Archive for category: Fibroids

You are here: / Fibroids

Healing After Uterine Fibroid Embolization with Chinese Medicine

/in , , , /by

Recovery and Renewal: How Chinese Medicine Supports Healing After Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE)

If you suffer from uterine fibroids, deciding on a treatment path can feel overwhelming. Fibroids can cause chronic pelvic pain, heavy bleeding, anemia, painful sex, and even challenges with fertility. While Chinese medicine offers herbal, dietary, and acupuncture-based strategies to help manage fibroids naturally, sometimes the best course of action includes Western medical intervention—like Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE).

UFE is a minimally invasive procedure that blocks the blood supply to fibroids, essentially starving them so they shrink and die. It offers a powerful alternative to hysterectomy, and for many, provides rapid and lasting relief from distressing symptoms. Yet, even a minimally invasive procedure requires thoughtful, holistic recovery—and this is where Chinese medicine shines. First, let’s look at why I recommend UFE.

UFE vs. Myomectomy: Why I Often Recommend UFE First

While both UFE and myomectomy can relieve fibroid-related symptoms, the choice of treatment matters—especially for those hoping to conceive and have a natural birth. Myomectomy, which involves surgically cutting fibroids from the uterine wall, may require deep incisions into the uterus. This increases the risk of uterine rupture during labor, which is why many people are advised to schedule a cesarean section if they’ve had a myomectomy.

This matters. Cesarean section is the second most common surgery in the United States, with about 1.3 million procedures performed annually. Hysterectomy ranks eighth, with around 500,000 surgeries each year. Consider this: women make up roughly half the population, yet these two surgeries—both involving the uterus—dominate surgical statistics.

These procedures are often life-saving and necessary. But too often, they are recommended before less invasive alternatives are explored.

UFE offers a better way. It preserves the uterus, avoids surgical incisions, and does not automatically disqualify a person from a future vaginal birth. For many of my patients, it represents not only physical relief but an empowered choice—one that honors both their reproductive potential and long-term pelvic health. Listen to this podcast on Uterine Kind with Dr. Lipman to learn more and empower yourself to make an informed and educated decision about your body. You deserve the best options available.

The Benefits of UFE: What to Expect Physically

Clinical research shows:

  • 99% of patients experience immediate relief from heavy menstrual bleeding
  • Most notice reduced pain from cramping, bloating, and low back pain within weeks
  • Iron-deficiency anemia often resolves, as blood loss decreases
  • Sexual discomfort improves, with increased energy and libido maintained
  • Body image shifts positively as abdominal swelling from fibroids recedes
  • Fertility may remain intact, and some do go on to conceive post-UFE
  • 94% of patients see a 50–60% fibroid reduction over 3–12 months

Clearly, UFE offers hope. But true healing goes beyond symptom relief—it asks us to reconnect with our bodies and reclaim our womb space. That’s where Chinese medicine can play a vital role.

How Chinese Medicine Supports Post-UFE Recovery

While UFE targets the fibroids directly, Chinese medicine works to support your whole system’s recovery. After the fibroids shrink and die, your body is left to clear stagnation, regulate blood, and rebuild strength. Chinese medicine can:

  • Support the Liver and Spleen in metabolizing necrosed fibroid tissue
  • Invigorate Blood and Qi to restore healthy menstrual flow
  • Calm the Shen (spirit) to ease the emotional toll of chronic illness and surgery
  • Rebuild Blood to help resolve lingering fatigue or anemia
  • Regulate hormonal balance through individualized herbal formulas

Herbal formulas may include modified versions of:

  • Gui Pi Tang (for Blood deficiency and fatigue)
  • Tao Hong Si Wu Tang (for lingering Blood stasis)
  • Ba Zhen Tang (to deeply nourish Qi and Blood post-procedure)

Healing Emotionally: The Blood Remembers

From a depth psychological and somatic lens, it’s vital to acknowledge that fibroids don’t just grow in the body—they also carry emotional and symbolic weight. In Chinese medicine, the Blood holds memory. Many of my patients who’ve suffered from fibroids also carry trauma in the womb—grief, betrayal, unmet motherhood, or unprocessed sexual trauma.

During pregnancy, menses, perimenopause or post-fibroid treatment, dreams often become more vivid. This is not coincidental. Hormonal shifts open a portal to the unconscious. I’ve worked with many people who, during UFE recovery, found that their dreams helped them process long-buried memories or unresolved emotional wounds. Through embodied dreamwork, we gently re-enter these dreams, allow their messages to unfold somatically, and create space for emotional integration.

This combination—acupuncture, herbs, and dreamwork—provides a deeply holistic path forward.

Your Recovery Can Be a Rebirth

UFE can offer life-changing relief. But healing isn’t just about eliminating symptoms—it’s about becoming whole again.

If you’ve recently undergone or are considering uterine fibroid embolization, know that Chinese medicine can:

  • Ease your recovery
  • Rebuild your strength
  • Support emotional healing
  • Reconnect you to your womb as a place of power, not pain

Let’s treat the fibroids—and the story that came with them.

If you’re interested in post-UFE recovery support, personalized herbal formulas, or embodied dreamwork integration, I’d be honored to walk with you.

Request your free 15-minute consultation here. 

Your body is wise. Your healing is possible.

