by Dr. Don Joergens, D.C.

 Thyroid issues, as with many diseases and dysfunctions, will derive benefit, if not frank curative healing, from mindful mining of their root causes. 

Western medicine’s approach to both diagnostic determination and drug-based intervention is often a solid first path solution to aid those whose signs and symptoms are more seriously affecting their health. However, it fails to offer a second path or a way that does not include a life of ever-increasing pharmaceuticals, deteriorating capacities and correction of that which caused the sick state in the first place. 

When seeking alternatives for restoring thyroid health, some of the best knowledge comes from Dr. Izabella Wentz, Pharm.D., FASCP, a clinical pharmacist and author of Hashimoto’s Protocol, and Datis Kharrazian, PhD., DHSc , who authored Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms?. Their work focuses on exploring below the surface of symptoms to the roots of causation to understand how the body begins to attack the thyroid gland (autoimmune disease) and how our brain can dysregulate, often due to stress, and create inappropriate signals and directives to the thyroid. 

Powerful approaches including food pharmacology (foods as healing cures and foods as creating disease/dysfunction), carefully considered supplementation, brain balancing, exercise and more can make the difference between a sick or healthy thyroid. Less known would be the negative physical changes that can occur by incorrectly consuming a raw plant diet or a paleo, animal flesh rich program when it’s wrong for our brain/body chemistry.

There is also a third path—the mind. Unquestionably, the mind is integral to and compatible with the first two care solutions. A rapidly advancing understanding of how the impact upon the mind (which activates the brain) from traumas both physical, psychological or both can lead to and often be the primary driver in this and so many other states of ill health. This realization allows the utilization of one’s own mind to turn off or lessen the autoimmune and inflammatory attack on this vital gland. 

Both past trauma and ongoing distress can cause and continue a severe imbalance in the main regulating platform of both the body and the brain, the autonomic (automatic) nervous system (ANS). This can affect everything from our immune strength and gut health to metabolism, cardiovascular performance and ability to withstand stress, enjoy life, relationships and so much more.

Past traumas can include a childhood that lacked nurturing, had physical/emotional abuse, sexual trauma (at any age), bullying, etc. Chronic, as well as even a single extreme episode of stress or antibiotic therapy causing the gut microbiome to dysfunction, are also highly implicated. The stress of pregnancy and childbirth, particularly the second, can create thyroid targeting crisis events. Accidents and injuries can crash an already weakened brain. So, what can you or a practitioner do?

The use of TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) is an easy and extremely potent way to strengthen the restorative part of the ANS through stimulating the vagus nerve, a major part of this system, via one of two specific areas on the left or right ear. Each ear provides different healing potentials depending upon the needs of the person. 

Specific breathing techniques can also be employed to strengthen either the sympathetic or parasympathetic sides depending upon the specific imbalance a person may be suffering. 

Mindfulness training, especially the active form incorporating “waking rest” which teaches the expansion of conscious awareness, is an incredibly potent tool in enhancing the return of the dynamic balance of our master metabolic regulator, the autonomic nervous system.

Keep “minding thyroid” in mind as you seek the solutions that will restore your life.

Dr. Donald Joergens, D.C., founder of Functional Brain Training, has been an innovative thinker for over 25 years. His proprietary developments and patent using the discoveries of cutting-edge functional neuroscience reflect his powerful belief and vision in the inclusion of functional brain-based methods to potentiate the lives of all people.

Location:  The Functional Brain Training center is located in Rockaway, NJ. For information or to set up a talk,
call 867-777-8612 or email [email protected]. FunctionalBrainTraining.com.