Have seen slides of a filled duct being massaged - with the mother
experiencing pain.  The masage was done by someone other than the mother,
and a lubricant was used on the breast.  Eventually a long thin 'strand'
of congealed milk was expressed and liquid milk came squirting out after.
I have worked with a couple of mothers who have dealt with this.  I have
had a couple of mothers who were able to do the massage themselves
(usually late at night or early in the wee hours . ..) and have others
who found their husbands hands had more strength, and the mothers were
literally 'afraid' to touch the breast due to pain, they could deal with
someone else doing the massage.  The mothers did have to be in complete
control of stopping the massage at any given time.  It was a 'deep'
massage not just on the surface and was not just stroking the skin.

Don't know if this is the same situation.  Sounds like it tho, the cases
I've seen and heard about included a duct filled all the way to the duct
opening, causing what looked like a milk blister or 'bleb'.

Katherine Catone, LLLL, IBCLC
Kingsville, TX