What is oligomenorrhea?

Oligomenorrhea is a condition defined by very light and infrequent periods (thus differentiated from hypomenorrhea and polymenorrhea, when your periods occur more than 35 days apart, and you have anywhere from only 4 to 9 periods per year. Potential causes of oligomenorrhea include benign tumors of the pituitary gland, perimenopause, hyperthyroidism, excessive exercise (as with professional athletes, breast feeding, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and the eating disorders anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

Factors that may simply cause you to miss a period (but may not mean you should be diagnosed with oligomenorrhea) include:

Aside from lifestyle changes that may correct your infrequent periods (eg changing exercise patterns), your doctor will likely attempt to address the underlying causal factors, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome .  Where no underlying factor can be determined, your doctor may recommend oral contraceptive pills, but be sure to discuss the side effects of this medication.

How can natural medicine treat oligomenorrhea?

Consider natural health care when it comes to regulating your period. Nutritional counselling will help ensure that you are receiving all the essential foods, and can help you gain or lose weight where necessary. Acupuncture and TCM can help balance out your hormone levels, and generally regulate your period through a series of treatments that will likely involve herbs.  Yoga is great for strengthening your body and realigning your cycles, and massage therapy can help you reduce stress.

Contact us for a FREE consultation on how natural therapy can help you regulate your periods.

These links may also be helpful: