Hypothyroidism

Lesson 5: Treatment Options

Alternative & Complementary Treatment Options

In the last section, we discussed nutritional and dietary supplements which may help the hypothyroid. Taking such supplements can be considered a more natural, or alternative medical approach. Of course, alternative medicine is a catch-phrase that is very common in this day and age, but not many people know what it means.

Alternative medicine actually refers to products, practices and different and diverse medical and health care systems that people use in lieu of traditional, or conventional medicine. Oriental, or Chinese medicine, homeopathy, ayurveda and other types of medical practices are included under this umbrella.

Conventional medicine refers to westernized medical practices which include using a physician who is licensed by an accredited medical school. This physician or specialist will prescribe medications and use surgery if necessary to make you well.

Both of these types of medicine have their benefits and drawbacks. That’s why I prefer the third alternative: complementary medicine. When you follow the dictates of complementary medicine you can choose the best of each system. You are not excluding conventional or alternative approaches. You use alternative practices in conjunction with conventional ones.

As I’ve gone through my challenges with my chronic conditions, I’ve often found that a complementary approach to medicine works out quite well. I take some prescription medications. I’ve also used acupuncture, nutritional supplements and taken classes in Reiki (which is an ancient form of manual healing that uses energy to promote wellness).

In this section, we will discuss the benefits of a few different alternative, or holistic approaches to handling hypothyroidism. I would like to mention that the presentation of materials does not imply an endorsement of any sort. If there is a path that you are interested in pursuing, it may help to talk to a doctor or alternative health care practitioner for more information.

The practices I am interested in for our purposes are:

Acupuncture is almost 3,000 years old. It originated in China and is based on the concept of “Chi”, (or “Qi”, depending upon the way you choose to spell it). Chi is energy. The ancient Chinese believed that this energy (chi) circulates throughout the body via pathways, called meridians.

You can’t see chi, but you sure can feel it. (Well, I can.) When chi becomes blocked, the body falls out of balance and into illness, or injury. Acupuncture uses tiny needles, which are placed in special spots to unblock the meridians and get the chi flowing again. The theory holds that once the chi is free again, the patient feels better.

Acupuncture can also help rebalance the Yin & Yang in the body. These elements are opposite yet complementary. The human body needs to keep the positive (yang) energy and the negative (yin) energy in balance to remain healthy.

Hypothyroidism is usually seen as a deficiency of energy, or qi in the kidney or spleen. (Chinese Medicine also focuses on specific organs and their functions as well.) A Chinese medical practitioner will probably take you through the ‘four examinations’, which are inspection, smelling & listening, inquiry and palpation (a specialized laying on of hands to determine ‘flow’ of chi).

Acupuncture tends to be more beneficial, in general, for alleviating some of the symptoms of hypothyroidism such as lethargy, depression and pain. Many times, acupuncture is done in conjunction with herbal remedies for the best results.

Some Chinese medical herbs which may help thyroid function include: ginseng, astralagus, salvia and lycium fruit. The herbal prescription may be given in conjunction with prescription thyroid hormones or not. Herbs used will differ among individuals and practitioners. A patient should not attempt to try these remedies him or herself.

Next, we are going to another part of the Orient. Ayurveda comes to us from India, where it has been the common medical practice for 5,000 years or more. In Sanskrit, ayurveda means “the science of life”. The basic premise of ayurveda is that the body wants to be healthy and naturally seeks to be in a balanced state.

Adherents of ayurveda believe that illness represents emotional imbalances, the presence of toxic substances in the body and the unbalanced state of the doshas. Doshas are different regulatory systems which govern different aspects of our health. (Yes, ayurveda is similar to TCM, or Traditional Chinese Medicine in many of its principles.)

{Note: Currently, Ayurvedic practitioners do not need to be licensed in the United States and there are no regulations regarding the practice of ayurveda either.}

Some practitioners will prepare herbal remedies such as triphala and guggul (both have been known to have beneficial effects on the thyroid) to rebalance the doshas. Others will teach you a set of breathing exercises called pranayamas. They are similar to yogic breathing and affect specific areas and functions within the body.

For example, the ujjayi pranayama will work on the throat area. It relaxes and stimulates the thyroid at the same time. The nadi shodhana pranayama may help to stimulate the metabolism, which will help the hypothyroid as well.

Yoga, which will delve into before the end of this section, is also a subset of ayurveda just as Tai Chi and Qi Gong are part of Traditional Chinese Medicine prescriptions for healthful exercises.

Manual Healing, or Bodywork, can help the hypothyroid reduce pain or stress. There are lots of forms of this type of healing. They include: massage, acupressure, Reiki, Feldenkrais and reflexology. The hands-on approach can be very beneficial in dealing with depression, insomnia, pain and lethargy, which are all symptoms of this condition. If the endocrine system can be stimulated by your practitioner or therapist, it can help your hypothyroidism further.

Different concentrations have different licensing rules and regulations. Before going to a practitioner, you may want to check out what your local area requires.

Mind/Body Therapy can include talk therapy as seen in basic counseling or psychiatric care. I see a therapist. It helps me cope with my depression and the feelings that go along with having a chronic condition. (Well, several!)

Support groups can help you cope as well. Sometimes, it is so helpful to your psyche to have people around you who understand what you are going through so you don’t feel so alone. It can go a long way in helping you to reduce any anger or other negative feelings you have towards yourself and this condition as well as teaching you coping mechanisms to handle life in general.

Some people turn to meditation practices, either formalized or informal. Shutting off your mind and finding ways to relax can help reduce the tension and stress that is placed on your body. Even prayer helps many people. What you do isn’t nearly as important as the fact that you do it.

Finally, I want to mention a little something about yoga. Yoga is a form of exercise that incorporates breathing and relaxation techniques. It is a part of the whole ayurveda system. Yoga is something more too. It is a system that attempts to put your mind, body, intellect and spirit in tune with the universe. (The word ‘yoga’ means union.)

Yoga has been known to relieve depressive symptoms, improve breathing and circulation. It may not be as quick of a fix for hypothyroidism as some of the other methods, but it can be quite an effect tool to have in your toolbox, especially for a lifetime.

In fact, many of the alternative, or complementary treatments require lifelong commitment. Reaching and maintaining ‘balance’ is not easy. If you look at hypothyroidism as a journey and look for things that can help you in a positive manner not just a pharmacological one, then any of these methods may be right for you.

However, you should certainly do some more research before you decide to try the latest (and seemingly greatest) fad out there. Herbal treatments should be looked into as should practitioners. It’s just common sense.

This is the end of lesson 5. In the next lesson, we will discuss nutrition and fitness.

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