Alternative Treatments for Thyroid Disease
Abstract
Alternative medicine or healing denotes and practice aimed at offering healing which does not fall under conventional practices of medicine which are mainly defined by western standards. The alternative cures are also mostly constituted of practices that have not been proven to effective and consistent with practice of medicine and healing. These practices lack scientific based proof and they are mainly based cultural and/or historical principles. This paper looks at the application of alternative medicine in the treatment of thyroid diseases and how the alternative practice may be combined with conventional medicine. The paper also offers various alternative healing practices that may be combined to bring about healing to patients suffering from thyroid problems.
Introduction
The thyroid gland is located in the front part of neck under the Adams apple. The organ has a shape that closely resembles a butterfly and it wraps itself around the trachea. The organ mainly utilizes iodine from salts and sea foods which it uses in the formation of thyroid hormones, which regulate the metabolism in various parts of the body. The produced hormones are responsible for influencing growth and development (Goodman 57). The gland produces two significant hormones namely (T3) tri-odothyronine and (T4) thyroxine. These two thyroid hormones represent its 0.1% and 99.9% of hormones produced by the gland.
T3 is the biologically active hormone and T4 has to be converted to T3 for use in the body’s endocrinal functions. The thyroid gland is regulated by the pituitary gland in the human brain and the pituitary is also affected by the thyroid gland through the feedback system of the organ. The pituitary gland is also regulated by the hypothalamus. The chain of events in the endocrinal system starts with the hypothalamus which secretes TRH (thyrotropin releasing hormone) which in turn stimulates the secretion of TSH (Thyroid stimulating hormone) from the pituitary glands by sending a signal to the pituitary gland.
The TSH produced by the pituitary then signals the thyroid gland in the neck to secrete thyroid hormones (Goodmans 45). Any over-activity within these systems simply implies that the thyroid gland will produce more thyroid hormones and thus lead to an excessive imbalance known as hyperthyroidism. On the other hand, if any of the processes involved in this sequence is slowed or inhibited there is very little production of thyroid hormone and thus leading a deficiency known as hypothyroidism. The pituitary controls the levels of hormones through the use of a feedback mechanism determined by levels of thyroid hormones in the blood.
Other hormones secreted by the thyroid in lower amounts include calcitonin which is important for the regulation and control of calcium in the blood (Goodman 71). Any shortage or excessive production of thyroid glands suggests that there is an imbalance in the system and sequences that lead to the production of hormones. Therefore, most medical procedures and healing methodologies seek to re-establish this balance so as to ensure there is optimal secretion of hormones that is neither too low nor too high in a manner that is life threatening to the patient.
There are numerous conventional medical approaches to treatment that are currently available in the medical realm that are used to address issue related to thyroid problems. Similarly there are a number of alternative medical practices and procedures that have been put forth by alternative medicine doctors and these include a combination of dietary measures, exercise, use of supplements, medicinal herbs among many other approaches. Currently, a large number of patients I trying out the alternative therapies in order to complement other conventional measures.
Dietary deficiencies such as the lack of iodine especially for pregnant mothers directly contribute to the occurrence of thyroid problems. A deficiency of iodine has been specifically implicated in the case of thyroid conditions in women in the post-partum period. Additionally, the lack of proteins such as the amino acid tyrosine which is part of thyroid hormones structures may also lead to thyroid problems. Therefore, alternative medicine practitioners such as Roberts (1), suggest that the correction dietary imbalance through the use of dietary supplements and correcting the dietary balance through recommending certain varieties of food rich in certain minerals and nutrients is an important measure in the treatment of thyroid conditions. Therefore, diet is perhaps the first and most important alternative medicine approach towards healing thyroid problems (Dua 155).
At times desiccated natural thyroid products derived from animals such as pigs are used to supplement the deficiency of thyroid hormones. These could go along with the addition of supplements with tyrosine and iodine. Alternative medicine recommends the use of such animal products because they seemingly work well with some patients, however, religious hindrances may keep off some people from using these forms of alternative treatments (Shomon 1).
Ayurvedic alternative medicine from India, suggest that thyroid conditions are caused by an imbalance in the body. This may actually be true even from the scientific sense that attributes these problems to over-activity or under-activity. However, the ayurvedic concept views the problem from the perspective of accumulations of negative energies on this energy center which part of the several “chakras” or body energy centers that are identified in Indian alternative medicine (Dua 156). Therefore, in order to correct the problem it’s recommended that patients should engage in exercises such as yoga which can help those balances their body energy centers (chakras) to alleviate and avoid further imbalances that may worsen the problem. In this view, exercises in yoga such as extensions, shoulder-stands and neck rotation are recommended as being helpful to the thyroid gland.
Other alternative practices recommended for the control and balance of body and its energy in alternative treatments include acupressure, acupuncture, massaging, reiki and reflexology. All these are recognized as energy controlling and modes that channel body energy to avert thyroid diseases (Dua 152).The use usual physical exercises such as aerobics is also recognized as being important in not so much as a cure, but as a control for the excessive body weight that may be gained in cases that result from metabolic imbalances when the thyroid hormones fail to regulate metabolism. In this sense, the physical exercises help treat symptoms and other problems that occur as a result of thyroid problems. Alternative medicine finds the combination of exercise and other alternative medical practices to be effective even in the conventional medical practice (Shomon 1)..
Indian ayurveda and many other eastern forms of treatment also recommend the use of herbs in treating thyroid problems. The use of these herbs embraces the concepts of hot and cold as per the Asian and Oriental aspects of body balance and energy (Dua 141). The herbs are meant to eliminate sensitivity to toxins, allergens, bacteria, viruses and hormones thus making the thyroid gland able to fight for itself in cases such as when it gets under attack from within in the Hashimoto’s disease in which antibodies produced from within the body attack the organ causing its total ineffectiveness. The herbal medicines are said to contain beneficial effects of increasing the immune system.
Like yoga meditation is also proposed as alternative channel towards establishing body balance. Through the process of meditation individuals are able to acquire peace and tranquility. This process reduces stress which is responsible for weakening the immune system as well as causing pre-disposure to thyroid conditions (Dua 168)
Conclusion
There are various alternative treatments proposed for the treatment of both the conditions and symptoms of thyroid diseases and most of them base their principles of treatment on dietary issues as well as on beliefs of balance of energy and body activities. Most of them recommend a mixture of dietary measures and use of supplements to counter thyroid conditions that result from deficiencies. They also combine physical exercises and mental activities such as meditation, yoga and aerobics to establish a body balance in terms of energy so as to facilitate a better immune system and ability to respond to imbalances and establish balance in the body. Conclusively, they tend to rely on balancing the body’s energy and establishing a stronger immunity as well as a balanced dietary intake that will supply all the essential nutrients required in thyroid activities such as iodine and tyrosine.
Works Cited/Bibliography
Dua, Shiv. Know & Solve Thyroid Problems: Know and Solve Thyroid Problems. B. Jain Publishers, 2005. Print
Goodmans, H. Maurice,. Basic medical endocrinology, 4th edition: Academic Press, 2009. Print
Roberts, C. Alternative medicine approaches for hypothyroidism, retrieved on 2nd may 2011 from http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/carolroberts.htm, 2011. Web
Shasta, Tayam. Thyroid disease: A natural perspective, retrieved on 2nd may 2011 from, http://www.longevity-center.com/thyroid_interview_2.html, 2011, Web
Shomon, M. Top five alternative medicine approaches, retrieved on 2nd may 2011 from http://thyroid.about.com/cs/alternativehelp/tp/alternatives.htm, 2011, Web
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