Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. With symptoms that can be
debilitating such as anxiety and depression, individuals suffering from Hashimoto’s
can find themselves wondering if it’s possible to continue to live a happy and
productive life after diagnosis. Western medicine offers limited insight to
people trying to manage Hashimoto’s symptoms, leading some to explore
alternative methods. This paper will explore the Western and Traditional
Chinese Medicine (TCM) points of view regarding Hashimoto’s.
From the Western
medicine perspective, Hashimoto’s is a result of the body’s immune system
mistaking the thyroid for a foreign invader that must be attacked and destroyed.
Many patients of Western medicine are told that the body literally attacks
itself when Hashimoto’s is present. In “Hashimoto’s Disease,” staff from the
Mayo Clinic state, “Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune disorder in which your
immune system creates antibodies that damage your thyroid gland. Doctors don’t
know what causes your immune system to attack your thyroid gland. Some
scientists think a virus or bacterium might trigger the response, while others
believe genetic flaw may be involved” (www.mayoclinic.org). Western medicine
doesn’t fully understand Hashimoto’s at this point in time. While experts agree
that the immune system is malfunctioning, causes are unknown and treatments are
not optimally effective in all cases.
Hashimoto’s symptoms
include anxiety, depression, weight gain, hair loss, irregular menstruation in
women, mood swings, fatigue, lack of circulation, heart issues, constipation, muscle
weakness, brain fog, poor immune response, and feeling cold. Symptoms range in
presentation and severity between individuals. Additionally, many people report
“Hashimoto’s flares,” or a severe increase in symptoms, triggered by stress,
diet, or environmental factors. Severe flares can leave some individuals unable
to maintain normal levels of activity and functioning in day to day life.
Therefore, preventing flares and managing symptoms can become a priority for
some individuals with Hashimoto’s.
It is not uncommon
for individuals with a Hashimoto’s diagnosis to present with seemingly
unrelated or bizarre symptoms. Sometimes a patient may receive diagnosis of
additional autoimmune disorders in conjunction with Hashimoto’s. On the
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases’ (NIDDK)
“Hashimoto’s Disease” webpage, the organization states, “You are more likely to
develop Hashimoto’s disease if you have other autoimmune disorders.” The NIDDK
goes on to list the following conditions as “linked” to Hashimoto’s: Addison’s
disease; autoimmune hepatitis; celiac disease; lupus; pernicious anemia;
rheumatoid arthritis; Sjogren’s syndrome; type 1 diabetes; and vitiligo (www.niddk.nih.gov).
Individuals who have received a Hashimoto’s diagnoses can feel like they’ve
jumped through the proverbial rabbit hole of health issues. A lack of concrete
understanding surrounding Hashimoto’s and autoimmune disorders in general combined
with no hope of curing these chronic conditions can make for a bleak prognosis
from the Western medicine perspective.
Western medicine
does offer some relief and management of Hashimoto’s symptoms through hormone
therapy. By introducing either synthetic T3 and T4 thyroid hormones, or using a
natural animal gland alternative, Hashimoto’s symptoms can be greatly reduced.
In “A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology: Fifth Edition,” Ruth Werner
states, “The usual treatment for hypothyroidism is to supplement thyroid
hormones, usually in the form of synthetic T4, which most people can metabolize
into adequate amounts of T3. While many people find relief with this treatment,
others must explore other options to find the right supplement for both T3 and
T4. This can be in the form of synthetic versions of these hormones or as
desiccated porcine or bovine glands. Using animal products for hormone
replacement is challenging, though, because the potency from one batch to
another can vary greatly” (p. 413). Thyroid hormones are the main form of treatment
for Hashimoto’s from the Western medicine perspective.
Unfortunately,
many people report that their Hashimoto’s symptoms persist even while receiving
hormone therapy. In
“Thyroid Healing: The Truth Behind
Hashimoto’s, Graves, Insomnia, Hypothyroidism, Thyroid Nodules and
Epstein-Barr,” Anthony William says, “You can still be gaining weight,
losing hair, feeling fatigued, and generally suffering even after you’ve gone
on medication for thyroid issues. It’s a common experience for millions of
people: they’re diligently taking their medication every day, and even though
that medication is causing thyroid test results to indicate normal hormone
levels, their thyroids are getting worse over the years, because no one knew to
look for the underlying issue and address the real cause” (p. 81). Because
Western medicine views Hashimoto’s, the number one cause of hypothyroidism, as
incurable the condition is managed but not healed. Furthermore, because Western
medicine does not yet know the underlying causes of Hashimoto’s, treatment
options are limited.
In Chinese
medicine, Hashimoto’s is seen as an imbalance in the body. According to Cynthia
McMullen, LMT and teacher at the Institute of Oriental Healing Arts Center
(OHAC) in Anchorage, Alaska, autoimmune disorders are a “confusion” in the
body. While teaching a course at OHAC that explores pathology from a TCM perspective,
McMullen explains that, “The body never attacks itself.” McMullen says that, in
Chinese medicine, every pathology in the body is an imbalance in energy that
can be corrected or cured by restoring the body to balance.
TCM teaches that
every person and every part of the natural world is comprised of five elemental
energies: Earth, fire, water, wood, and metal. According to McMullen who, in
addition to TCM pathology courses also teaches a class on the five elements of
TCM at OHAC, it is essential to balance the energies within the self in order
to experience health in the body. McMullen teaches that TCM practitioners can
look for specific signs that indicate imbalances in particular energies.
According to TCM, each element has its own characteristics and associations.
For instance, the fire element is associated with the color red, the sound of
laughter, a burnt smell, and emotions of joy and happiness. McMullen teaches
students to observe the color, sound, smell, and emotions individuals present
to better understand what energetic imbalances may exist.
