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Thyroid Health

It is by no means a surprise anymore that the thyroid is an important energy producing organ. It has numerous roles in regulating metabolism, hormones, energy, depression, heart distress, and more. If you’re constantly feeling tired, depressed, or moody there is a good chance your thyroid is under stress and therefore not working correctly.

Conditions such as hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, thyroiditis, and the thyroid storm all are a byproduct of improper thyroid, pineal, adrenal glands, and liver function or disease. The body is an integrative system – its organs and functions do not live within a state of exclusivity.

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How Does the Thyroid Work?

The thyroid works to regulate your metabolism by converting your food and oxygen into energy. This is not the only place this conversion occurs. Food and oxygen mixing to produce energy happens in every single cell in the body – within the mitochondria – besides red blood cells (RBCs). The thyroid creates two specific hormones, T4 (thyroxine) and T3 (triiodothyronine), to help control your metabolism.

6 Common Mainstream Medical Thyroid Diagnoses and Causes

  1. Hyperthyroidism – too much production of T4

  2. Hypothyroidism – too little production of T3

  3. Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis – auto-immune: the body is attacking itself

  4. Graves’ Disease – immune system disorder causing overproduction of thyroid hormones

  5. Goiter – nodules or enlargement of the thyroid gland

  6. Thyroid Nodules – inflammation, overgrowth, and cyst formation

Dig Deeper

Click on any item below to learn more about thyroid health.

Is the Thyroid Gland Dysregulation a Symptom or Cause?

Simply, your body cannot heal in a state of chronic stress. Under states of chronic stress, your body cannot produce enough energy to regulate all the various functions – let alone fight off pathogens. This causes an over-abundance of free radical production, adding more stress to the situation. This slows your body’s ability to repair, rebuild, and control all healing within. From a bird’s eye view, clinically, when T4 and T3 regulation or balance is off, there has been long-standing energy productions issues occurring within your body – regardless of a present or potential underlying autoimmune conditions.

Remember, all cells besides RBCs work to regulate energy. By the time we identify thyroid markers being irregular, thyroid distress has been occurring for quite some time. Your body is a great compensating machine. The thyroid works in overdrive trying to up and down regulate your hormone production –causing hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, respectively. Your entire body has been under a state of chronic stress and the thyroid is trying hard to regulate this process, causing hyper or hypothyroidism. Not saying your thyroid does not need to be addressed but treating the thyroid is treating the symptom – not the cause.

How mainstream wisdom addresses thyroid distress or dysfunction

How to “fix” too much T4 production via conventional wisdom

When the thyroid is producing too much T4, conventional wisdom is to prescribe thionamides, carbimazole and propylthiouracil. Maybe the problem is not the thyroid producing too much T4, but your body not converting T4 into T3 the way it should, causing what appears to be elevated T4. Fun fact: the conversion of T4 into T3 does not happen in the thyroid – it happens in the liver.

In our opinion, a more barbaric approach to overproduction of T4 is radioactive therapy – radiotherapy1. This process destroys the cells in the thyroid gland to reduce the amount of T4 production. The reason we do not like this approach is they are attacking the host to try and help the host. Hopefully this statement causes you to pause and think - this does not make sense. How does destroying an organ, designed to help regulate so many functions of the body, help that organ regulate its function better? We need to stop and ask ourselves, is there a better way?

How to “fix” too little T3 production via conventional wisdom

When the thyroid is producing too little T3, conventional wisdom is to prescribe levothyroxine and liothyronine medications – Levoxyl, Synthroid, Tirosint, Unithroid, Unithorid Direct and Cytomel, and Triostat – which are synthetic versions of T4. The conventional wisdom in doing this is – you cannot make enough so they supplement. This is fine and dandy; however, it is a band-aid fix. It is not addressing why you are not producing T4.

Our approach to Treating Thyroid Conditions Naturally or Holistically

We thoroughly enjoy helping treat you with thyroid challenges who are looking for a different perspective or are wanting to address your thyroid disfunction through more natural means. Remember, metabolism and energy production occur in all cells within the body, besides RBCs. To address thyroid conditions, we must assess the collective pathways which produce energy and regulate energy production or functions. Your body is a collective unit – up and down regulating its function(s) based upon other areas performing their functions.

Our approach to testing, assessing, and addressing thyroid conditions is through an intricate system, which looks at various organs and energy producing mechanisms through non-pharmacological interventions. We work to embody Hippocrates statement, “food is thy medicine,” as much as possible before any form of supplementation(s).

The importance of a “balanced diet” for Thyroid Conditions

Without a deeper dive into your weekly nutritional “regiment” we cannot identify holes within your eating largely causing your thyroid distress. Again, the thyroid regulates metabolism mixing your food and oxygen to produce energy. If the foods you eat are not supporting your thyroid health, you are going to face massive challenges. You cannot outrun poor eating habits.

The importance of mineral and vitamin levels for Thyroid Conditions

Through analyzing your eating habits, and lab work if needed, we look into mineral inadequacies. Think of hormones (aka enzymes) as your vehicle and minerals as the keys to your vehicle. You can have a Ferrari sitting in your garage, but if you do not have the key to start your Ferrari, then the car is useless. To have thyroid hormones, T4 and T3, work correctly there must be adequate mineral support for optimum hormonal production, conversion, and regulation.

The importance in Genetic Expression for Thyroid Conditions

Genetics is a booming industry for health. It will lead the way not only guiding you to an ideal eating program for optimal health, but also helping you understand why your body responds better with variations of food, supplements, and medications. Genetic testing will be a game changer for so many and will revolutionize healthcare. Learn more about genetic testing.

Treating the Symptoms or Treating the Cause of Thyroid Dysfunction

The problem with all these conventional, mainstream medical approaches to thyroid distress is they are treating the symptom and kicking the can down the road. The underlying problem is still occurring and now they have masked the problem. It will not go away or truly get better without addressing the underlying problem. We must separate short-term benefit from long-term gains. The traditional approaches are not working when zoomed out and looking at longer timeframes. If you have been taking thyroid medications, have you asked yourself when will I be able to get off thyroid medications? If there is no end in sight treating your thyroid complications via medications, maybe you should ask yourself – is there another way? The answer is overwhelmingly yes.

We can help you rebalance your thyroid gland and thyroid function naturally; but are you ready to make a real, long-lasting change to your health?

Content written by Dr. Keith Sparks, DC | Root Cause Protocol (RCP) Consultant, Buteyko Instructor
Content reviewed by Dr. Rachel Sparks, DC | Root Cause Protocol (RCP) Consultant

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If you are in the Wichita, KS, area and are having frustrations, complications, or stagnant results with care, then contact us for in-person help with our unique healthcare approaches. If you are not within the greater Wichita, KS metro, we have created amazing Telehealth and Video Programs to provide you the same high-quality care. Contact our professional chiropractic staff at our East Wichita clinic or West Wichita clinic about possible treatments for your muscle, joint, nutrition, and health-related concerns today.

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