NATUROPATHIC MANAGEMENT FOR PREMENSTRUAL TENSION

PREMENSTRUAL TENSION:

              It is a series of physical and emotional distress that a woman experiences a week or a ten days before the commencement of menstrual flow. It occurs during the lacteal phase of menstrual cycle.

MENSTRUAL CYCLE: https://goo.gl/6WCXFF

                       The appearance of menses signifies that woman is fertile. Menstruation is nothing but the shedding of the endometrial layer of uterus. The commencement of first menstrual cycle is known as menarche. The average age of attaining menarche may vary from twelve to thirteen years.

                      The cycle is counted from the first day of the bleeding. All these phases are controlled by anterior, pituitary, hypothalamus ovaries. The duration of menstrual cycle may be from 23 - 35 days.

Menstrual cycle may be divided in to 3 phases.

1. Follicular Phase
2. Ovulatory Phase
3. Luteal Phase https://goo.gl/6WCXFF

1. Follicular Phase:

                 During the follicular phase Gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GNRH) from anterior pituitary stimulates FSH to initiate follicular growth. This leads to conversion of primordial follicles in to primary and later in to secondary follicles. One of the secondary follicles becomes a matured follicle known as Graffian follicle.

1. Ovulatory Phase:

      Ovulation phase starts from13 days in a normal 28 days cycle. A single oocyte gets released from the mature follicle during ovulation and it reaches the fallopian tubes.

1. Luteal Phase:

               After ovulation corpus Luteum develops from an ovarian follicle. It fertilization occurs oocyte enters uterus through fallopian tubes. Endometrial glands produce certain proteins for this purpose progesterone also aids in preparing for the pregnancy. It is produced by corpus luteum. If no fertilization then corpus luteum formed by remaining follicles degenerates in to corpus albicam and progesterone levels fall.

ACUSES OF PREMENSTRUAL TENSION:

• Reduced levels of beta endorphin
• Low level of serotonin
• Low level of dopamine

Signs and symptoms:

          Irritability                            Anxiety                    Headache

          Mood swings                      Acne                       Crying spells

         Abdominal cramps              Tension                    Insomnia

         Increased emotional           Sensitivity                 Fatigue

         Abdominal bloating              Body aches             Breast tenderness

        Constipation (or) Diarrhoea                                  Changes in libido

        Craving for certain foods

Risk Factors:

•  High caffeine intake
•  Stress
•  Increasing age
•  Hereditary factors
•  History of depression
•  Reduced levels of magnesium

manganese, zinc, Vit E, Vit D

• Irritable Bowel syndrome

• Chronic Fatigue syndrome
• Hypothyroidism
•   Changes in libido may cause sexual dissatisfaction among the other partner

•   Mood swings may cause unnecessary conflicts within the families.
•   Woman may avoid social gatherings and outings
•   Lack of concentration may reduce her productivity at work.
•   Depression and anxiety may become a cause of concern for the family. https://goo.gl/6WCXFF

• Diet Therapy:
• Avoid junk food, including chocolates, artificially processed foods, Non Veg., Oily and spicy etc.
• Reduce salt intake
• Include Magnesium rich foods in the diet like brown rice, lentils, whole grains, spinach,  beans, barley, raisins, fig etc.
• Vit. B helps to reduce depression. These are found in bananas, sweet potato, whole grain beans etc.
• Increase water intake
• Avoid caffeine containing products including coffee, tea and energy drinks.
• Avoid sugar products.
• Vit. E rich foods like brown rice, wheat germ oil, soaked almonds, peanuts etc.
• Vit. A rich foods like carrot, melons, apricots, mangoes, sweet potatoes, greens etc.
• Folic acid rich foods like spinach broccoli etc.
• Herbs like evening primrose oil helps in reducing breast tenderness.

• Neutral enema helps to relieve constipation.
• Neutral spinal bath helps to reduce irritability, anxiety, depression.
• Vaginal douche one week before menses helps to case PMT related issues.
• Neutral hip and spinal baths.
• Hot foot and arm baths and facial steam to relieve headaches.
• Neutral immersion baths relief from irritation, fatigue etc.
• Mud packs and mud baths.

              It helps to restore the blood flow changes triggered by hormonal imbalances, so helps to reduce bloated feeling irritability etc.

              It promotes lymphatic drainage and improves blood circulation.

• A Point that lies 2 finger widths below belly button.
• Another point that lies 2 finger widths outside sacrum and midway between the top of hip bone and the base of buttock.
• One point lies at one thumb width from ball of the foot. https://goo.gl/6WCXFF

       The oils can be med after mixing with some base oils like vit. E or wheat germ oil

• Sage
• Geranium

Chromo Therapy:

              Use of orange colour charged water, oil helps a lot. Green colour charged water may also be med.

Magneto Therapy:

              General Magnetic treatments also help in pre menstrual coextension.

Yoga Therapy:

• Relaxation Asanas
• Yoga Nidra
• Vajrasana
• Surya Namaskaras, Pawana Muktasana series
• Bhujangasana
• Paschimottanasana
• Dhanurasana
• Marjari Asana
• Abdominal breathing
• Nadishodhana
• Bhramari Pranayama https://goo.gl/6WCXFF