Why So Many Thyroid Problems ?

Have you noticed recently how many of your friends and family have been diagnosed by a health care practitioner (usually a medical doctor) as being Thyroid deficient or unbalanced. It seems that recently everyone has thyroid imbalance for one reason or another. Is this really possible or is it just the diagnosis "du jour" as it were. A good question that I will try to answer below:

First I do believe that we are seeing an increasing level of thyroid toxicity that will not be fixed by simply prescribing the current pharmaceuticals that are recommended in the treatment of thyroid condition and taking them for the rest of a lifetime. Below I will highlight what I feel are the causes and then follow with solutions.

1. Increased toxicity in our environment. This comes from endogenous and exogenous sources. Endogenous issues would include things like breakdown products from cellular metabolism, catabolism and digestion. Exogenous issues would include things like pesticides, environmental toxins and contaminants, cleaning and antimicrobial products, hormones used in food production etc

2. Increased stress on our body system. These stresses come in three main types. Emotional/mental, nutritional/chemical and structural

3. Increased use of medications and pharmaceutical rememdies which unbalance the thyroid/hormone system even further.

To be continued ... Have not finished yet

Christian "Yoga"

I have a very good friend who has begun a great new concept in the world of exercise. I will keep my comments short but encourage you to check out the website link in the title of this post. Laura Monica is becoming huge on the scene of the exercise/yoga world with her approach and easy repeatable style. Please check out her site and take a class, you won't regret it.

Not to mention yours truly gets to teach the theory/anatomy part of the course and co-author which should be really fun :)

Beware of The Deeper Problems

This week brought home to me once again that sometimes the health challenges that patients will list on my new patient intake forms are really just the tip of the iceberg. Case in point below:

Jody* (name changed) came into my office complaining of depression and hormonal imbalance with extreme fatigue and basic inability to cope with life. She was taking 4 different medications including a prescription weight loss drug. All four of these medications had severe and damaging side effects of which some she was experiencing. However, the biggest problem was not to be evident until two days later when she returned to my office. She returned with a lab testing kit in hand wanting a refund for the kit (which was by the way no problem) and stating that she wanted her future appointment cancelled. When my office staff member asked why she stated the following, "My husband doesn't want me doing this an d is not supportive of this."

My first question was what does she mean by this:

1. Is her husband not supportive of her getting well
2. Is her husband not supportive of her spending money on becoming well
3. Does her husband want to have her just continually sedate herself with medication so she can be a docile "good" wife.
4. Etc,etc Etc,

I really wasn't sure what she meant when I had this message relayed to me. What I could tell you was that the biggest health problem in her life right now was not her hormone problems. It was her relationship or lack there of, with someone who wants her to get well and be a functional and happy part of the family and community she is in.

Moral to the story: sometimes our health problems highlight the big "elephant" in the middle of the room that no one has talked about. This could be anything from addiction, to poor relationships, to not taking responsibility for ones self, to expecting others to save us. Next time you list your health problems try to see what event or theme is common to all of them and that might give you a clue to the real health issue that needs to be dealt with first. This also gives your natural health/alternative doctor the opportunity to really help you where it is most needed.

Have a great weekend

Yours in Health

Dr C

Bio-Identical Hormone Boondoggle

I am sure you have noticed many medical practitioners recently popping up that are advertising Bioidentical hormones and non medical nutritional treatments for health. I find this amusing. All these types of treatments have been around for a long time and have been practiced by Alternative and Natural health chiropractic kinesiologists and Naturopathic doctors for years. Now all of the sudden we have a spate of medical doctors who are turning to natural and alternative treatments and its like this is somehow new information or treatment that wasn't available before. Very funny. The only problem with this is the medical philosophy of treatment and the sickness model has not changed.

I always wonder when I hear these personal stories of doctors who have recently come through a "health crisis" and discovered natural cures and it happens to coincide with the exact time that they shifted their practice from typical medication, insurance based and pharmaceutical pushing to natural cures, bioidentical hormones and yeast free diets and also "Cash". Be slightly weary :)

Case in Point:

A women calls my office that had been treated by doctor who recently "converted" to natural treatments. The person was put on the same protocol that is routinely given to all patients including hormones and
"high" quality synthetic supplements. The ladies hair started falling out within weeks and she was asking my friend to talk to me about what to do. The doctor that was treating her said that she had no idea why this ladies hair was falling out but hoped it would get better. :) Interesting demonstration of a severe lack of knowledge about the protocols recommended.

If you are considering going to someone who works with nutritional and hormonal issues, please consider someone who has been in practice for 5 years in the field of natural health or kinesiology and who recommends whole food, organic pharmaceutical grade supplements/and or homeopathic remedies. Recent converts to the burgeoning natural health field from a very recent medical background are always worth a detailed investigation. Lest anyone get offended, this that does not mean there are not MD's out there who have knowledge in these areas. Just be weary of the recent converts to the shift of money and economy towards natural and alternative healthcare. Things that make you go "UM"

Hope the advice helps