Individuals who
have received a Hashimoto’s diagnosis may find encouragement in TCM. Because
TCM views all pathology as an energy imbalance within the body, every pathology
is presumed treatable. Rather than a life sentence to depression, anxiety,
fatigue, and the range of other varied and sometimes distressing symptoms that
can result from an autoimmune disorder, TCM offers the perspective that Hashimoto’s
is a confusion within the body that can be corrected through balancing the
energies within the self. This perspective can offer hope in light of what is
often a bleak prognosis from the Western medicine point of view.
According to the
five elements theory of TCM, Hashimoto’s is related to the spleen. In “How
Acupuncture Can Be Effective in Treating Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis,” River City
Wellness states:
From the
perspective of Chinese medical theory, the underlying potential of developing
Hashimoto’s falls to the function of the spleen. Women are ruled by the concept
of blood, which is either lost or consumed via menstruation, gestation and/or
lactation. The spleen system creates and transforms the blood so through the
natural functioning and aging of the body, by the mid-30’s the spleen can
become deficient and weak. This may be an insight to why this condition effects
more women than men. Other habits that can weaken the spleen system include overeating
sugars and sweets, consuming too many chilled or uncooked foods, too much
thinking, worry or anxiety, chronic fatigue, too little exercise or excessive
use of antibiotics (www.rcwacupuncture.com).
In TCM, the spleen is associated
with the earth element. In the “Five Elements” course offered through OHAC,
McMullen teaches that an imbalanced earth element “Must use earth substances to
replenish and rebuild.” What McMullen calls “earth foods,” or naturally grown,
whole, organic foods, must be consumed in order to rebalance the earth element.
Additionally, McMullen states that the earth element does not always heal
“overnight.” She compares a fire ravaged area re-growing, replenishing, and
thriving once again to the body rebuilding an earth element imbalance. The TCM
approach to rebuilding the earth element agrees with the holistic approach to
managing Hashimoto’s that many doctors and patients are finding to be true;
managing Hashimoto’s has more to do with diet and lifestyle than any other
factor.
In addition to
diet and nutrition, TCM seeks to restore health by balancing the energy, called
qi, of the self through various means. Massage, acupressure, acupuncture,
physical activity that incorporates breath work such as qigong and tai chi, and
herbal formulas are all possible tools for treatment. Massage can help reduce
stress and assist in restoring energy balance in the body. Acupressure and
acupuncture can help assess where there is a lack of or an excess of energy in
the body. Acupressure and acupuncture are often used to get blocked energy
flowing and to balance energy. Qigong and tai chi are traditional Chinese
activities that incorporate energy meridians and breath work into physical
routines. Herbal formulas, teas and tinctures are also used restore balance and
health to the mind, body and spirit.
Massage can be
beneficial to clients with a Hashimoto’s diagnoses. In “A Massage Therapist’s Guide
to Pathology,” Werner does warn, “Persons with hypothyroidism are at risk for
cardiovascular disease, and that informs some choices about massage” (p. 413). However, Werner also points out the benefits
of massage for common Hashimoto’s symptoms such as fatigue and depression (p.
413). Looking at Hashimoto’s from a holistic standpoint, it would stand to reason
that massage could be beneficial in reducing the impacts of stress related
triggers. For instance, in “Thyroid Healing: The Truth Behind Hashimoto’s,
Graves, Insomnia, Hypothyroidism, Thyroid Nodules and Epstein-Barr,” William
lists “Death in the family […]; Broken heart or betrayal […]; and taking care
of sick loved one” as three of the most common triggers that can signal the
onset of Hashimoto’s (p. 11-12). If stress is a factor in Hashimoto’s, as many
professionals and Hashimoto’s patients report, then it would stand to reason
that massage could aid in reducing stress and supporting patients’ health
through high stress times. From a TCM point of view, massage can help balance
excess or lack of energy within the self and assist blocked energy in flowing.
Hashimoto’s
thyroiditis remains a bit of a medical mystery from the Western medical
perspective. The root causes of the disease and its apparent link to other
autoimmune disorders is not fully understood in the Western medical community,
but generally the disease is seen as the immune system malfunctioning and
causing the body to attack itself. The TCM point of view regarding Hashimoto’s,
or any autoimmune issue for that matter, is that of confusion in the body. In TCM,
Hashimoto’s is a result of the body being out of balance. By restoring balance
through diet and nutrition, body work such as massage and acupuncture, herbs,
and practices such as qigong or tai chi, it is believed that a person can heal
Hashimoto’s. Regardless of a Western or Chinese medicine approach, massage can
be helpful to individuals experiencing Hashimoto’s by reducing stress and
easing symptoms of anxiety, depression and fatigue.
Works Cited
Mayo Clinic. “Hashimoto’s Disease” webpage. www.mayoclinic.org.
2018.
McMullen,
Cynthia. “Pathology” and “Five Elements” courses. Oriental Healing Arts Center,
Anchorage,
Alaska. 2019.
Werner,
Ruth. “A Massage Therapist’s Guide to Pathology: Fifth Edition.” Wolters Kluwer
Health;
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 2013.
National
Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). “Hashimoto’s
Disease”
webpage. www.niddk.nih.gov. 2017.
William,
Anthony. “Thyroid Healing: The Truth Behind Hashimoto’s, Graves, Insomnia,
Hypothyroidism,
Thyroid Nodules and Epstein-Barr.” Hay House. 2017.
River City
Wellness. “How Acupuncture Can Be Effective in Treating Hashimoto’s
Thyroiditis.”
www.rcwacupuncture.com. 2018.
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