Exploring Alternative Approaches to Treating Thyroid Dysfunction
If you’re experiencing symptoms like brain fog, weight gain, and chronic fatigue, thyroid dysfunction—or hypothyroidism—may be to blame. Even if you’ve had lab work with normal TSH levels, you may still have thyroid dysfunction, which could be causing your symptoms. Hypothyroidism is frequently undiagnosed or misdiagnosed because it can develop slowly over the years, and its symptoms have so much overlap with other conditions. Symptoms may also be written off as normal signs of stress or aging. So, you may be left frustrated without treatment or with treatment modalities that fall short and fail to provide relief.
Living with symptoms of an underactive thyroid without a proper diagnosis or effective treatment can take a toll on your physical and mental health. Fortunately, Kore Regenerative Medicine can offer a different approach that addresses the root cause of thyroid dysfunction and utilizes a holistic approach to healing.
Understanding Hypothyroidism
Before we dive into alternative treatments for hypothyroidism, it’s important to understand what this condition is and what causes it. The thyroid is a gland in the front of the throat, and it’s a key part of the endocrine system. It produces hormones that regulate metabolism, energy, and body temperature. Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid underproduces thyroid hormone, and it can manifest a wide range of symptoms including weight gain, thinning hair, dry skin, depression, brain fog, fatigue, menstrual irregularities, or gastrointestinal issues. It is much more common in men than women, and up to 60% of people with thyroid dysfunction don’t know that they have it.
There are two main types of hypothyroidism, which can have a wide range of contributing factors.
- Hashimoto’s Disease – Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system causes inflammation in the thyroid.
- Pituitary Hypothyroidism – Pituitary or central hypothyroidism occurs when environmental factors impact hormone production in the thyroid. These factors may include nutritional imbalances or deficiencies, high levels of cortisol (often caused by stress), previous surgery or cancer of the thyroid, and elevated estrogen levels.
Why Conventional Care for Thyroid Dysfunction Falls Short
Conventional treatment for hypothyroidism is daily hormone replacement with prescription medications like levothyroxine. The goal is to supplement the body’s thyroid production, but this treatment often fails to fully resolve symptoms, and it does not address the underlying causes of thyroid disease. Additionally, medication may not even work as intended because the dosage is not accurate, underlying conditions prevent proper absorption of the medication, or the body is unable to convert T4 (an inactive stored form of thyroid hormone) to T3, which is the active form that’s accessible to the body.
Many patients also don’t even get to the stage of treating hypothyroidism with their primary care physicians because the condition isn’t ever diagnosed properly. Standard labs may fail to flag a problem, or you may have subclinical hypothyroidism in which your TSH levels are slightly elevated but not high enough to make a formal diagnosis.
Natural Treatment Modalities for Hypothyroidism
At Kore Regenerative Medicine, we consider the full picture to help you achieve an accurate diagnosis for thyroid issues and address the root cause of your symptoms. We go beyond prescription medications to help bring the entire body into balance, which facilitates long-term relief and truer healing. Some of the treatment modalities we utilize for treating thyroid dysfunction include:
- Nutritional Counseling – The gut microbiome is strongly linked to the thyroid, so optimizing nutrition is a key step in improving thyroid health. Inflammation in the gut and an imbalanced microbiome can affect immune function, whole body inflammation, and endocrine function, throwing off your hormonal balance and impacting thyroid function. Adding more probiotic rich foods while reducing intake of sugar, starch, carbohydrates, and dairy can help restore healthy thyroid function. Additionally, testing for celiac disease may be recommended if an autoimmune disorder is present.
- Supplementation – Several nutrient deficiencies are common contributing factors of hypothyroidism, so treatment may include supplementation with vitamin B12, selenium, and zinc. IV therapy can be an effective way to boost nutrition quickly and more efficiently than with oral vitamins.
- Herbal Medicine – Herbal medicine can also promote improved thyroid function, which can in turn restore normal hormone levels naturally. Adaptogens like Ashwagandha have been shown to be particularly effective for balancing thyroid dysfunction and regulating metabolic health.
If standard thyroid panels and prescription drug therapy are not cutting it for your care, schedule a consultation at Kore Regenerative Medicine. Our functional medicine clinic addresses thyroid health through nutrition, lifestyle modifications, and root cause testing. Begin your journey with us today by scheduling a free discovery call.
