Yoga Therapy For Menstrual Disorders

Types of Menstrual Disorders:

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)– Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) refers to physical and emotional symptoms that occur in the one to two weeks before a woman’s period. Symptoms often vary between women and resolve around the start of bleeding.

Signs/ Symptoms:

• Fatigue,
• Bloating (due to fluid retention),
• Weight gain,
• Breast tenderness,
• Acne,
• Sleep disturbances with sleeping too much or too little (insomnia), and.
• Appetite changes with over eating or food cravings.

Amenorrhea– Amenorrhea, is the absence of menstruation — one or more missed menstrual periods. Women who have missed at least three menstrual periods in a row have amenorrhea, as do girls who haven’t begun menstruation by age 15. The most common cause of amenorrhea is pregnancy.

Signs/ Symptoms:

• Hair loss,
• Headache,
• Vision changes,
• Excess facial hair,
• Pelvic pain,
• Acne.

Dysmenorrhea- Dysmenorrhea is the medical term for pain during/ with menstruation.

Signs/ Symptoms:

• Pain in the lower abdomen that can spread to the lower back and legs,
• Pain that is gripping or experienced as a constant ache, or a combination of both,
• Pain starts when the menstruation starts, or earlier
• First 24 hours may be the most painful
•  Clots may be passed in the menstrual blood.

Menorrhagia- Menorrhagia is the medical term for menstrual periods with abnormally heavy or prolonged bleeding. Although heavy menstrual bleeding is a common concern, most women don’t experience blood loss severe enough to be defined as menorrhagia.

Signs/ Symptoms:

• Soaking through one or more sanitary pads or tampons every hour for several consecutive hours,
• Needing to use double sanitary protection to control your menstrual flow,
• Needing to wake up to change sanitary protection during the night,
• Bleeding for longer than a week,
• Passing blood clots larger than a quarter,
• Restricting daily activities due to heavy menstrual flow,
• Symptoms of anemia, such as tiredness, fatigue or shortness of breath.

Causes Of Menstrual Disorders:

• Perimenopause (generally in the late 40s and early 50s),
• Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI),
• Eating disorders (anorexia nervosa or bulimia),
• Excessive exercise,
• Thyroid dysfunction (too much or too little thyroid hormone),
• Elevated levels of the hormone prolactin, which is made by the pituitary gland to help the body produce milk,
• Uncontrolled diabetes,
• Cushing’s syndrome (elevated levels of the hormone cortisol, used in the body’s response to stress),
• Late-onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia (problem with the adrenal gland),
• Hormonal birth control (birth control pills, injections, or implants),
• Hormone-containing intrauterine devices (IUDs),
• Scarring within the uterine cavity (Asherman’s syndrome),
• Medications, such as those to treat epilepsy or mental health problems.

Lifestyle Changes for Menstrual Disorders:

• Change your birth control method
• Increase or maintain healthful levels of dietary iron
• Think about taking iron supplements
• Balance the intensity of your workout routine (if needed)
• Stay at the right weight and level of body fat
• Get treatment for an eating disorder (if diagnosed)
• Lower your stress levels
• Lower your risk of osteoporosis

Yogic Management forMenstrual Disorders:

Standing Asanas:

• Suryanamaskars
• Parsvottanasana

Supine Asanas:

• Matsyasana
• Sarvangasana

Prone Asanas:

• Bhujangasana
• Dhanurasana

  Seated Asanas:

• Badhakonasana
• Pashchimotanasana
• Ushtrasana
• Adho Mukha Svanasana
• Vajrasana
• Mandukasana

Pranayamas:

• Nadishodhan
• Kapalbhathi

One must not practise yogasanas at the time of the pain, yogasana do not help during the menstrual pains. During pain and heavy bleeding  one must take rest. Yogasanas and Pranayamas will definitely help for chronic cases, helping to get the pain and other hormonal related issues to avoid future complications.