Addressing Your Thyroid Conditions with Chinese Herbs and Acupuncture

Most of us know where our thyroid gland is located but few know that it is an organ that serves to regulate metabolism and preserves the normal balance of calcium levels in the body. The thyroid gland has two lobes on both sides of our windpipe and both lobes are made up cells known as parafollicular cells and follicular cells with a large part of the tissue made up of follicular cells that manufacture the iodine possessing T3 and T4. Calcitonin is produced by the parafollicular cells.

The hormones T3 and T4 hormones coming from the follicular cells are needed by the body to help normalize metabolism, regulate the utilization of oxygen in the hard working cells and boost protein production. In order for the cells to develop and function well, it needs proteins to utilize and release energy from digested nutrients. The process in which nutrients is converted into proteins is known as metabolism or the metabolic process. If T3 and T4 are inadequate in the body, the cells will be unable to function normally. This causes the metabolic process to either decrease or increase resulting in hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism respectively. To balance the levels of calcium in the body, the calcitonin coming from the parafollicular cells interacts with another chemical produced by the parathyroid hormone. The thyroid gland’s activity is usually kept normal by a hormone known as TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) produced by the pituitary gland.

What role does the thyroid gland contribute to health? Well, if this small but very important gland malfunctions and produces too little or too much T3 or T4, then the metabolic process of your body will not function properly. An imbalance of the thyroid is diagnosed through laboratory results. Usually TSH levels are measured but if the doctor sees that your T3 or T4 levels are off, you probably will be diagnosed with a thyroid condition. Too little thyroid activity would mean hypothyroidism and too much activity would imply hyperthyroidism. Radiation or surgery to relieve or extract the hyperactive gland, and drugs such as levothyroxine to replace T4 (for a weak functioning gland) are the Western modes of treatment for a malfunctioning thyroid gland.

Women are more prone to thyroid conditions than men, and unless women have a genetic predisposition to a faulty thyroid, these conditions come about more so as women near menopause. Hypothyroid sufferers would often feel cold and have problems regulating their temperature. Fatigue and weight gain is also experienced since metabolism is affected. Hyperthyroidism symptoms, on the other hand, manifest symptoms opposite that of hypothyroidism and they include an inflamed thyroid gland (goiter), weight loss, insomnia, palpitations, flushing, nervousness, and anxiety.

Thyroid Conditions and Acupuncture in Vancouver

Acupuncture can be used to restore balance to the thyroid gland and bring back the under or over active thyroid back to its normal function. Acupuncture has the power to effectively treat endocrine disorders and diseases. Its relaxing benefits have an effect on hormone and brain activity inside the body. Besides the power to directly treat the thyroid, this ancient Chinese healing technique can also be a very valuable way to resolve the undesirable symptoms of thyroid conditions. Acupuncture for the treatment of thyroid conditions involves the use of filamentous needles painlessly stuck in the ears (ear acupuncture). To enhance the treatment, Chinese herbal remedies are also given to the patient to either subdue or enhance the function of the thyroid. Herbal remedies such as ginger, mint, or ginseng are oftentimes used.

The importance of iodine for the proper function of the thyroid gland must be emphasized since the typical American diet oftentimes lacks this very important element. You can augment iodine into your diet by supplementing it with sea salt, or seaweed, which are both rich in iodine to help improve the function of your thyroid gland. If you suffer from hypothyroidism, you must know that taking levothyroxine or other medications that contains synthetic T4 (to augment the T4 deficiency caused by this condition), will cause the body to adjust its own TSH or thyroid hormone levels. The result might be increased side effects and a rapid switching of hormone levels. If you would rather avoid surgery or drugs, then Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture are natural and sensible alternatives you should consider to help manage and resolve your thyroid condition.