Behold, the human female pelvis ? and what a wonder it is.

Its tissues are sufficiently elastic and bony arches large enough for the passage of a baby with a head 50% the size of an adult?s.

Vaginal tissue during fertile years ? and especially at parturition (birth) ? is the best healing tissue of the body.

The uterus, normally the size of a small fist, can accommodate a pregnancy larger than a basketball, whilst retaining muscle strength for a successful delivery and return to normal within six weeks after delivery

The ovaries, which form ova, are placed in the most protected area of the body. The vaginal passage is positioned so as to promote face-to-face intercourse, which is uncommon within the animal kingdom.

Vaginal mucus secretions are responsive to and facilitate sexual activity. Not only that, but also these secretions also protect against infection while promoting self-cleansing.

Despite all of this, pelvic disorders do of course occur.

Conditions such as vaginitis, urinary tract infections (UTI), endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids and menstrual cramps come to mind.

The question to be asked is ?Are these conditions expected because of some error in nature?s plan or do they occur because of some preventable cause??

Pelvic congestion and chronic pelvic pain
The pelvic pain caused by congestion and experienced by some young women can lead to a considerable disruption of their daily lives.

Pelvic congestion results from chronic dilation of the pelvic veins leading to delayed clearance of venous blood and then pain.

The pain is made worse by physical factors such as standing, walking and sexual intercourse.

Post-coital pain ? particularly post-orgasmic pain ? is a common occurrence in women with pelvic congestion and unique to the condition.

Orgasm is not only an emotional release, but also a physical release. The pain is worsened by emotional and psychological stress, such as feeling under pressure or angry about something.

This last aspect is a symptom that possibly indicates a history of female sexual abuse.

Indeed, there is a wide range of symptoms associated with the effects of female sexual abuse, both short term and long term.

The long-term effects fall into four categories: psychological, psychosexual, severe interpersonal difficulties and somatic (bodily) problems.

Briefly, the pelvic circulation is controlled by the autonomic nervous system.

This control is critical for the normal functions of the female pelvis amongst which are the preparation, response to ovulation, the provision of an adequate blood supply to the pregnant uterus as it develops, and the complex changes in blood flow associated with sexual excitement and orgasm.

Our knowledge about how this control is exercised is limited, but it is clear that both oestrogens and progesterone interfere in the regulation by the autonomic nervous system of arteries and veins leading to loss of vascular tone.

This effect is greatest in the pelvic veins because of the high concentration of steroid hormones in venous blood leaving the ovaries.

For the above reasons, it is not surprising that the pelvic congestion is considered to be a ?stress-related? condition.

Stress is involved in bringing on pelvic congestion in two ways: directly, through the autonomic nervous system; and indirectly, in the control of ovarian function via the hypothalamus and pituitary gland in the brain.

The finding of polycystic changes in the ovaries in 50-60% of women with pelvic congestion is good evidence of underlying ovarian dysfunction and is often linked to stress.

It is also a common observation in iridology (a technique whereby the patterns, colours, and other characteristics of the iris can be examined to determine information about a patient?s systemic health).

These findings have logically led to treatment of pelvic congestion by temporary or permanent suppression of ovarian activity combined with stress and pain management.

In practical terms, this takes the form of putting the ovaries to sleep with injections of what is known as ?GnRH analogues? ? or ?gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues? in full ? combined with hormone replacement therapy.

This will reduce the release of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH), which in turn leads to inhibition of androgen and oestrogen production.

Herbal Medicine
There are quite a number of medicinal herbs that act on the female hormonal system and apart from being natural in therapy, they do not produce serious side effects if used in proper dosage as prescribed by a qualified herbalist.

As with all drugs and medicines, they do carry contraindications, such as their use during pregnancy, which should always carry the consent of a qualified medical practitioner.

Summary
The treatment of female pelvic disorders does not necessarily mean drug therapy per se.

There are many facets to this condition that must be considered apart from the physical symptoms.

The female reproductive system is very sensitive to internal and external changes such as environment/pollution/toxins and emotional states which affect normal body homeostasis.

Quite often, there are many underlying causes and factors that contribute to female pelvic disorders and the psycho/somatic ? such as emotional factors ? that must also be taken into consideration.