Female Breast Massage for Better Health

Besides feeling nice for both the man and women :)
Breast Massage therapy has been proven to assist in promoting healthy breast tissue, reduce fibroids and cysts, relieve the pain and discomfort associated with PMS or from compression from bras, relieving the pain and tension from stress in the muscles of the chest wall, assist in healthy tissue regeneration and scar reduction following surgery, and as a logical proactive step against cancer and other diseases. Breast massage might be more than a relaxing, pleasurable experience, it may also be very good for your health.
Massage Magazine article The Evolving Practice of Breast Massage points out the health benefits of breast massage and the reasons why it is so rarely taught by massage schools due to the fear it might be sexually pleasurable which of course would be so unprofessional. And sadly there are even legal implications.
Hannah Hanlon, who teaches breast massage courses throughout the United States, caused so much controversy in advertising her course in North Carolina that she was banned from teaching in that state.
The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork addresses the issue of breast massage in its Standards of Practice. It provides that certificants can "only provide therapeutic breast massage as indicated in the plan of care, and only after receiving informed voluntary consent from the client." This position provides an ethical framework and scope of practice for those individuals who become nationally certified, but is irrelevant in states that restrict the practice.
In Europe, where breast exposure is not taboo, lymphatic drainage massage and Bindegewebsmassage are used on the breasts in clinical settings. It is the rare therapist in the United States who does so.
In Canada, Debra Curties, the executive director of the Sutherland-Chan School in Toronto, has been one of the leading proponents and teachers of clinical breast massage in North America. She has written extensively about the many potential barriers that may face therapists contemplating providing breast massage as a client service. They may, for example, feel personal discomfort with manipulating breast tissue because of its sexualization in American society.
Hannah Hanlon has reported that when teaching co-ed classes in breast massage, men and gay women seem more comfortable with the learning experience than heterosexual women, who may feel embarrassed and squeamish about touching either their own, or another woman's breasts. Many men, however, are understandably concerned about boundary issues in cross-gender massage. There is considerable uncertainty among many therapists about the purpose of and potential value derived from breast massage, especially the "wellness" or prevention model.
The Full Article is at http://www.massagetoday.com/archives/2001/09/03.html
She also says: "In my next column, I will address the indications for breast massage and the specific techniques that have been developed to address both "normal" and dysfunctional breasts." However it appears her planned next article never got published. I have E-mailed her asking about it.
A LMT's Use of Breast Massage for Treating Wife's Cancer
Including Detailed Techniques that can Benefit All Women's Health
A series of newsgroup posts made into an article by Dave in Phoenix with authors support and permission.
Original Author: baldycotton@mindspring.com
See Memorial web page for his wife at http://joyceiwansky.home.mindspring.com (LINK NOW GONE WAS VERY GOOD)

My wife died from breast cancer just over a year ago, after a ten year fight. She was 41. I worked with her over the years in various ways, and one of them was draining her swollen arms caused by lymphodema, a result of mastectomy and lymph node removal. She had a longer life than many women who have active breast cancers, and I believe that our diligent work with circulation and drainage was a part of that. We were both trained at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital by lymph specialists. We also read and studied a great deal. As a certified massage therapist, I'm hopeful that I can be of help to others to prevent this horrible, painful disease that killed my wife.

There was a book published recently entitled "Dressed to Kill". I gave my copy away, so please forgive me for only quoting specific info from memory. The book deals with evidence that wearing tight bras restricts the body from proper blood and lymph circulation, allowing more than a normal amount of toxins to remain in the breasts, contributing to the increase in breast cancer. In the 1960's breast cancer struck 1 woman in 10 in this country. Today the number is 1 in 8. According to studies the author quotes, the incidence in women who wear tight bras is far higher. The body creates it's circulation by both the hearts action, and by exercise. The blood is mostly moved by the heart, while the toxin-bearing lymph uses muscular movement to push it along. Wearing restricting bras, along with the limited muscular association in the chest, does not encourage proper flow.

(Another factor is diet. In Japan breast cancer in women during the 1950's was almost nil. Today, with western diets, the incidence almost matches the U.S.)

It is important for women to understand that they can be effective in preventing breast cancer by not wearing bras that restrict blood and lymph flow, and by using massage techniques to increase blood circulation, and move toxins out through the lymph glands and blood. They can also strengthen muscle and support tissues through massage.

I don't take any credit for developing any of the ideas. They are gleaned from methods shown to me at various times.

1. The first technique is Veinous and Intercellular Circulation. The hands are placed flatly across the breast, covering as much as possible. Pressure is then applied, exactly as if you were pressing water out of a sponge on a flat surface. Press and release. Repeat several times. This should be done horizontally and vertically. The circulation created is obvious.

2. The second part of Veinous and Intercellular Circulation technique is by petrissaging (kneading) and massaging while lifting and pressing the breast. This is done in all directions to move fluid about inside the breast.

3. Supportive Ligament Care is helpful in many ways, some of which are in increased circulation, and strengthening the ligaments and chest muscles. This is done by pressing the breast with the hands flat, as in (1) above, and by both lifting and stretching the tissues, and twisting clockwise and counter-clockwise.

