There are more than 20 million Americans suffering from thyroid disease today. The majority of those suffering are dealing with a condition known as hypothyroidism. It’s a condition where the thyroid gland is unable to produce enough thyroid hormones to keep the body running. It’s a chronic condition and one that can be tricky to treat with conventional medicine.

Functional medicine practitioners often specialize in hypothyroidism because it’s been effective and has changed lives all over the world. These individuals go through rigorous therapeutic nutrition and botanical medicine training. The training is always rooted in the basics of functional medicine, which is to identify the source of the condition rather than just the associated symptoms.

The thyroid plays one of the bigger roles in keeping our bodies running. It’s job is to make hormones which are secreted and then carried to every tissue in our body. The thyroid is responsible for giving us energy, keeping a regular temperature and maintaining our metabolism. It is also tasked with keeping the brain, heart, and muscles working the way they should. As you can tell, the thyroid is pretty important.

Perhaps one of the scariest stats surrounding hypothyroidism is that between 40 and 60 percent of those affected don’t even know they have the condition. There are so many warning signs for hypothyroidism.

• Fatigue
• Weight Gain
• Hair Thinning
• Dry Skin
• Brain Fog
• Difficulty Sleeping

The symptoms of hypothyroidism are a perfect example of why functional medicine can work. Conventional medicine has answers for each symptom, but it doesn’t necessarily have the answer for the root issue, which in this case is hypothyroidism. For example, a sleeping pill or a special cream to help with dry skin may provide short term relief for the symptoms but what a functional medicine practitioner can help you do to overall make your body healthier will trickle over and your thyroid function in most instances will improve.

The current conventional medicine approach is a pill you need to take daily. You may always need that pill in certain thyroid cases but with functional medicine the body gets healthier and your functional medicine doctor will work with your endocrinologist so they can prescribe a lower medication or eliminate the medication.

Functional medicine doctors provide individualized hypothyroid plans, using a combination of diet, supplementation and botanical medicine. Nutrition plays a large role in the success or failure of any functional medicine plan. It’s especially important when trying to keep your thyroid healthy.

Let Us Help

Panther Chiropractic and Functional Medicine has been at the forefront of the functional medicine charge for years and is one of the only true functional medicine practices in the greater Pittsburgh area. If you suffer from a thyroid issue or have any other chronic symptoms, give us a call. We’ll be happy to schedule a consultation.