Your thyroid gland is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck that is responsible for producing thyroid hormones which has many different effects in your body. It is estimated that 20 million Americans have a thyroid issue, with 60% of those being undiagnosed or unknown to the patient! Women are 8 times as likely to develop a thyroid issue than men in their mid to late 50's and beyond. Our thyroid gland is essential to regulating our bodies and ensuring balance to our hormonal/endocrine system. Symptoms of an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) include weight gain, depression, body aches, hair loss, itchy or dry skin, intolerance to cold, constipation, swelling of the face and neck, among many others! While hypothyroid medications are typically prescribed for an underactive thyroid, there is a natural way to help support our thyroid while determining what the best course of treatment is for you.
Our bodies are naturally made to make thyroid hormone and when there is dysfunction in doing so, we need to take a good look at what is happening internally to see where the body is failing. A recent journal article highlighted the benefits that a 52-year old woman recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism found thru chiropractic care. The patient was taking thyroid medication at the start of the study for an under active thyroid as well as experiencing hip, back, and knee pain. She went consistently to her doctor of chiropractic as well as her endocrinologist for 9 months and at that time no longer had pain to report. Her doctor reported improvement in her blood work that indicated she no longer needed to take the prescribed thyroid medication! Six months after stopping her thyroid medication, her blood work showed no traces of hypothyroidism, and therefore, still no need for medication! While chiropractic care does not replace thyroid medication, working together with multiple disciplinarians of health allowed for this patients body to return back to proper functioning. Chiropractic adjustments help eliminate interference to the nerves that send signals from the brain to the thyroid gland, and as a result limited the amount of external help (i.e. medication) that she needed!
Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC
Owner/Doctor
MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC
10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101
Charlotte, NC 28214
Tel (704) 394-8556
Fax (704) 395-8556
Reimer, C. (2019). Resolution of Hypothyroidism & Improved Cervical Curve in a 52-year Old Female Undergoing Chiropractic Care for Vertebral Subluxation: A Case Study & Review of the Literature. A. Vertebral Subluxation Res, 171-174.
