Unfortunately, many women suffer with monthly symptoms related to menstruation. It is entirely possible that a woman with severe imbalances might have to live with some form of misery, but we have found the vast majority of the time that consistent treatment over time with Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine will help improve that time of the month.

The following attributes illustrate high female reproductive system function:

Timing: menstruation should coincide with the new moon and ovulation should occur during the full moon (if the moon phases can affect the oceans’ tides, it can certainly affect body fluids)
Duration: typically, flow should last 3-5 days
Color: should be a healthy, red without abnormalities such as purple, pink, pale, brown, or black
Amount: moderate at onset, a slight increase at midpoint, followed by a slight decrease just before ending (there should not be particularly heavy flow at any point)
The rest of the month should pass without symptoms.

It can be very upsetting to some when they find out what a normal menstrual cycle should be. Do not take offense; the intention is to not upset, rather to simply outline a normal reproductive cycle. Thankfully, when one’s menstrual cycle normalizes, menopause is a very smooth and effortless process that passes very quickly without significant abnormal symptoms.

(source: http://www.amazon.com/Oriental-Medicine-You-500-year-old-Understandable/dp/0615456367)