Thyroid and Acupuncture

THYROIDS AND ACUPUNCTURE

By Acupuncture Wu Wei Posted July 31, 2018

The thyroid gland is located in the neck, below the walnut and bordering the trachea in front. It is a very important endocrine gland in the body. It secretes thyroid hormones (T3 or triiodothyronine and T4 thyroxine) that have mainly two functions:

It controls the body's energy production, carbohydrate and fat metabolism, and oxygen consumption.
Stimulates the growth and development of tissues in the right proportions.
When reading this from the point of view of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yuan Qi, the original or ancestral energy, quickly comes to mind. Yuan Qi is the essence or Kidney Jing in the form of Qi. Yuan Qi governs our growth and development. It also facilitates the formation of Qi and Blood, supporting the transformation processes carried out by the digestive, respiratory and circulatory systems. The Yuan Qi is stored in the kidneys, so seeing the similarity of their functions, from the perspective of TCM we can relate the thyroid to the functional sphere of the Kidney system.

Other systems can be related to the thyroid through its meridians, either the main or secondary branches. The Stomach, Liver, Heart and Lung meridians are the main ones involved. Large intestine, spleen, gallbladder are also related, although more indirectly. The curious meridians Ren Mai, Yin Wei Mai, Chong Mai and Yin Qiao Mai also pass through this area.


The pathologies that you hear most about in relation to the thyroid are the goiter, the hyperthyroidism and the hypothyroidism.

Goiter

The goiter it is an enlargement of the thyroid gland.

Some cases are due to food, others due to drugs. Most cases the cause is unknown.

The goiter may or may not affect the function of thyroxine secretion, and may be a normal, hypofunctional (secretes insufficient thyroid, hypothyroid) or hyperfunctioning (hyperthyroid) goiter. It may not give symptoms, which depending on how much the thyroid enlarges, can make it difficult to swallow, speak or breathe.

Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism is the condition in which the thyroid produces excess thyroid hormone.

This can happen due to a hyperthyroid goiter, a tumor, a viral disease that has inflamed the thyroid, an excessive consumption of thyroid hormone (in some drugs) and the most common cause is an autoimmune disease (Graves-Bassedow disease).

Hyperthyroidism speeds up metabolism, producing symptoms such as:

  • Slimming
  • Increased appetite
  • Heat intolerance
  • Profuse sweating
  • Very fine hair and alopecia
  • Muscular weakness
  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea, vomiting
  • Nervousness, agitation, insomnia
  • Lowering of cholesterol
  • Tachycardia, arrhythmia, palpitations
  • Tremors
  • Itching on the body
  • Arterial hypertension
  • Osteoporosis
  • Infertility
  • Menstrual disorders: hypermenorrhea or menorrhagia (short menstrual cycles with heavy bleeding)
  • When autoimmune (Graves disease): exophthalmos (bulging eyes) and pretibial myxedema.
  • There may be a goiter.

Hypothyroidism

The hypothyroidism It is the decrease in the secretion of thyroid hormones, which decreases the metabolism.

Its most common cause is Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease. Other possible causes are: an underactive goiter, an iodine deficiency, the use of some drugs or the surgical removal of the thyroid.

Hypothyroidism slows down metabolism, producing symptoms as diverse as:

  • Weight gain, despite eating less. Loss of appetite
  • Cold intolerance
  • Generalized or facial edema.
  • Macroglossia: large tongue.
  • Muscular weakness.
  • Alopecia and hair loss on the tail of the eyebrow.
  • On a mental level: mental exhaustion, slowness, memory loss, depressed mood, hypersomnia.
  • Constipation.
  • Increased cholesterol
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome.
  • Menstrual disorders: amenorrhea, very delayed and not very abundant cycles or metrorrhagia (uterine bleeding not associated with menstruation).
Hypothyroidism or subclinical hyperthyroidism

The thyroid does not regulate itself, it is not isolated in the body. It is part of the complex endocrine system, commanded by the hypothalamus and the hypophysis. The pituitary gland or pituitary gland secretes the hormone TSH to stimulate the thyroid to secrete thyroid hormones according to the body's needs.

When a thyroid gland begins to fail, producing for example insufficient amounts of thyroid hormones, the pituitary will secrete more TSH to stimulate the thyroid to produce more and maintain the balance of bodily functions. If the person is tested at this time, the correct thyroid hormone levels (T3 and T4) appear, but the TSH hormone levels are elevated. This is a subclinical hypothyroidism- There may be no symptoms or there may be mild symptoms of hypothyroidism, the body still regulates itself, but the thyroid is already overworking and can get worse over time.

If the T3 and T4 are correct in the analysis but the TSH is low, it may indicate that the pituitary is trying to stop an excessive activity of the thyroid. This would be the case of subclinical hyperthyroidism.

Thyroid Disorders and Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine considers as possible causes of thyroid disorders the emotional stress, the feeding inadequate, the around (there are mountainous regions where goiter is endemic, due to insufficient iodine), Constitution (predominates in women).

Goiter can be of several types:

Qi stagnation: if the lump rises or falls according to the emotional state.
Phlegm: the lump is relatively soft and fixed.
Blood stasis: The lump is relatively hard, static, grows quickly, and can be painful. The skin that covers it may be a little darker.

Hypothyroidism can be related to the following conditions:

Spleen and Kidney Yang Insufficiency
Kidney Jing Insufficiency
Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiency
Qi deficiency and general blood

And the hyperthyroidism:

Liver Qi stagnation
Heat / Fire in Liver, Heart and Stomach
Liver and Kidney Yin deficiency with empty heat
Heat and phlegm in Liver

Each pattern has a different therapeutic approach from acupuncture. In all cases, the energetic state of the person in question is studied and work is done to balance it.


Do you have a thyroid problem and want to complement your treatment with acupuncture? Come visit us, we offer you a free diagnosis in which we will assess your condition and propose a natural treatment without side effects.


Author: David garrucho , acupuncturist and co-founder of Acupuncture Wu Wei

Acupuncture, Hyperthyroidism, Hypothyroidism, Mtc, Thyroid
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