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Pre-Menstrual Breast Pain, It's Not Just a Symptom: How Is It Different from Breast Diseases?

Experience with breasts swelling and becoming painful as the monthly period approaches is something many women can relate to. Especially, pre-menstrual breast pain goes beyond simple discomfort and even brings anxiety about whether it might be a premonitory symptom of a breast disease. Stabbing or heavy, tightening pain, and tenderness that feels sensitive even to the touch of a collar can decrease the vitality of daily life and bring psychological withdrawal.

💡 Key Answer The 3 most common causes of pre-menstrual breast pain: ① Hormone imbalance ② Autonomic nervous system influence ③ Stress and lifestyle habits Dalimchae Clinic aims for treatment that prevents recurrence by regaining the body's fundamental balance through constitutional improvement.

Pre-menstrual breast pain, or cyclic mastalgia, accounts for about 70% of women who complain of breast pain and commonly appears in women in their 20s and 30s. This pain occurs as breast tissue reacts hypersensitively to changes in female hormones such as estrogen and progesterone secreted from the ovaries. The pain begins a few days to 10 days before menstruation, reaches its peak just before menstruation, and then decreases when menstruation starts.

This hormone imbalance is not limited to the menstrual cycle alone. Various lifestyle factors such as stress, insomnia, excessive caffeine and alcohol consumption, a diet centered on animal fats, and obesity can make breast tissue more sensitive and worsen pain. In Oriental medicine, this premenstrual syndrome is seen as a disorder of Qi and blood circulation, autonomic imbalance, and problems with phlegm-dampness (濕痰) and blood stasis (瘀血) in the body, and explains that especially mental stress can block the Qi of the liver and lead to breast pain.

When pre-menstrual breast pain begins, many people worry about serious breast diseases including breast cancer. However, 70-80% of patients who visit the hospital complaining of breast pain mostly have no particular problem. Nevertheless, it is necessary to distinguish between cyclic mastalgia and non-cyclic mastalgia due to breast diseases.

Cyclic mastalgia mainly occurs in the upper outer part of both breasts (the part between the nipple and the armpit) and appears in various ways such as stabbing or tingling pain, a feeling of swelling, and throbbing. On the other hand, non-cyclic mastalgia appears regardless of the menstrual cycle and is caused by pathological causes such as ductal ectasia, periductal mastitis, breast cysts, and costochondritis. The pain site is limited to a specific part of one breast and is continuous, and symptoms such as redness, heat, and lumps in the breast may accompany it. If pain is felt regardless of the menstrual cycle, or if a specific area is painful and pain persists for more than 3 months even after lifestyle improvement, it is recommended to receive a thorough examination.

At Dalimchae Clinic Incheon Branch, pre-menstrual breast pain is not seen as simply a temporary symptom, but is accepted as an important signal sent by a woman's body. Especially, premenstrual syndrome is a systemic symptom due to hormone and autonomic imbalance, and proper treatment and management are required.

According to a study published in 「Women's Health Bulletin」 in 2018, in a study conducted on 90 women experiencing breast pain related to premenstrual syndrome (PMS), breast pain significantly decreased in both the chamomile extract administration group and the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (MA) administration group (p < 0.0001). Especially, in the 1st and 2nd cycles after chamomile administration, pain reduction rates of 10.5% and 13.7% were shown, respectively, which were not statistically significantly different from the MA administration group (p > 0.05). The researchers concluded that chamomile extract could be as effective as standard drugs in alleviating PMS-related breast pain.

Also, according to a systematic literature review and meta-analysis study published in 2023, various medicinal herbs such as isoflavones, Nigella sativa, cinnamon, chamomile tea, Vitex agnus-castus, and flaxseed were effective in reducing pain in cyclic mastalgia. Especially, Vitex agnus-castus (SMD: -1.78; p < 0.001) and flaxseed (SMD: -1.48) showed an effect of significantly reducing pain severity. This study suggests that herbal medicines could be effective in improving cyclic mastalgia, but emphasized the need for additional research due to the high heterogeneity between studies.

