Another Use for Acupuncture Postpartum: Treating Mastitis
Chinese Medicine can be incredibly helpful for women after they’ve had a baby. One of the reasons I love treating pregnancy and women who are breastfeeding is that acupuncture is natural and safe and we can treat without the use of medication. It’s common for me to treat a woman after childbirth for problems with breastfeeding and for postpartum depression. Another issue that we are able to treat is mastitis.
Mastitis is the inflammation and possible infection of the breast tissue which is common among breastfeeding mothers. It results in breast pain, redness, swelling, and heat, and can also be accompanied by fever and chills. For women who have just given birth, this can cause her to feel run down, making it particularly challenging to care for her new baby.
The way we treat mastitis with acupuncture is by needling certain points on channels that correlate to breast tissue and ducts. According to Chinese Medicine, channels run throughout our bodies and within those channels circulate qi (chee) and blood. When we needle the points that relate to the breast area, we are able to help unblock energy to help relieve pain and heal infection.
The use of herbal medicine has been used in treating women after childbirth for centuries. Tonics are usually prescribed to help aid recovery and restore vitality or to regulate hormones. In addition, herbal formulas can be used to clear up infection and alleviate pain. Using herbal medicine alongside acupuncture is super helpful in the treatment of mastitis.
Other Natural REmedies for Mastitis
First off, it is important to continue to nurse out of a breast with mastitis. Discontinuation could make an infection worse and cause more pain. Your breast milk will not be harmful to your baby. Make sure to nurse or pump often in order to keep the breast empty. Secondly, make sure to get plenty of sleep. I know this is difficult with a new baby, but take naps. Mastitis often occurs when the mother hasn’t had enough rest.
Poultices
Hot compresses help treat mastitis and painful breasts. Make sure to apply them at least four times daily. For all hot compresses, make sure to test the level of heat before application to avoid a burn.
Hot Parsley Compress: Good for pain and swelling. Place a handful of fresh dried parsley leaves in a clean cotton towel, tie with a rubber band, and steep in simmering water for 10-15 minutes. Compress the breast with hot, wet bundle.
Hot Comfrey Leaf Compress: Helps soothe sore nipples, soften engorged tissues, reduce pain, and unblock tubes and ducts. Using fresh or dried comfrey leaves, prepare and use like Parsley Compress.
Cold Raw Potato Compress: Helps with heat inflammation, infection, and to unblock clogged tubes. Grate a raw potato and apply directly to the breast, covering with a clean cloth. Remove or replace when dry.
Cabbage Leaves: Helps to reduce engorgement to prevent mastitis. Take cold cabbage leaves and place in bra. Change out as needed.
Herbal REmedies
Poke Root: A tincture of this fresh root stimulates lymph gland activity and clears mastitis. Poke root is pretty potent and the effect is cumulative. Use no more than 2 drops daily.
Propolis: This is a substance secreted by bees as a glue and has a strong following among midwives in North America. It is said to accelerate healing time by increasing metabolism and general resistance to disease. Take 10-15 drops of a tincture twice daily.
Echinacea Root: Use one ounce of the root in a pint of boiling water rand steep for at least eight hours. Drink two cups daily until the fever comes down. Then make an infusion with one ounce of the root in a quart of boiling water and drink one or two cups daily for another week. Or take 1/2 drop of echinacea tincture per pound of body weight as a single dose. Take this dose six times daily until the fever remits. Continue with two to three doses daily for another week until symptoms are cleared.
If symptoms don’t clear up or if they worsen, you may have to go on medication. Make sure you see your doctor if there is blood or pus in your milk, infection in both breasts, or red streaks near the affected area. Otherwise, acupuncture, herbal remedies, and compresses may be used alone or along side Western medicine.
*Most of the natural remedies were taken from Susan S. Weed’s book, Wise Woman Herbal for the ChildBearing Year.