Natural Cures

The treatment goals of alternative health practitioners when dealing with menstrual problems is to help women achieve balance in body, mind, and spirit, using a combination of the following therapies, all of which also lend themselves to self-care approaches. Ayurveda: Red raspberries and the ayurvedic herbal formulas shatavari and manjistha taken together in equal amounts are recommended for women who suffer from mennorhagia. Diet: Avoid all commercial, processed, fried, and nonorganic food, as well as alcohol, coffee, caffeine, sugars, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, food dyes, milk and dairy products, wheat and wheat products, and refined carbohydrates. Do not eat saturated, trans-, hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated fats and oils. Instead choose from virgin coconut butter/oil, extra virgin olive oil, high lignin flax seed oil, and unrefined hemp seed, walnut, and sunflower oils. Drink plenty of pure, filtered water throughout the day. Emphasize organic, fresh fruits and vegetables, organic whole grains and legumes, nuts and seeds, and (sparingly) organic, free-range poultry and wild-caught fish. Fermented soy products such as miso soup and tempeh are also advised, but avoid other soy products such as uncooked tofu, soy milk, and soy powder, which have been shown to be over-hyped and of dubious nutritional value. Also limit your intake of oils to unrefined flaxseed, olive oil, sunflower, and walnut. Women who suffer from amenorrhea should also try to increase their daily food intake by 500 calories for one month to see if this helps rectify the problem. This strategy is particularly advised for women who exercise for extended amounts of time. Women with menorrhagia should minimize their consumption of carbohydrates, eating only complex carbohydrates and, until their period returns to normal, limit carbohydrate intake to one meal per day. Certain seafoods, such as mackerel, salmon, and trout, are excellent foods for women who suffer from menstrual cramps. Women with this condition should also avoid eating red meat. In addition, undergo testing for potential food allergies and sensitivities and avoid those foods to which you test positive. Consider a rotation diet or elimination diet in order to further reduce the likelihood of food allergies. Nutrition and diet are key players in the healing and elimination of imbalance and disease. For a complete, nutrition packed, whole foods eating plan, read the Whole Foods Diet. In many cases, a raw food eating plan can be extremely beneficial. To learn more, read Raw Food Diet. You can printout these full articles for easy reference. Herbs: For menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea), a combination of black cohosh, blackhaw, and skullcap in equal amounts, taken as a tincture can help relieve symptoms. Dandelion leaf tea can also be used to relieve water retention and bloating. Other helpful herbs for dysmenorrhea include chamomile, chastetree berry, cramp bark, ginger, ginkgo biloba, hops, red raspberry leaf, and white willow bark. For amenorrhea, useful herbs include blue cohosh, chasteberry, false unicorn root, pennyroyal, rue, and tansy. Lady’s mantle, partridge berry, and yarrow are recommended for menorrhagia. Homeopathy: For menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea), the homeopathic remedies Chamomila, Lachesis, and Sepia can all be used to relieve symptoms. Homeopathic remedies for treating amenorrhea include Aconite napellus, Calcarea carbonica, Ferrum phos., Kali sulphuricum, Natrum muriaticum, and Sepia. China, Crocus sativus, Sabina, and Secale cornutum are all recommended for menorrhagia. Juice Therapy: Fresh squeezed blueberry and huckleberry juice can help to ease menstrual cramps. Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy: Applying natural progesterone cream to your breasts and wrists twice a day (half a teaspoon per application) two to three weeks before your menstrual cycle begins can relieve symptoms ofmenorrhagia, and in many cases cause symptoms to disappear altogether after three or more months. Nutritional Supplements: The following nutrients can help relieve and prevent menstrual problems: vitamin A, beta carotene, vitamin B-complex, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, vitamin C, flavonoids, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, omega-3 oils, evening primrose oil, and gamma linolenic acid (GLA). For mennorrhagia, mixed bioflavonoids and, in some cases, iron can also be helpful. Topical Treatment: Warm castor oil packs placed on the lower abdominal region for one hour three to five days a week, beginning two weeks before menstruation and lasting throughout menstruation, can often provide significant relief of menstruation problems. Hot water bottles or heating pads placed on the abdomen during cramping can also help. Alternative Professional Care The following professional care therapies are also effective for preventing and treating menstrual problems: Acupuncture, Biofeedback Training, Bodywork and Massage, Chiropractic, Detoxification Therapy, Energy Medicine, Environmental Medicine, Guided Imagery, Hypnotherapy, Light Therapy, Mind/Body Medicine, Naturopathic Medicine, Qigong, Tai Chi, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Yoga. (See Glossary for descriptions of these Alternative Therapies.) To Print this Section: Quick Action Plan for Menstrual Problems

