.
LR-3Subdues Liver-Yang. Promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi.
REN-17Tonifies Qi and strengthens the Gathering Qi. Benefits the breasts and promotes lactation.
SP-9Regulates the Spleen. Resolves Dampness.
KI-3Tonifies the Kidneys (both Yin and Yang). Calms the Mind.
KI-6Nourishes Kidney-Yin. Calms the Mind.
The Four Patterns

↑ reinforcing   ↓ reducing   ⊥ even method.

1. Qi and Blood Deficiency

Clinical manifestations: Thin, watery milk that leaks easily, soft painless breasts without distension, profound fatigue and weakness, pale or sallow complexion, poor appetite and loose stools, dizziness or lightheadedness.
Tongue: Pale body with thin white coat. Pulse: Fine and weak, especially at the right Guan position.
Treatment principle: Tonify both Qi and Blood, strengthen the Spleen to hold fluids.
Note: moxa applicable throughout. This site has no combined Qi-and-Blood-deficiency slide, a gap confirmed absent many times over — no pattern link is given here; points still link fine individually.

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

Clinical manifestations: Thick and sticky milk, breast distension or burning pain, irritability and explosive anger, bitter taste in the mouth, ribcage distension or discomfort.
Tongue: Red body (especially on the sides) with yellow coating. Pulse: Wiry and rapid.
Treatment principle: Spread Liver Qi, clear Heat, address the underlying emotional tension.
Note: no moxa. Direct exact-name match with this site's own Stagnant-Liver-Qi-turning-into-Heat slide.

3. Spleen Deficiency With Dampness

Clinical manifestations: Scanty, sticky or thick milk that leaks, abdominal bloating worsening after eating, heavy puffy sensation in the body and limbs, poor appetite and loose unformed stools, sticky taste without real thirst.
Tongue: Pale and swollen with teeth marks, white greasy coating. Pulse: Soggy and slowed, sometimes slippery.
Treatment principle: Strengthen Spleen Qi and dry Dampness, unblock the breast network.
Note: moxa applicable on ST-36. 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.

4. Empty-Heat Caused by Yin Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Soft, non-distended breasts, thin watery milk, night sweats, feeling of heat in the palms/soles/chest, dry mouth and throat especially at night, restlessness and difficulty sleeping.
Tongue: Red, thin, dry body with cracks and little or no coating. Pulse: Fine and rapid, weak on deep pressure.
Treatment principle: Nourish Yin, clear empty Heat, consolidate breast fluids.
Note: no moxa. Direct match with this site's own Kidney-Yin-deficiency-Empty-Heat-blazing slide.
Related conditions

Spot an error, or have more to add? Send it to admin on WhatsApp and it'll be corrected/added here.