Menstruation is a normal process for women from puberty until menopause (and with breaks during pregnancy and nursing).  A normal menstrual cycle lasts from 28-32 days, with 3-7 days of bleeding that is not too heavy, not too light, and not painful.

Many women, however, find that this is not what their menstrual cycles are like at all!  Their periods may cause extreme pain and cramps, may last for longer than a week, may involve a heavy or clotted flow, may be very short or very light, and may arrive too early or too late.  Some women skip periods entirely, and others have no set pattern to know when to expect the start of their next period.

Painful or heavy menstruation

If you experience pain or heavy bleeding during your periods, it may be a sign of an underlying issue such as inflammation, hormonal imbalance, emotional stress carried in your pelvis, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, etc.

Once the cause is discovered a variety of natural therapeutics can be employed to relieve pain, and resolve the underlying condition.

Irregular periods

If your periods are not appearing predictably every 28-32 days, it may be due to a wide range of potential underlying imbalances including hormonal imbalance, hypothyroidism, anemia, emotional or physical stress, lack of ovulation (anovulation), or polycystic ovarian syndrome.  It may also be due to natural processes such as perimenopause, menopause, or pregnancy.

Natural therapies such as homeopathy, botanical medicines, nutrition, dietary changes,  and hydrotherapy may be utilized to correct any of these underlying disorders.