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Related Experiment Videos

Galactorrhoea following acupuncture.

Chris Jenner, Jacqueline Filshie

    Acupuncture in Medicine : Journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society
    |September 10, 2002
    PubMed
    Summary

    Acupuncture for breast cancer pain relief unexpectedly triggered lactation in a patient. This case highlights a potential hormonal effect of acupuncture on prolactin and oxytocin levels.

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    Area of Science:

    • Oncology
    • Pain Management
    • Integrative Medicine

    Background:

    • A 41-year-old breast cancer patient underwent mastectomy and reconstruction, experiencing significant post-operative pain.
    • The patient received acupuncture for pain management, utilizing paravertebral, trigger, and specific acupoints.

    Observation:

    • The patient experienced galactorrhea (lactation) six days after the initial acupuncture treatment and during the second session.
    • This occurred despite not having lactated for four years prior to treatment.
    • Cranial CT and MRI scans showed no abnormalities, ruling out central causes.

    Findings:

    • The acupuncture treatment included the SI11 (Tianzong) acupoint, known in Traditional Chinese Medicine for promoting lactation.
    • This acupoint overlapped with an infraspinatus trigger point targeted in the neurophysiologically based treatment.
    • Quantitative analysis indicated increased prolactin and oxytocin levels post-acupuncture, hormones crucial for milk production and release.

    Implications:

    • This is the first reported instance of acupuncture-induced galactorrhea in the contralateral breast of a breast cancer patient.
    • The findings suggest acupuncture may influence hormonal pathways (prolactin, oxytocin) involved in lactation.
    • Further research is warranted to explore the neuro-hormonal mechanisms and clinical implications of acupuncture in cancer patients.

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