– Dr. Cally Huttar, PhD, LAc
Depth Psychologist | Acupuncturist | Chinese Herbalist

Abnormal Uterine Bleeding in Menopause: A Rising Symptom, a Deeper Message

/in , , , /by

Abnormal uterine bleeding after menopause can be alarming—and for good reason. Once menstruation has stopped for a full year, any new vaginal bleeding is considered abnormal and should be evaluated by a healthcare provider. While the causes range from benign changes in the uterine lining to more serious conditions like cancer, it’s important not to panic. In this blog, I’ll walk you through the most common causes of postmenopausal bleeding from both a biomedical and Chinese medicine perspective, so you can feel informed, empowered, and ready to take the next steps in your care

What Causes Bleeding After Menopause?

The most common causes of postmenopausal bleeding include:

1. Endometrial Hyperplasia

An overgrowth of the uterine lining, often caused by excess estrogen without enough progesterone to balance it. This may present as thickened endometrial tissue, which can be a precursor to cancer if left untreated.

2. Uterine Polyps or Fibroids

Noncancerous growths in the uterus or cervix may remain silent for years but can cause unexpected bleeding in menopause. Though fibroids typically shrink postmenopause, some may persist—especially in people with metabolic or hormonal imbalances.

3. Adenomyosis (Rare Postmenopause)

This condition—where uterine lining tissue grows into the muscular wall—is usually seen premenopause, but can occasionally cause bleeding even after cycles have ceased, particularly in those with a long history of painful or heavy periods.

4. Endometrial or Cervical Cancer

While the majority of PMB cases are not cancer, this is the most critical reason for evaluation. Early-stage endometrial cancer often presents with spotting or bleeding, and timely detection leads to excellent outcomes.

5. Hormone Therapy and Medications

Using estrogen replacement (especially without progesterone) or certain drugs such as blood thinners (aspirin, anticoagulants), corticosteroids, and even herbal products like ginkgo or turmeric can increase bleeding risk.

6. Vaginal Atrophy (Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause)

With declining estrogen, the vaginal and urethral tissues become thinner, drier, and more fragile—sometimes causing light bleeding after intercourse or pelvic exams.

7. Inherited or Acquired Bleeding Disorders

Conditions like von Willebrand disease, platelet dysfunction, or liver issues can all contribute to postmenopausal spotting or irregular bleeding.

A Rising Connection: Insulin Resistance & Uterine Bleeding

Emerging research is shining a spotlight on an unexpected contributor to abnormal uterine bleeding: insulin resistance. A recent study found hyperinsulinemia (elevated insulin levels) to be a significant predictor of abnormal uterine bleeding—even in postmenopausal people—with body mass index (BMI) playing a unique role.

Why does this matter?

Insulin is not just a blood sugar hormone. It also:

  • Stimulates endometrial growth

  • Disrupts ovulation (before menopause) and affects hormone metabolism afterward

  • Increases circulating estrogen via its effect on fat cells and liver metabolism

  • Triggers inflammation and blood vessel instability

In postmenopause, when ovarian hormone production slows, these insulin-driven effects may continue unchecked—contributing to endometrial hyperplasia, bleeding, and even cancer risk.

In Chinese medicine, this metabolic pattern maps closely to Spleen Qi deficiency, Damp-Phlegm accumulation, and Blood stasis—all patterns that disturb the flow of blood and fluids, particularly in the lower abdomen.

Chinese Medicine and Postmenopausal Bleeding: A Holistic View

From a classical perspective, bleeding after menopause indicates a disruption in the body’s postmenstrual phase of yin transformation. The Blood, which should now be nourishing the Heart, Kidneys, and Shen (spirit), is instead leaking outward—often due to internal disharmony.

Common root patterns include:

  • Kidney yin or yang deficiency

  • Liver qi stagnation turning to heat

  • Spleen qi not holding Blood

  • Blood stasis obstructing the uterus
    Each case is unique, and requires thoughtful diagnosis. That’s why we never use a one-size-fits-all herbal formula or protocol.

When to Seek Medical Evaluation

Always seek immediate medical care for:

  • Bleeding more than 12 months after your last period

  • Bleeding after sex

  • New pelvic pain or pressure

  • Bleeding accompanied by fatigue or weight loss

A pelvic ultrasound and endometrial biopsy are typically used to rule out serious causes like hyperplasia or cancer.

What Healing Might Look Like

In addition to ruling out serious pathology, healing postmenopausal bleeding often requires a whole-systems approach. In my practice, this includes:

  • Chinese herbal medicine to support hormone signaling and reduce inflammation, tonify the Kidneys, stop bleeding, or move Blood stasis

  • Metabolic support, including insulin resistance testing and treatment

  • Gentle vaginal or pelvic care for tissue health and local circulation

  • Emotional processing and inner work, especially for unresolved trauma or transitions around aging, identity, and power

The Wisdom of the Womb Doesn’t End at Menopause

Postmenopausal bleeding is not just a symptom to manage—it’s a doorway to deeper insight. Whether the root cause is metabolic, hormonal, structural, or spiritual, your body is asking to be heard. And you deserve to be met with clarity, respect, and integrative care.

Begin Here:

If you’re experiencing bleeding after menopause and want answers—not just pills or procedures—I offer personalized virtual consultations rooted in Chinese medicine, metabolic support, and depth psychology. Let’s uncover the root, together.

Schedule your free consultation here.

Your body has deep wisdom—and I’m here to help you listen.

Warmly

Cally Huttar, PhD, LAC, FABORM