Introduction

Most of the females suffer from menstrual disorders. Several ladies get so much disappointed that they consider this disease as incurable and a part of their life. The main symptoms of this disease are as follows:

• Menstrual period not at proper time
• Menstrual period stopped or accompanied with pain
• Increased or decreased quantity of blood
• Backache during the days of menstrual period
• Pain and heaviness in head
• Irritative or gloomy nature
• Loss of appetite

Causes of Menstrual Disorders

A healthy woman must have menstrual period at proper time. With this process, toxic and morbid substances eliminate from the body of woman every month and she is rendered healthy and capable for pregnancy. But its irregularity transforms itself in a dreaded disease and becomes a source of immense trouble for women. Faulty eating habits along with faulty lifestyle and thinking habits of a woman are the main cause of this disease. Due to intake of heavy, oily, spicy and fried food and absence of physical exercise food does not get digested completely and in turn results in the accumulation of morbid matter in uterus and intestines etc. When this toxic substance discharges from a female body irregularly in less or excessive quantity or is sometimes in nil quantity, the problem is called as Menstrual disorder.

Amenorrhoea: Absence of menses in women is termed as Amenorrhoea. The condition may be due to pregnancy or other factors such as anemia, sudden mental shock, exposure to cold or an utterly broken health. Hormonal imbalance is also one of the frequent causes in some women. The main symptoms occurring in most women due to this disorder are giddiness, lassitude and pain in the lower abdomen. It can be cured by:

Cure with Magnetic Therapy:
In case the Amenorrhoea is not due to pregnancy, apply north pole SEM to the lower abdomen about 5 to 7 cm below the navel and the south pole SEM to the opposite side in the back for 15 minutes in the forenoon. Apart from that, apply two North Pole SEMs to soles of feet for 15 minutes in the evening.

Dysmenorrhea:: Dysmenorrhea is a condition of abnormally painful menstruation in certain women. The condition is common in young girls and women suffering from inflammation or obstruction or displacement of the uterus, ovaries or the Fallopian tubes. The main symptoms of this disorder by the women are the pain in the lower abdomen, back and the sacral region. It can be cured by:

Cure with Magnetic Therapy:
At the commencement of the menses, the north pole should be applied just below the navel and the south pole opposite at the back for 15 minutes twice daily till the menses last. During the interval between two menses, the magnets should be applied to the soles of feet for 15 minutes once daily. The south-pole oil should be applied before application of magnets. The healing water should also be taken thrice daily.

Natural Remedy for Pre-Menstrual Syndrome

Natural remedy for Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) depends on the severity of the symptoms. In case of mild symptoms, the difficulty can be solved by an alteration of routine. Extra work and hectic situation should be avoided. The patient"s partner and family members should be educated about all the aspects of the Pre-Menstrual Syndrome. The patient should not take any oral contraceptives as these may cause fluid retention and lowering of the plasma levels.

Diet Therapy for Pre-Menstrual Syndrome : Diet pays an imperative role in preventing Pre-Menstrual Syndrome. Hormonal discrepancy and infections of the uterus can be helped by a natural diet schedule. Most women feel tension arising from chronic constipation, so it is necessary to treat this condition first. Constipation can be relieved by a tepid water enema and moderate intake of seasonal fruits and vegetables and simple fibrous meals.

The patient should avoid refined sugars, coffee, tea, tobacco, other stimulants, oily or spicy food and all meats. Fluids should be reasonably restricted and care should be taken not to add extra salt to the food.

Home Remedies for Pre-Menstrual Syndrome : Pre-Menstrual Syndrome can be a monthly inconvenience, but with some small precautions and simple home remedies, its negative effects can be greatly lessened, and, in some cases, even eliminated altogether.

• Oatmeal breaks down slowly and gradually releases sugar into the bloodstream. This slow, steady release combats the sugar craving that comes with PMS. Bread, pasta, basmati rice and fruit produce the same effect.
• Pasta is enriched with magnesium, which is important for normal hormonal function. A lack of magnesium may be the cause of muscle cramps.
• Bananas are rich in potassium. They can relieve the bloating and swelling of water retention that comes with PMS. Other foods such as figs, black currants, potatoes, broccoli, onions and tomatoes are potassium-rich too.
• Cherries are an Ayurvedic remedy to relieve PMS symptoms, including bloating and mood swings. Take 10 fresh cherries on an empty stomach each day for one week before the start of the menstrual period.
• Add a pinch of black pepper to 1 tablespoon aloe vera gel, and take 3 times a day with meals to relieve symptoms such as backache and abdominal pain.

