Menstrual Disorders
The maternal instincts of a woman arise almost entirely from the female hormones within her body. These hormones are produced in a pair of almond-shaped organs, known as the ovaries. They are situated deep within the pelvis, one on each side of the uterus or womb. The two major female hormones are estrogen and progesterone. These hormones give the woman strength and stamina and are largely responsible for the peculiarly feminine shape of her body. The ovaries start producing large quantities of estrogen, the dominant female hormone when a girl reaches about 12 years of age. This enables her to grow rapidly and develop into a normal young woman. The commencement of menstruation at this time heralds the reproductive phase of her life when she can have children. This phase may last for about 35 years.

The menstrual flow is connected with the female function of ovulation or the passing of the egg cell or ovum from the ovary to the womb ready for fertilization. It is a provision of nature to cleanse the inner surface of the womb and enable reproduction to take place normally. The flow normally lasts for about four days and has a rhythm of 28 days.

The main problem relating to menstrual flow are painful menstruation, stoppage of menstruation and excessive menstruation, besides pre-menstrual tension are disorders that women have that are quite normal.

Healthy women, living according to natural laws and eating diets of natural foods do not suffer from the monthly ordeal.  Most menstrual disorders are caused by nutritional deficiencies which lead to deficiency and improper metabolism of the female sex hormones.

Dysmenorrhea: Painful menstruation or dysmenorrhea, as it is called in medical parlance, is a very common occurrence these days. This disorder is traceable to a debilitated and toxic condition of the system in general and of the sex organs in particular due to the wrong diet, the wrong style of living and nervous exhaustion. 

The pain may be felt either two or three days immediately before or during the flow. Pain starting two or three days before the flow usually shows that the ovaries are not functioning properly. This is a glandular malfunction and a carefully planned natural diet will usually put matters right. For local treatment, hot sip baths on alternate nights for a week before the period is due will be highly beneficial. Between periods, cold hip baths will increase the tone of the ovaries.

Pain immediately before the flow commences is indicative of uterine flexion, which means that the position of the womb is abnormal. A professional examination should be arranged to ascertain the position of the womb and corrective exercises undertaken under professional advice. Uterine flexion often occurs in women who are so thin that they have lost internal fat and the ligament, on which the womb is suspended. General treatment along dietetic lines is essential along with corrective exercises.

When the pain occurs during menstruation, it usually means that the womb itself is inflamed. This condition can be relieved by proper attention to diet and hot hip baths just before the period is due and cold hip baths between the periods. The hot hip bath is generally taken for eight to ten minutes at a water temperature of 100oF which can be gradually increased to 120oF. The cold hip bath should be taken for 10 to 15 minutes at a water temperature of 50oF to 65oF.

Amenorrhea or stoppage of menstrual flow: Stoppage of menstruation is natural during pregnancy and at the menopause, but abnormal at any other time. It is true that some women have very infrequent periods but this seems to be peculiar to their particular type and cannot be termed as a stoppage. If the periods have been quite regular for a number of years and then suddenly stop or the cycle becomes frequently interrupted, it denotes a debilitated and devitalized condition of the system, especially of the sex organ. Causes contributing towards this condition are anemia, worry, grief, fright or other serious emotional disturbances, malformation of the womb, tuberculosis, displacement of womb and debility, especially after a serious illness.

The treatment for amenorrhea should be directed towards the rectification of the disease condition responsible for causing the trouble in the first place. Along with this, a course of general health-building treatment should also be carried out. If serious emotional disturbance has caused the trouble, an initial period of quietness and rest is essential to the treatment. All excitement, excessive mental strain, and study should be avoided for a considerable period.

Menorrhea or excessive menstruation: Profuse menstrual flow is common in certain women and usually denotes a blood deficiency, especially blood calcium. A variety of causes may be responsible for this trouble, but a toxic condition of the system is at the root of the matter. It is essential to keep the patient absolutely quiet and confined to bed. The bottom of the bed should be raised 10 cm to 13 cm. In the case of excessive bleeding, gauze may be inserted into the vagina as a temporary measure.

For the first few days, the diet should consist only of milk and raw vegetables. No stimulants should be taken as they tend to increase the flow. When the bleeding has stopped, great care should be taken to avoid over exertion or straining the body in any manner. A full nature cure diet should then be adopted using fresh vegetables raw salads twice daily. As a long term measure, what is needed is a scheme of treatment which will thoroughly cleanse the system of toxic material.

Treatment