Do You Have A Thyroid Problem?
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All of us go through periods of exhaustion and low energy. But when these feelings continue and affect your day-to-day life, it may be time to consider the health of your thyroid. If you always feel cold, you are gaining or losing weight, your skin is dry and you are often constipated, the thyroid might need some assistance. Anyone could have thyroid problems, but statistically one in eight women will be diagnosed with thyroid issues in her lifetime. This usually means that a medical doctor prescribes a medication or a glandular that is meant to be taken for the rest of the patient’s life. Is this inevitable for women around the world? Or can we have preventative thyroid health and awareness to keep us healthy and enjoying life naturally?
What is the Thyroid?
The thyroid is a small organ shaped like a butterfly, that is found below the Adam’s Apple at the base of the throat. The thyroid is one of the organs in the endocrine system that uses hormones to regulate mood, energy, metabolism, growth, bowels, and other activities. It also affects the heart, and therefore blood pressure. There is much speculation as to how this organ functions, in western medicine, and even less is known about why it dysfunctions.
Similarly, in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), despite the thousands of years of research and trial and error there are certain topics, organs and functions never fully understood, and the thyroid is one of these. Unlike a vital organ you can actually see working if you caught a gruesome glimpse of a wounded person bleeding, the thyroid does not “advertise” how its millions of functions are occurring. The ancient scholars and doctors couldn’t see the invisible workings of the thyroid, so they didn’t know how to categorize it. TCM sees a thyroid imbalance as an issue with yin and yang. This usually means the kidneys are involved as they are the seat of energy and balance in the body. The kidneys deal with body temperature, hormones, energy and some aspects of the bowels—thyroid issues when an imbalance is present, and a logical point from which to start a diagnosis.
To the ancient Chinese, kidney health meant longevity. It is not only your “upright” qi (the energy to be strong and be productive), but also your nighttime softness and ability to calm down, soothe yourself and cool your body. Kidney qi originates in your genetics or ancestry and is the number one way your body regulates daily functions. The thyroid mainly operates under the rule of the kidneys and many important bodily functions are its reason for being. When these functions go awry, (generally due to stress), the kidneys and the thyroid become imbalanced, and we cannot be our healthiest, productive selves.
Why do I Have Thyroid Issues?
Women of all ethnicities and ages can present with thyroid complaints, but generally middle-age and older women have the most problems. Increasingly, women on thyroid medication are younger, likely due to the high stress levels beginning in early life. Older women are most likely to have irregular Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) numbers resulting in issues that can mimic menopause. “Thyroid disease” generally means a medical condition that prevents your thyroid from making the right amount of TSH. When the thyroid makes too much thyroid hormone, your body uses energy too quickly. This is hyperthyroidism, and it will not only make the Energizer bunny seem slow, but it can also make your heart beat faster, cause unexpected weight loss, and make you feel anxious or nervous. If your thyroid makes too little thyroid hormone, you have hypothyroidism. This will cause you to feel tired and gain weight and you will probably be unable to tolerate cold temperatures.
Why does your thyroid suddenly have problems and enter a state of dysfunction? In Western Medicine the term “autoimmune” is often applied when discussing this organ, its hormones and its functions. Auto immune is a broad term for the body attacking itself and most of the time it is not known why.
When we view thyroid issues through the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) lens, there is no idiopathy. There is always a reason the body is doing something, as it doesn’t have a reason to expend energy creating an issue that doesn’t solve a problem.
When you are young and growing, you probably don’t question the natural process of maturing. There are many childhood diseases, but for most of us, growth and sexual maturity occur as expected. You aren’t thinking about your organs eventually aging nor are you worried about growth. As you get older and start to see and feel the breakdown of systems, you want to know why and what changed and how it can be treated. In TCM, the organs rule the body’s functions so whenever there is an issue, we look to one or more organ systems to explain this. Your body wants to fix the internal issues via the warning sign of the external complaint. It is trickier to see this connection with the thyroid and endocrine system because there aren’t acupuncture points that directly correspond with brain functions. If you are having thyroid issues and want to fix them, acupuncturists will rely heavily on kidney points to help regulate signals between the brain and the body (pituitary to thyroid).
When the body needs more thyroid hormones it relies on the pituitary gland. This gland signals the body to release thyroid hormone depending upon the need. As part of your endocrine system, the regulating function of the pituitary gland to the thyroid is very important. It is responsible for not only the stimulation of TSH, but also all of these functions in the endocrine system:
your stress response
estrogen production and egg development
growth and metabolism
ovulation and testosterone production
fertility and sexual function
nervous system regulation
There are many reasons, some known, some yet to be discovered, that your thyroid may dysfunction or become diseased:
Iodine deficiency
obesity and conversely, dieting
nutrient deficiencies
insulin and leptin resistance
chronic illness and infections
prescription medications
inflammation
Caring for Your Thyroid Naturally
Acupuncture
By treating the kidneys via acupuncture, we can help with regulation of the thyroid. We strengthen when necessary and reduce (kidneys are almost never in excess) if there’s stagnation. Spleen, stomach and liver points are treated for blood production and regulation of digestion and insulin. Working with these meridians and systems, the needles will act as messengers to the brain to stimulate or halt production and assist the body in recognizing the issue to begin treating itself.
Herbal Formulas
Herbal formulas such as Liu Wei Di Huang Wan and Jing Gui Shen Shi Wan are recommended as formulas for treating thyroid dysfunction.
For spleen qi deficient type thyroid issues, Si Jun Zi tang is a formula often utilized to lift and tonify the middle and help with blood movement. For qi and blood deficiency the formula most utilized is Shi Quan Da Bu Tang to warm and tonify the qi and help with blood production.
Have you been diagnosed with a thyroid disease or dysfunction? We can help at the Acupuncture by Andrea offices. Contact us for a free consultation and find out how acupuncture can treat your symptoms and work toward helping you regain your happiness, goodness, and wellness.