Bath Therapy for Pre-Menstrual Syndrome : Other treatment for the Pre-Menstrual Syndrome includes normal cold hip baths for 10 to 15 minutes twice a day. Tension will also be dissipated with this therapy. Hot foot baths followed by a cold compress to the lower abdomen and the inner surfaces of the thighs also help to ease uterine congestion and tension. If the cold hip bath is not feasible, a wet girdle pack applied twice a day on empty stomach is very advantageous for clearing up uterine congestion and improving bowel function.

Exercise for Pre-Menstrual Syndrome : A regular practice of yoga asanas, especially those recommended for strengthening the genito-urinary system will be very functional in overcoming Pre-Menstrual Syndrome. These asanas are Bhujangasana, Shalabhasana, Vajrasana, Ardha Matsyendrasana, Paschimottanasana and Trikonasana. Other helpful measures are brisk walks and abdominal exercises which are good for intensification the abdominal muscles and pelvic organs. Mental composure is an important factor. Negative mental attitudes like fear, worry, anger, jealousy, nervousness and inferiority complex should be eliminated by positive thinking and meditation.

Natural Remedy for Menstrual Disorders

In the natural therapy for Menstrual Disorders, the sufferer should begin with an all fruit diet for about five days. In this course of therapy, the patient should have three meals a day of fresh, juicy fruits, such as apples, pears, pineapple, grapes, papaya, oranges, peaches and melon. No other food should be taken; otherwise the significance of the entire treatment will be lost. During this period the bowels should be cleansed on a daily basis with a warm water enema.

After the all-fruit diet, the sufferer should adopt a well balanced diet on the following lines:
Upon rising: A glass of lukewarm water should be mixed with the freshly squeezed juice of half a lime and a spoon of honey.

Breakfast: Fresh fruits such as apple, papaya, banana, orange, grapes and milk.

Lunch: A bowl of freshly prepared steamed vegetable such as carrot, cauliflower, and beans, cabbage, two or three whole wheat chappatis.

Dinner: A large bowl of fresh green vegetable salad with all obtainable vegetable such as carrot, tomatoes, radish, cabbage, cucumber, red beets and onion and sprouts.

The diet factor is of the extreme importance. Fruits and salads, nature`s body-cleansing and health-restoring foods, must constitute the bulk of the future diet along with whole grains, nuts and seeds, particularly in sprouted forms. Frequent small meals should be taken instead of few large ones to avoid low blood sugar which is common at the time of menstruation. The foods which should be avoided in future are white-flour products, sugar, and confectionery, rich cakes, flesh foods, pastries, sweets, refined cereals, rich, heavy, or greasy foods, tinned or preserved foods, strong tea, coffee, pickles, condiments and sauces. Smoking, if habitual, should be given up entirely as it aggravates menstrual disorders.

A further short period on all -fruit, say two or three consecutive days can be undertaken at monthly intervals, according to the need of the case. The morning dry friction and cold hip baths should form a habitual feature of the cure. All cold baths should however, be suspended at the time of the menstrual period. Certain remedies have been found useful in menstrual disorders. Cooked banana flower eaten with curd is one of the more important of such remedies. The banana flower appears to amplify progesterone hormone and lessen the bleeding. Beet juice has been found very effectual for menstrual disorders. Coriander seeds are extremely advantageous in the treatment of excessive menstruation. Ginger has been useful in menstrual disorders. Sesame seeds are also useful in menstrual disorders. Its regular use, two days prior to the expected periods, cures insufficient menstruation. Warm hip bath containing a handful of bruised sesame seeds should be at the same time taken along with this receipt. Safflower seeds have also been found to be valuable in the treatment of painful menstruation.

