What is hyper/hypothyroidism and can Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal medicine help?

The thyroid gland is located on the front part of the neck below the thyroid cartilage (Adam’s apple). The gland produces thyroid hormones, whic

h regulate body metabolism. Thyroid hormones are important in regulating body energy, the body’s use of other hormones and vitamins, and the growth and maturation of body tissues. Hyperthyroidism is commonly associated with weight loss and insomnia and Hypothyroidism with weight gain and constipation but there are lots more other symptoms and signs. Women are about four times more likely than men to suffer thyroid disorders. Of these two, hypothyroidism is the most common. Grave’s disease is the most common hyperthyroid condition; in severe cases it is treated by removal of thyroid tissue either through surgery or via irradiation from an iodine isotope-this rapidly binds to the thyroid, and thus causes maximum destruction of tissues at this site. As a result, patients often experience only partial relief of the symptoms and those who suffer from hyperthyroidism often have to deal with hypothyroid conditions following medical destruction of the thyroid gland. It is also difficult to regulate the level of thyroid hormones through the use of drugs. Chinese herbs and Acupuncture provide better results than using drugs or surgery. The continued use of surgical thyroidectomy (removal of thyroid gland) and iodine-irradiation of the thyroid gland in patients should be deemed a last resort rather than the standard front line method of therapy. In China acupuncture and herbal therapy would be first used and only as a last resort would surgery and drugs be considered. From an energetic point of view the throat area is where we swallow our reality this is where we express our true feelings from our heart up and out through our voice. When we repress anger, rage our just repress our true heart felt feelings or views we block the meridians or energy channels in the throat, This repression over a long period of time causes a blockage of energy flow in the throat leading to various throat disorders from minor septic throat or a feeling of a lump in the throat or finding it hard to swallow, to goitre or in sever cases thyroid problems. We can generally repress our true feeling about life or relationships for fear of being ridiculed or of upsetting someone; it’s a fact that women suffer more with throat disorders because in society women are more repressed than men. Acupuncture is a great way of opening up the blocked energy in the thyroid gland, but it also creates an inner awareness in a persons mental/emotional matrix of where they may need to make some real changes in their life/relationships to facilitate expressing themselves in a more productive way so that energy never gets blocked again in the throat. So take a deep breath close your eyes and when thinking about your throat problem the old saying, “I need to clear my throat to that person” should come to mind.