Lesson 7: Alternative Medicine and Lifestyle Influences
Herbal Medicine and Ayurveda
Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine is one of the mainstays of the alternative treatment approach to hyperthyroidism. Most naturopaths use herbal tonics that contain a variety of different herbs. Integrationist physicians combine herbal and conventional medicine by using ATDs along with one or more herbs to facilitate recovery. In patients with mild hyperthyroidism, herbal medicine and lifestyle changes are usually sufficient to elicit remission.
The German Commission E, the world authority on the medicinal use of herbs, recommends several herbs as being safe and effective for treating hyperthyroidism. These include:
Lactuca virosa or wild lettuce
Leonrus cardiaca or motherwort
Lithospermum ruderale
Lycopus virginicus or bugleweed
Melissa officianalis or lemon balm
Passiflora incarnata or passion flower
Scuttelaria lateriflora or skullcap
Silybum marianum or milk thistle is also sometimes recommended to help heal liver function. Hyperthyroidism causes an increased metabolism, including increased digestion. This can cause damage to liver cells. Furthermore, in some holistic traditions, hyperthyroidism is viewed as an imbalance of yin and yang which can be corrected by reducing body heat. This is accomplished by strengthening the liver.
When only one or two individual herbs are prescribed, bugleweed or lemon balm are generally the ones recommended. These herbs are known to reduce thyroid hormone levels and inhibit the stimulatory effects of TSI in patients with Graves’ disease.
Herbal Traditions
Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine, herbalists trained in Japanese Kampo and practitioners of similar disciplines generally prepare a specific herbal tonic after evaluating the patient’s symptoms and general health. The actual preparation can vary from person to person. In some herbal traditions, dietary changes and massage are also recommended to help with the body’s detoxification.
In selecting a practitioner of herbal medicine, it’s important to find someone who is accredited and has experience treating hyperthyroidism. Each ingredient present in tonics and elixirs should be listed, and patients should be given clear instructions on dosage and any untoward side effects they need to watch for. Patients should beware of compounds like bladderwack, seaweed and kelp that have high iodine concentrations. They are sometimes used based on outdated notions that all thyroid disease is caused by iodine deficiency.
Ayurveda
Ayurveda is an ancient medical discipline that originated in India. Today, up to 20 percent of the world’s population regularly use Ayurvedic medicine. Ayurveda regards hyperthyroidism and most diseases as originating from an imbalance in the body’s doshas, which govern the body’s constitution. The life force or prana cannot properly flow through the body when the doshas are imbalanced. Treatment is generally used to strengthen the nervous system, which according to the Western principles of psychoneuroimmunology, would act to heal the immune and endocrine systems.
Treatment is prescribed after evaluating the patient’s symptoms and his environment. Properties of taste such as bitter, sweet, sour, pungent and astringent are used for their effects when medicines are prepared. Herbs and other plants are used for their medicinal properties. One ayurvedic herb, gotu kola, has gained popularity in recent years because of its ability to strengthen the vascular system. Medications, massage therapy, specific dietary recommendations, anointing oils and exercise are incorporated into a total healing plan.
