Amenorrhea is a condition where a woman does not menstruate. There are 2 types, either primary or secondary. The primary version is applied to girls who have reach 16 and have yet to begin menstruating. The secondary version can occur in older women who have begun menstruating and then have stopped for at least 3 months. Obviously the most common causes of secondary amenorrhea are menopause and pregnancy so these should be ruled out first. Other causes of amenorrhea are hormone imbalances, illness, stress, malnutrition, obesity, excessive exercise or drug abuse. For example it is quite common for women to suffer from anorexia to get amenorrhea. If it is caused by one these reasons then it is vital to seek medical advice immediately.

There are a number of things that can be used to treat amenorrhea. Conventional medicine will usually use hormones as a way to get a woman to begin menstruating again. However there are a number of alternative therapies that could help including nutritional supplements, herbal medicine and homeopathy. If the condition is caused by stress then treatments that reduce the levels of stress can be beneficial, in particular, acupuncture and massage.