1. A healthy diet is vitally important for preventing and managing menstrual problems. Avoid all sugars, refined carbohydrates, sodas, processed foods, preservatives, artificial sweeteners (especially aspartame), corn syrup, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, white bread and white flour products, pastries, red meats, saturated fats, and hydrogenated and trans-fatty oils, emphasizing organic foods, including plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes, nuts and seeds, and (sparingly) organic, free-range poultry and wild- caught fish. 2. For amenorrhea increase your daily food intake by 500 calories for one month, especially if you exercise for extended amounts of time. 3. For menorrhagia minimize carbohydrate consumption and eat only complex carbohydrates, limiting carbohydrate intake to one meal per day. 4. Mackerel, salmon, and trout, are excellent foods for menstrual cramps. 5. Helpful nutrients include vitamin A, beta carotene, vitamin B-complex, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, vitamin C, flavonoids, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, omega-3 oils, evening primrose oil, and gamma linolenic acid (GLA). 6. For mennorrhagia, mixed bioflavonoids and, in some cases, iron can also be helpful. 7. Applying natural progesterone cream twice a day (half a teaspoon per application) two to three weeks before your menstrual cycle can help to relieve and possibly prevent symptoms. 8. Warm castor oil packs placed on the lower abdominal region for one hour three to five days a week, beginning two weeks before menstruation, can also be helpful.

Find a Natural Cure Menstrual Problems

Overview Menstrual problems affect an estimated 50 percent of all women in the United States between the age when puberty begins and menopause starts. Menstrual problems refer to any irregularities in the normal menstrual cycle, which can include a wide range of symptoms. Types of Menstrual Problems There are three major kinds of menstrual problems: absence of menstruation, known as amenorrhea, excessive menstruation, known as menorrhea, and painful menstrual cramps, known as dysmenorrhea. Symptoms Amenorrhea: Amenorrhea is characterized by a stoppage of menstruation or a failure of the menstrual cycle to begin once a woman has reached the age of 16 that is not due to pregnancy or menopause. A diagnosis of amenorrhea is usually not given until three or more months have passed without a woman having her period. Dysmenorrhea: Dysmenorrhea is the most common type of menstrual problem, with the widest range of symptoms. Symptoms include pain and cramping during the menstruation cycle, abdominal pain, low back pain, pain in the inner thighs, spasmodic pain, bloating, breast tenderness, weight gain, headaches, anxiety, and mood swings. Menorrhagia: Menorrhagia is characterized by excessively heavy blood flow during a woman’s period and/or periods that last longer than usual.

Causes The primary causes of menstrual problems are hormonal imbalances (diminished levels of progesterone, and especially excessive levels of estrogen and prostaglandins, which are fatty acids that act like hormones in the body), nutritional imbalances, poor diet, stress, and, in many cases, the unwarranted belief by women that menstruation is somehow unnatural and revolting. Such a belief is primarily due to social conditioning and completely false, since menstruation is in fact a vital and natural part of every healthy woman’s life cycle and evidence of her innate feminine power.

Contributing factors for amenorrhea include poor function of the ovaries and pituitary glands, drained adrenal glands,hypothyroidism, extreme emotional anxiety or stress, calorie-restricted diets, and excessive exercise and/or physical activity. Menorrhagia can be caused by hypothyroidism as well as the use of intrauterine devices (devices designed to be used inside the womb) and abnormalities in the inner lining of the uterus (endometrium).