Breast pain, also known as mastalgia, is a common issue affecting around 80% of women at some point in their lives. It can range from mild discomfort to persistent tenderness that affects daily life. While it’s usually not a sign of anything serious, it can still be disruptive and difficult to manage.
Understanding the different types of breast pain can help you find the right management approach. Whether your symptoms are linked to hormonal changes or other underlying causes, there are treatment options available. New research is also exploring alternative therapies, including medical cannabis, for those who haven’t found relief from conventional treatments.
Understanding Breast Pain
Breast pain falls into two categories:
- Cyclical Breast Pain: Linked to hormonal changes during menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause.
- Non-cyclical Breast Pain: Caused by factors like injury, breast surgery, or certain medications.
Other potential contributing factors include stress, depression, and health related anxiety. Breast pain is rarely linked to breast cancer, but a medical assessment can help rule this out if there are any concerns.
Finding the exact cause isn’t always straightforward, but speaking with a specialist can help you understand your symptoms and explore the right treatment options.
The Mastalgia Pathway
The Mastalgia Pathway is a new, structured method for diagnosing and treating breast pain in the NHS, developed by Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon Mr Mohammed Ali Jahan, MBChB, FRCS (Edin), FRCS, PhD.[1] With over 20 years of experience, Mr Jahan has helped transform breast pain management through advanced diagnostics and personalised treatment plans.
This approach is now widely used across the UK and considers factors like family history and hormonal influences to create tailored treatment options.
Mr. Jahan now also consults with patients experiencing treatment-resistant breast pain at Curaleaf Clinic. His expertise gained through setting up the Mastalgia Pathway helps him to assess whether patients are suitable for medical cannabis and to guide their ongoing care.
Could Cannabis-Based Treatments Help?
Traditional treatments, such as painkillers and evening primrose oil, don’t work for everyone. Some people continue to experience discomfort because these treatments don’t address the underlying cause, such as nerve sensitivity or inflammation.
Cannabis-based medicines are now widely studied for their effect on pain and inflammation and may be appropriate for some patients with chronic breast pain. There are not yet any studies on medical cannabis for this specific type of pain, but you can read our published work from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry on chronic pain patients prescribed oil and flower, for the latest insights on chronic pain more broadly.
Looking Ahead
If you are experiencing persistent breast pain, it is important to seek guidance from a healthcare provider to determine the best treatment option for you.
At Curaleaf Clinic, we provide personalised care to patients who have failed to find relief from traditional therapies. To determine whether medical cannabis is an appropriate next step in your treatment plan, visit our ‘Getting Started’ page for more information. And check your eligibility for a consultation with our breast pain expert.
Sources
[1] Jahan, M., Bartholomeuz, T., Milburn, N., Rogers, V., Sibbering, M. and Robertson, J. (2022). Transforming the 2-week wait (2WW) pathway: management of breast pain in primary care. BMJ Open Quality, 11(1), p.e001634. doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjoq-2021-001634.
