Our lymphatic therapy practice focuses on promoting healthy breasts. We offer an assortment of therapies that help to address the root cause of fibrocystic breast disease:
- Lymphatic Therapy on the breast and upper torso
- Hormone balancing via supplementation, herbs and homeopathic medicine
- Acupuncture
- Client Education
- Dietary changes
- Exercise and home care that enhance breast health
What is Fibrocystic Breast Disease?
Fibrocystic
breast
disease (FBD), now referred to as fibrocystic changes or fibrocystic
breast condition,
is the most common cause of "lumpy breasts" in women. Fibrocystic
breasts are characterized by lumpiness and usually discomfort in
one or both breasts. The lumpiness is due to small breast masses or
breast
cysts. The breast tissue experiences changes monthly. In cases more progressed, breast tissue changes are permanent. Scarring of the breast tissue is extremely common and is what is often felt by women during routine breast exams. The area of the scar is often painful - feelings include heaviness, aching breasts, sharp shooting pains, soreness and tenderness. Tenderness is so great that even undergarments and light tough can cause extreme pain. Many of our clients experience severe pain when hugged by their partners and cannot even endure monthly self breast exams let alone endure a mammogram.
A woman may have one or more lumps that are always in the same area and that grow and shrink with each menstrual cycle. The lumps move when pushed.
The condition is very common and benign, meaning that fibrocystic breasts are not malignant (cancerous).
There are two types of fibrocystic breast condition:
- Cysts and Fibrosis
- Hyperplasia and atypical hyperplasia of breast cells.
Fibrocystic breast condition includes
mammary dysplasia, chronic cystic mastitis, diffuse cystic mastopathy, and
benign breast disease (a term that includes other benign breast disorders,
including infections).Only five percent of fibrocystic conditions have the type of changes that would be considered a risk factor for developing breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Unlike the lumps associated with fibrocystic breast disease, which are tender and move freely, cancerous lumps most often are not tender and don't move free.
What causes Fibrocystic Breasts?
There are many factors involved in why a woman might develop fibrocystic breast condition and each woman is individually unique. Often I list out possible factors that lead to fibrocystic breasts:- Hormone Imbalance
- Parabens in skin care products (These are "estrogen mimickers" that provoke fibrocystic breast condition)
- Caffeine (coffee and sodas)
- Wearing underwire bras (significantly limits lymphatic flow of the breasts)
Hormones such as:
- Estrogen
- Progesterone
- Prolactin
- Insulin
- Thyroid hormones
- Growth Factor
In addition, the breast itself produces hormonal products from its glandular and fat cells. Signals that are released from these hormonal products are sent to neighboring breast cells. The signals from these hormone-like factors may, in fact, be the key contributors to the symptoms of fibrocystic breast condition. These substances may also enhance the effects of estrogen and progesterone and vice versa.
In the breast, these same hormones stimulate the growth of breast glandular tissue and increase the activity of blood vessels, cell metabolism, and supporting tissue. All this activity may contribute to the feeling of breast fullness and fluid retention that women commonly experience before their menstrual period.
When the monthly cycle is over, however, these stimulated breast cells cannot simply slough away and pass out of the body like the lining of the uterus. Instead, many of these breast cells undergo a process of programmed cell death, called apoptosis. During apoptosis, enzymes are activated that start digesting cells from within. These cells break down and the resulting cellular fragments are then further broken down by scavenger cells (inflammatory cells) and nearby glandular cells.
During this process, the fragments of broken cells and the inflammation may lead to scarring (fibrosis) that damages the ducts and the clusters (lobules) of glandular tissue within the breast. The inflammatory cells and some of the breakdown fragments may release hormone-like substances that in turn act on the nearby glandular, ductal, and structural support cells.
The amount of cellular breakdown products, the degree of inflammation, and the efficiency of the cellular cleanup process in the breast vary from woman to woman. These factors may also fluctuate from month to month in an individual woman. They may even vary in different areas of the same breast in a woman.
What is Lymphatic Therapy?
Lymphatic therapy of the breast helps to clear inflammation of the breast and speeds the clearing of the broken and fragmented cells from hormone changes.The lymph system is a cleansing system for cellular waste in the body. It is a one-way transport system that can get easily clogged, because it doesn’t have a pumping system of its own. The axillary (underarm) lymph nodes are close to the breast; 97% of the lymphatic fluid that drains breasts is found in these underarm nodes.
This complex system consists of tiny thin-walled vessels and part of the lymphatic system’s role is draining lymphatic fluid from the vessels within the breast tissue. The lymph nodes function is the removal of microorganisms and foreign substances - this is where the immune system is activated. The lymphatic system is responsible for removing toxins, cell debris, cancer cells, viruses, bacteria and other unwanted matter.
Lymphatic Therapy is a technique used to help the body clear cellular debris and toxins from the breast. It also helps to break up cysts and fibroids and instantly minimizes the feeling of heaviness. Our clients experience a reduction in their breast size after a series of treatments. Often the breasts hold lymphatic fluid that is weighty. Clients note their bras fit better and often the bra clasps adjust to lower settings as fluid is removed from the body via the lymphatic system's natural process.
Read more about Lymphatic Therapy via 1UpOnCancer.com's interview with Lymphatic Therapist, Melissa Gallagher as it specifically relates to lymphatic therapy and promoting breast health.
How does Lymphatic Therapy help Fibrocystic Breast Disease?
Lymphatic therapy is an amazing therapy and treatment program for any woman who has any degree of Fibrocystic breasts. The breasts and mammary glands are lymphatic glands.
At Healthy Being Wellness Center we concentrate our healing services on
promoting breast health and enhancing the lymphatic function of the
breast and reproductive systems. Healthy Being Wellness Center is St.
Peterburg's premier natural breast health clinic that focuses on
lymphatic therapy for Lymphatic Therapy for Fibrocystic Breast Conditions, Breast Cysts and Breast Fibroids. Our lymphatic therapist, Melissa Gallagher, combines her training as a naturopath and lymphatic drainage therapist to help her clients maintain healthy breasts.
For good breast health, it is imperative to keep the lymph fluid circulating. Exercise, deep breathing and lymphatic drainage massage help move the lymph fluid, supporting the clearing of waste and debris from the system. The better the circulation, the healthier your breasts and body will be!
If you suffer from fibrocystic breasts or have any cysts, fibroids or adenomas of the breast- please consider lymphatic therapy as one of your therapies for recovery. Often, all it takes are a few sessions and the fibroids and cysts can be broken up with the electro-lymphatic drainage technique our therapist, Melissa Gallagher, utilizes.
Call to book your appointment: 727-502-3464
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