Functional Neurology Treatments for Thyroid Dysfunction
Our thyroid gland is a butterfly shaped organ in the front of your neck below your jaw. We don’t often think about our thyroid gland, but it is the largest of our endocrine glands and is very important to how well our body functions.
Your thyroid stores and produces hormones that affect almost every other organ in your body. The hormones that your thyroid produces also control how quickly and how well your body uses energy.
When your thyroid is not working properly, it may be producing too many hormones, which is called hyperthyroidism. Alternately, some people’s thyroid does not produce enough hormones, which is called hypothyroidism.
Hashimoto’s or Grave’s Disease
Both Hashimoto’s disease and Grave’s disease are autoimmune conditions that are related to the thyroid as well. In Hashimoto’s disease, a person’s immune system attacks their thyroid gland. The inflammation that is caused by this attack often leads to an underactive thyroid gland and hypothyroidism. Hashimoto’s disease is common in women ages 30 to 50.
Grave’s disease is a condition in which a different kind of attack by your immune system on your thyroid causes your thyroid to go in overdrive, overproducing thyroid hormones. Graves is also most common in women before the age of 40.
Traditional treatments for thyroid problems
Thyroid problems are traditionally diagnosed by checking a patient’s hormone levels, specifically TSH, T3 and T4. However, this is not enough information to determine where the problem is in the thyroid.
In order to get an overall picture of what is happening in the thyroid, a full thyroid panel must be run. This includes 8-10 different markers for the thyroid which will give us information about what is truly occurring in the thyroid.
Functional neurology and thyroid problems
A functional neurologist will provide a much more comprehensive evaluation that goes beyond hormone levels so that they may prescribe more effective treatments.
At NorCal Brain center, we will complete a comprehensive examination that will begin with a check of ten different thyroid markers in your blood that will help us determine if there is thyroid dysfunction. We will also check you for blood sugar issues and viral or bacterial infection.
We will assess the health of your liver and kidneys and give you a complete examination of your whole body. This will allow us to get a fuller view of your health, giving us more insight into how all of these factors affect your thyroid health.
Once we have all the puzzle pieces that explain your condition, we will design a treatment that is specific to your individual needs, beyond just hormone replacement therapy.
Management of Thyroid Dysfunction
Many people who suffer from thyroid issues will not fully respond to taking thyroid hormones. Some studies indicate that thyroid hormones alone will not be fully effective for up to 90% of patients! You owe it to yourself to find the treatment for your condition that is the most effective, and helps you get back to feeling normal and living a full and active life.
It’s important to remember that thyroid disorders are often autoimmune disorders in which the body’s own immune response attacks the tissues of the thyroid. Therefore, if you do not address the autoimmune component of your condition, you will continue to have symptoms and feel bad. Simply replacing hormones will not be enough to combat your problem.
Visiting a functional neurologist will help you get a handle on what the autoimmune issues are that are driving your condition. For example, you may have abnormal blood sugar regulation that is not diabetes. This can be a partial cause of your problems. You may also be having an immune response to certain food proteins from eggs, wheat or other foods that can cause your autoimmune responses.
Once you and your doctor have a more complete picture of what all the causes of your thyroid issues are, this will help you design a treatment plan and lifestyle changes that can help you get back to feeling yourself again.
At NorCal brain center, we are experienced and skilled in helping patients with autoimmune conditions such as thyroid problems get back to their lives. If you or a loved one are suffering, please schedule a consultation today!
