In this video, Lakewood Chiropractor Dr. Brown discusses the way a chiropractic neurologist treats thyroid disorders.
GLUTEN VIDEO
What is the thyroid and why is it so important?
The thyroid gland is like the command center for the body. It “talks” with every body system and keeps them in line. Here are some basic examples of how poor thyroid function can affect you:
Gastrointestinal function- poor thyroid function slows down the amount of time it takes to move food through the intestines
Weight control – the inability to lose weight is connected to liver function. Thyroid hormones control metabolic activity and therefore metabolism slows down in thyroid malfunction. These metabolic shifts contribute to fatigue. In hypothyroid states, growth hormones are affected resulting in loss of muscle mass.
Bone health – thyroid hormone deficiency results in delayed bone hardening and hyperthyroidism leads to loss of calcium through urinary excretion. Both conditions result in increased risk for a fracture.
Female hormones – thyroid disorders cause estrogen shifts which then lose their protectiveness against breast cancer.
Male hormones – hypothyroidism in men has been shown to cause diminished libido and impotence. This is a rare condition in men and is almost always due to an autoimmune condtion.
Insulin and glucose metabolism - those with hypothyroidism absorb glucose slowly and the cells don’t utilize it as efficiently. They will clinically present as hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) but the labs may be normal. This causes increased stress on the adrenal system.
Cholesterol - a low functioning thyroid causes fat to accumulate more quickly than it is burned
which increases cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL (bad) cholesterol
Brain function – hypothyroidism causes the adrenal glands to lose their brain enhancing effects leading to bran fog, depression, mood swings, weight gain, and lethargy
Adrenal function – hypothyroidism causes loss of urinary clearance of adrenal hormones causing fatigue
Progesterone function – progesterone improves the signaling mechanism of thyroid receptors. Low progesterone depresses this communication which leads to heavy menstrual bleeding, headaches, weight gain, and depression.
Anemia – hypothyroid leads to low stomach acid causing B-12 anemia. 12% of hypothyroids are autoimmune and consequently have pernicious anemia. Finally, since hypothyroid patient have progesterone deficiency, the subsequent excessive menstrual bleeding causes a loss of iron.
Cardiovascular function – hypothyroidism contributes to high homocysteine (an amino acid) levels by compromising the livers ability to eliminate homocysteine
What are the symptoms of thyroid disorders?
HYPOTHRYOID - underactive thyroid
Weight gain (even on a low calorie diet)
Fatigue
Depression
Constipation
Loss of circulation in hands and feet (cold all the time)
Hypersensitivity to cold weather
Morning headaches that disappear as the day goes on
Loss of the outer 1/3 of the eyebrows
Hair loss, dryness, or brittleness
Swelling (especially in the face)
Muscle cramps at rest
Decreased immunity to colds, viruses, bacteria, etc.
Chronic digestive problems
Low body temperature
Require excessive sleep to function properly
Dry, itchy skin
HYPERTHYROID – overactive thyroid
Difficulty gaining weight
Night sweats
Insomnia
Inward trembling
Increased pulse rate even at rest
Heart palpitations
Nervous and emotional
So what is going on when you have both hyperthyroid and hypothyroid symptoms?
According to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, between 25 and 30 million Americans have thyroid dysfunction and half are undiagnosed. Of the 50% that are detected, more than halfare Autoimmune Hashimoto’s Disease where one’s immune system attacks and destroys its own thyroid. The conventional health care system is primarily responsible for the situation and the reason is that they measure only TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) and provide synthetic hormones if TSH is low. Measuring the TSH alone is like flying blind without instruments. Even when a so called complete thyroid panel is done, they rarely measure thyroid antibodies to test for autoimmunity. When the TSH is normalized with synthetics, many sufferers still have symptoms, and the reason for this is that they didn’t look at a complete thyroid panel and health history. So some people feel no better even if their TSH levels are normalized.
In traditional medicine, two crucial questions are rarely asked: “Why is the thyroid malfunctioning?”
“Is this autoimmune thyroid”?
The reason these questions are not asked is simply because they are not looking for the root cause of the problem. The desire is to eliminate all the symptoms with one drug, but this approach ignores the causes of the thyroid depression. For example, poor blood sugar, adrenal stress, hormone imbalances, and immune dysregulation can all lead to thyroid failure. While prescription thyroid hormones might bring thyroid lab values into the normal range, it doesn’t address the root cause. The relief that one has (if any) is short lived, and usually the dosage will have to be increased frequently because the underlying issue has not been addressed. Since the thyroid has cross talk with almost every organ and tissue in the body, it is extremely important to have a comprehensive blood workup that includes your thyroid antibody levels.