4. Lymph Drainage is normally done through regular exercise for most of the body. If the breasts are not manipulated, lymph will tend to remain. Most lymph is moved through tiny ducts just beneath the surface of the skin. From there it is moved to the blood and toxins are filtered out. Picture in your mind a lock in a canal. Lymph glands are constructed similarly.
The lymph is easily moved along by gliding the fingertips over the surface of the skin VERY lightly. Too much pressure will compact the glands, restricting the flow. Try this... place a nickel on your mouse-pad. Use your fingertips to push the nickel across it. That's all the pressure you use. But there's a lot more to know.
The direction of the lymph drainage from the breast should be from the nipple outward in all directions, but the actual method is very important, and this is why a therapist can be very helpful. Picture again those little canal locks. They open at each end. You cannot drain one full lock into another full lock. You must first drain a full one before sweeping the second along into it.
Another way to picture it is with a pack of Lifesavers. You can't take the middle one out. You have to move the first one out, then move the second one into first position, then out, and so with the third, fourth, and so on. The lymph gets drained the same way. Start at the perimeter of the breast, and sweep lymph out. Then move inward perhaps 1/2 inch, and sweep it out, then inward one inch and sweep out, and so on to the nipple. Then start the process again. So remember, drain, fill, drain. This process gets repeated once for each inch from the perimeter to the nipple. Women should do this once a week followed by upper body exercise. Lymph is drained from other parts of the body in the same way, but where possible, always towards the heart.

I hope this is of help to some of you. I also hope that readers will try to understand that Massage Therapy is a lot more than "rubbing" people. There are things we can do to truly be helpful to people. Touch is extremely important. The human body wants to heal itself. Neither doctors not massage therapists heal people. But we can be guides to that end. Learn and teach.

Dave adds, more details on breast massage and techniques is at: http://www.dnai.com/~cd/a/b/bm/breastmassage.html. I would like to practice more breasts...but in Phoenix don't have enough breasts willing to be practiced on :( I think a course for men on how to give great breast massage combining both therapeutic and sensual caring breast massage would be wonderful!
Another person pointed out:
The research on massage and cancer mostly deals with the potential for massage to reduce pain and anxiety experienced by cancer patients -- it isn't about "curing" cancer. There is also some research on the potential for massage to boost the immune functioning of breast cancer survivors. This does have potential to be "curative" in the sense that natural killer cells can be tumor-destroying cells.

This research is being done by the Touch Research Institute at the U. of Miami Medical School. The lead researchers on it are Maria Hernandez-Reif and Tiffany Field. Research is also being done by Pauline King at James Cancer Hospital in Columbus Ohio on massage with cancer patients.
Other Resources
Great info on self breast massage with a lot of good diagrams and information about breast tissue etc at: http://medicinegarden.com/Library/treatmentsbreastmassage.html
Breast Massage A book by by Debra Curties, R.M.T. in Toronto. In Canada an RMT requires far more training than a LMT in the U.S. In Canada there is a clear different between professional only medical massage from Registered Massage Therapists and separately licensed "adult" or even in cities near Toronto "nude-reverse" massage parlors so named as allowed in local bylaws. The book is offered at http://www.sutherland-chan.com/copi/breast.htm. I am trying to get a copy...and then find some breasts to practice on :)

Breasts: A Handling Guide
A view from the other side of the mountains

Breasts are like snowflakes. Every one is unique. Know the right moves, though, and you'll have her melting in your arms.

The basics:
Large breasts
In a study conducted at the University of Vienna, researchers found that large breasts were about 24 percent less sensitive than small ones. "This is probably because the nerve that transmits sensation from the nipple is stretched," says Alan Matarasso, M.D., a plastic surgeon in New York City. Stimulate the outer sides of her breasts, just below the armpits, with your tongue or fingertips. Make flipping motions with your tongue and even experiment with light nibbling.

Small breasts
They're sensitive, but they can handle more motion because of their size. Use your palms to cup and gently bounce her breasts during sex.

Droopy breasts
Droopy breasts can be the least sensitive--not only are the nerves stretched, but they're compressed by the breasts' weight. Have her lie on her back; it'll cause her breasts to shift up and out, relieving the tension on the nerves and helping her focus on the pleasure.

Surgically enhanced breasts
If done properly, implants won't interfere with sensation. But they will move differently. Concentrate on the surface of her breasts. Use your tongue to make circles that gradually spiral in toward the nipples.

New-mom breasts
Her nipples will be tender, so focus on the breasts' undersides, which are frequently neglected. Gently cup and support her breasts. It'll feel nice to her after a long day of suckling.

Nipples
These handy barometers of desire are simple to read: Up is "on," down is "off." But they're also thermometers, popping up when the weather's cold, like giant goose bumps.

The nipples are important — in fact, for some women, you can induce an orgasm just by doing breast duty. But the sensitivity of nipples varies widely; handle with care.

Large: Because they have more nerve endings, big nipples are often hypersensitive, so don't be too aggressive when applying pressure, Dr. Matarasso says.

Small: The areola — the dark-colored circle that surrounds the nipple — is actually more sensitive than the nipple itself. Focus especially on the upper quadrant of her breast, between 10 and 2 o'clock. It's the most sensitive part of the bull's-eye.

Inverted: One study has shown that 3 percent of women have innies. The cause: genetics. The nerve endings in breasts with inverted nipples are no different from those of any other nipples. "Often, women with inverted nipples may be more sensitive emotionally because they may feel that their nipples aren't normal," says Shirley Zussman, Ed.D., a sex therapist in New York City. Reassure her with compliments about her breasts. You can lure the nipples out if you're persistent with touching, kissing, licking, and gentle sucking.

Source: http://www.menshealth.com/sex2/breasts_sidebar.shtml
This site also has good ideas for different sex positions and other good articles

This info is is being shared under Fair Use provision of US Copyright laws for educational purposes with no financial gain and with full credit.
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