Yoga For Menstrual Disorders

One of the major health problems faced by women is the menstrual disorders. An irregular menstrual cycle may result from some abnormalities, physical disorders, emotional and hormonal disturbances. Improper development of reproductive organs, imbalance of hormones of endocrine glands, weak muscles of reproductive organs, weak constitution, pathological development and psychological disturbances like depression, fear, stress and mental tension are also the causes for menstrual disorders. Yogic treatments can be beneficial in treating such health problems.

Some of the common menstrual disorders are as follows:
1. Amenorrhea : This refers to the absence of menstruation. It may be caused by a hormonal imbalance, obesity or extreme weight loss, emotional disorders and others.

2. Menorrhagia : There is an excessive bleeding during menstrual cycles, in terms of more days as well as the amount of blood. Disturbances in pituitary, thyroid and ovary functions, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus are the main causes.

3. Metrorrhagia : There is excessive flow of blood occurring between two menstrual periods. The main causes are poor functioning of ovaries, pituitary and thyroid glands, poor blood clotting function, some psychological factors, and lesions of the cervix.

4. Dysmenorrhea : Pain and discomfort is felt prior to the onset of or at the time of menstruation. The pain primarily occurs in the lower abdomen. There is also pain in the thighs and a general feeling of pressure. Causes of Dysmenorrhea are anatomical malformation like undeveloped womb, hormonal disturbances and mental factors. Sometimes, when the pain is severe, other complaints such as nausea, vomiting or headache interfere with the normal activities.

5. Pre-Menstrual Tension : Many women suffer from this complaint for a week or 10 days before the onset of menstruation. The symptoms are headache, tremors, irritability, heaviness in breasts and pelvic region.

The condition of Amenorrhea may not be having any particular symptom except obesity resulting from hormonal disorder. Women suffering from Menorrhagia and Metrorrhagia complain of pain and weakness and may be unable to carry routine work in case the bleeding is severe. Dysmenorrhea is associated with presence of pain in the lower back and hypogastrium.

Regular and proper practice of yoga asanas and Pranayama is beneficial for women who suffer from the menstrual disorders. However, it should be noted that, during menstruation yoga practices are not advisable for 3-5 days. Proper rest, medicines and relaxation are also necessary. Yoga helps by correcting and balancing the functioning of the endocrine system, toning up of the nervous system and it also relaxes the body and mind, thus, reducing the psychological problems.

Yoga asanas, such as, Tadasana, Vrikshasana, Chakrasana (sideward bending), Trikonasana, Bhujangasana, Ardha-salabhasana, Ardha-halasana with one and two legs, Viparitakarani, Sarvangasana followed by Matsyasana, Dronasana, Pavana muktasana, Setubandhasana, Vajrasana, Padmasana, Parvatasana, Vakrasana, Gomukhasana, Savasana, Makarasana are recommended for treating these kinds of health related problems in women. Pranayamas like Anuloma-Viloma, Shitali, Bhramari; meditation and the recitation of Om mantra also prove to be helpful.

Besides practicing yoga a correct approach to life, regular diet, exercise and hygiene are quite essential for the normal development and functioning of the reproductive organs. The yogic postures are helpful to preserve the general health and to reduce the minor complaints regarding menstruation by improving the vigour and strength of the body.

While practising yoga it should be kept in mind that its number and the sequences should be modified according to the capacity and other conditions of the person. One must avoid practicing yoga by only observing T.V. or by reading a book on therapy. The practices should be learnt from a qualified Yoga therapist. Apart from these one can take rest either in Savasana or Makarasana in between two asanas. At the end, Savasana must be practiced at least for 15-20 minutes. Concentrating on stretching and breathing movements during the practice helps to avoid distractions. As far as the diet is concerned it is better stick to a moderate vegetarian diet.

Yoga asanas prescribed above should be strictly performed under the supervision of an experienced Yoga teacher.

Treatment of Menstrual Disorders by Acupressure

Women with menstrual pain might get some relief by applying pressure to an acupuncture point known as spleen 6. The most common gynecological health problem, menstrual pain not related to other pelvic problems affects an estimated 60 to 93% of adolescent girls. Pain in the lower abdomen begins during or just before menses and usually lasts 48 hours or less. Stimulation of sp6 through acupuncture and acupressure has been used to treat pelvic pain in women such as during childbirth and menses.