21 Reasons your thyroid might be breaking down
1. Hypothalamus defect leading to a serotonin neurotransmitter deficiency leading to a breakdown between the brain and thyroid
2. Hypothalamus defect leading to a dopamine neurotransmitter deficiency leading to a breakdown between the brain and thyroid
3. Hypothalamus defect caused by inflammatory cytokines leading to a breakdown between brain and thyroid
4. Hypothalamus defect leading to depression of sex hormones in men and women
5. Pituitary suppression from elevated cortisol leading to a breakdown between the brain and thyroid
6. Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) enzyme, which is responsible for thyroid hormone production, fails and often from autoimmune Hashimoto’s
7. Thyroglobulin is also responsible for thyroid hormone production and, when this fails, it is also usually from autoimmune Hashimoto’s
8. Down regulated TPO activity due to low progesterone leading to low thyroid function
9. Down regulated TPO activity from poor diet and gut function
10. Dysbiosis and bacterial infections
11. Inflammation from gut, viral, molds, environmental compounds, food intolerances, or Lyme’s Disease
12. Elevated cortisol from chronic stress causes depression of thyroid hormone production
13. Peripheral deficiencies in serotonin lead to low thyroid conditions
14. Peripheral deficiencies in dopamine lead to low thyroid conditions
15. Elevated testosterone leading to low thyroid conditions
16. Elevations of Thyroid Binding Globulin (TBG) leading to low thyroid
17. Depressed Thyroid Binding Globulin leading to excess thyroid hormones
18. Elevated cytokines causing thyroid resistance
19. Elevated cortisol from stress causing thyroid resistance
20. Deficiencies of vitamin A causing thyroid resistance
21. Elevated homocysteine leading to thyroid resistance
Only by investigating the person’s total metabolic health, can we determine which one of the myriad of causes listed above is responsible for you thyroid symptoms. And guess what? More than 50% of you have autoimmune Hashimoto’s Disease, and the treatment is to boost the immune system not to normalize thyroid panels.
HASHIMOTO’S DISEASE – How do you know you have it? Why is it relevant?
Let’s say that all the symptoms of hypothyroidism fit you perfectly (and you know that means that you have at least a 50% chance of having Hashimoto’s). How do you know that it is autoimmune Hashimoto’s? First, some of the classic finding of those with Hashimoto’s disease is: (1) you dutifully take your thyroid replacement hormones and have your thyroid monitored closely; yet, you feel worse and worse even as you increase your hormone replacement just to function (2) you have the classic hypothyroid symptoms alternating with the classic hyperthyroid symptoms. One week you are tired and depressed and the next week you are nervous, anxious, and have a racing heart. The biggest clue for Hashimoto’s Disease is having both Hypothyroid and Hyperthyroid symptoms.
Many factors can trigger an autoimmune disease. Often it starts with a compromised immune barrier (the gut is responsible for 75% of the immune system). The gut can lose its lining when exposed to infections, blood sugar swings, adrenal malfunction, and poor diet. All of these can tax the immune system and lead to autoimmune disease. Since Hashimoto’s is not a thyroid problem but an immune problem, the immune system must be supported. Vitamin D3, Omega 3 fatty acids (fish oil), and glutathione should be taken to support all types of immune conditions especially Hashimoto’s. An expert in functional medicine or functional neurologist, such as me, should be consulted to determine if you are T Helper Cell 1 (TH1) or T-Helper Cell 2 (TH2) dominant. Care must be taken to determine if stimulating TH1, TH2, both, or neither should be initiated to support your immune system.
How do we address thyroid irregularities?
We address the conditions that caused the thyroid to falter in the first place and we provide adjunctive care for complicated thyroid disorders. Sometimes the treatment protocols are as simple as basic supplements such as herbals and other nutritional compounds combined with diet and lifestyle changes. In more complex cases such as autoimmune thyroid conditions like as Hashimoto’s Disease, the treatment is to support the immune system to slow down the attack on the thyroid.
Supportive Therapy
For more information about supportive therapy for Thyroid Disorders in Denver, Lakewood, Arvada or Golden, contact us to schedule an appointment.
