Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism – how acupuncture can help

Hypothyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormones, can lead to various symptoms, including fatigue, weight gain, and sensitivity to cold.

Acupuncture is a natural treatment in traditional Chinese medicine that involves stimulating specific biologically active points close to nerves and large blood vessels to achieve the therapeutic effect. While scientific evidence is still limited, acupuncture has been suggested to help improve hypothyroidism.

How acupuncture helps hypothyroidism? A group of scientists from China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing researched neuroendocrine system of rats with hypothyroidism to understand the effects of acupuncture.

Their findings were that acupuncture regulates serum levels of T3 and testosterone,  Beta endorphins in the hypothalamus and plasma nucleotides. This was noted as the possible mechanism of action of acupuncture for hypothyroidism in their study published in the journal of Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion (1999-01).

Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can be also helpful to reduce the symptoms of hypothyroidism.  I would not recommend stopping your medication after you start acupuncture treatment without discussing it with your prescribing doctor first.

Further reading:

Yu Qian, et al. Acupuncture use to treat hypothyroidism in patients recovering from severe brain injuries. China Journal of Acupuncture. 1996;16(8):1-3.

Hou Yu-duo1, at al. Experimental Study of Fire Needle Intervention in the Treatment of Hypothyroidism with Western Medicine. Journal of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2011

Shao Wei Weng, et al. Treating hypothyroidism with moxibustion. Shanghai Journal of Acupuncture. 1984

Wang Xiu Jie, et al. Treating coma due to myxedema (coma due to hypothyroidism) with acupuncture. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 1998;14(4)