Based on these research results, Dalimchae Clinic performs constitutional improvement treatment that corrects the imbalance of the body reacting sensitive to hormone changes. Instead of simply suppressing symptoms, we focus on creating a fundamental environment where the body can maintain a healthy state on its own. We improve overall premenstrual syndrome symptoms including breast pain by smoothing Qi and blood circulation according to each patient's constitution and symptoms, releasing the Qi of the liver that has become stagnant due to stress, and regaining the balance of the autonomic nervous system. This is a process of going beyond turning off the pain warning light and making a healthy body where the warning light does not turn on again. To those looking for an Incheon pre-menstrual breast pain clinic, Dalimchae Clinic Incheon Branch aims for improvement in the quality of life beyond simple symptom relief.

Many people tend to rely on painkillers when pre-menstrual breast pain begins. However, painkillers only temporarily alleviate pain and do not solve the root cause. If pain repeats every month and gradually worsens, taking painkillers alone is like ignoring the body's signals.

Dalimchae Clinic's constitutional improvement treatment focuses on finding and correcting the internal imbalances that cause breast pain. We restore the harmony of the entire body by approaching complex causes such as hormone disruption, autonomic nervous system over-activation, Qi and blood circulation disorder, and stress reaction multi-dimensionally. In this process, those who experience other premenstrual syndromes such as headache or insomnia together can also expect overall health improvement effects. Dalimchae Clinic located in Songdo contributes to promoting women's health with this integrated approach.

Check if you apply to the following questions.

• ( ) Breasts swell and pain begins from 7 to 10 days before the start of menstruation.
• ( ) Breast pain becomes most severe just before menstruation and decreases with the start of menstruation.
• ( ) Breasts are stabbing or heavy, and it hurts more when touched.
• ( ) The pain site appears to spread throughout both breasts rather than one specific place.
• ( ) Along with breast pain, mood swings, depression, irritation, anxiety, etc., worsen.
• ( ) Along with breast pain, symptoms such as headache, fatigue, abdominal bloating, and edema are accompanied.
• ( ) Breast pain is felt more severely on days when you are stressed or didn't sleep well.

Criteria for judgment:

• 3 or more applicable → Suspected premenstrual syndrome-type breast pain → Review combined herbal treatment
• 5 or more applicable → Immediate visit for accurate diagnosis and customized treatment is recommended.

Q. When does pre-menstrual breast pain start? A. Pre-menstrual breast pain usually begins to appear about 7 to 10 days before the start of menstruation, becomes most severe just before menstruation, and shows a pattern of gradually alleviating when menstruation starts. There are individual differences, but it is characterized by being repeated in a similar cycle every month.

Q. How can I distinguish between breast cancer and pre-menstrual breast pain? A. Pre-menstrual breast pain is cyclic pain that appears across both breasts and changes in intensity according to the menstrual cycle. On the other hand, pain due to breast cancer is rare, is mainly felt continuously in only one specific area, and may be accompanied by lumps, skin changes, etc. If suspected, accurate differentiation through a breast surgery clinic is necessary.

Q. Does Oriental medicine treatment help with pre-menstrual breast pain? A. Yes, Oriental medicine treatment can help improve hormone and autonomic imbalance and Qi and blood circulation disorder, which are the root causes of pre-menstrual breast pain. It is effective in alleviating pain and preventing recurrence by restoring the overall balance of the body through herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, etc.

Q. Are there ways to alleviate pre-menstrual breast pain in daily life? A. Reducing caffeine, alcohol, and animal fat intake and doing regular aerobic exercise helps. Sufficient sleep and stress management are also important, and wearing a high-support bra can also be beneficial for pain relief.

Pre-menstrual breast pain is not a problem that can be solved by enduring. You no longer have to ignore the body's signals that have been sent for a long time. If you approach in the right direction, your body reacts faster than you think. Bring your symptoms exactly as they are. Dalimchae Clinic will find the cause together.

Where life blooms. For herbal medicine, it's Dalimchae Clinic. Check your symptoms similar to mine through the AI consultation on the Dalimchae Clinic website first!

This article is health information compiled by Dalimchae medical staff based on questions actually received in the treatment room. Medical Supervision | Women and Pregnancy Treatment Standards Dalimchae Clinic Incheon Branch Korean Medicine Doctor Yang Yuchan (Premenstrual Syndrome Column)