Perspectives on Thyroid Disease: Integrative Western and Chinese Medicine Approaches


the expansive nature of the think- ing. Whereas conventional Western medicine is frequently bound by protocols and drug regimens which may or may not suit a particular individual’s needs, when you widen the lens to include other healing philosophies the view and the options look very different. At Natural Nutmeg, we’re passionate about offering you in-depth, actionable and thought-provoking information on wellness. This month’s feature on thyroid disease – a disease that is pervasive, and yet time after time goes undetected – is looked at through two complementary but different lenses.


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An Integrative Western Medicine Perspective by Dr. Henry Sobo


It has been estimated that thousands of people in our


country suffer from the signs and symptoms of an underactive thyroid,yet have not been diagnosed by their doctors. If you may be one of them, the obvious question you may have is, why has your doctor not diagnosed your condition? The answer may lie in the inexact nature of the blood test most commonly used to make the diagnosis. In 2003 the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists formulated new guidelines for the interpretation of the thyroid blood test called TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone). They stated that what was accepted as the "normal" range for the test was too broad. Many people who needed thyroid were falling within the normal range so they weren’t being diagnosed. They sug- gested the normal range be changed, and doctors would then make the diagnosis because their patients would have an "abnormal” test.


Despite the fact that this was suggested in 2003, the


change was never implemented and doctors who are not aware of the newer interpretation of this test are leaving some of their patients undiagnosed and therefore untreated. 14 January 2011


ne of the most exciting aspects of natural health and integrative medicine is


There are a number of signs and symptoms of underactive thy- roid that people need to be aware of so the problem can be brought to the attention of their doctors. If the doctor is unresponsive to these concerns, the patient may best be served by seeing a doctor who is aware that many people test- ing "normal" via the TSH test will


indeed benefit from thyroid treatment. The following paints a picture of what many people may notice about themselves that might cause them to have this investigated further. If a person's thyroid has become underactive, which is a


very common condition, especially in women over the age of forty, they are fatigued, and they may have gained weight without any change in their diet. They will also complain that they cannot lose weight, even when they properly adhere to a weight loss plan. There are other physical signs to be aware of. Along with the feeling of general fatigue a person may feel a sense of weakness. Dry skin and a tendency to bruise more easily may be noticed. Constipation is an important sign. A person may complain of feeling cold, more than others in their company in the same environment. Facial appearance may change with a puffiness of the face and eyes. Hair loss occurs, and may be noted at places other than just the scalp, such as on the arms, legs and the underarms. A classic sign is loss of the outer 1/3 of the eyebrows. Hair and nails become dry and brittle. Depression may accompany hypothyroidism (underac-


tive thyroid). As a resident in Internal Medicine in the 1980s I remember our chief of staff, an elderly doctor nearing retirement at the time, speaking about how in the days before blood tests were available to diagnose an underactive thyroid, doctors had to use their knowledge of the signs and symptoms of the problem to properly make the diagnosis. He described visits to hospital wards where severe depressed patients were kept. He observed cases in which depression resolved when the person's hypothyroidism was diagnosed and treated, and the person was able to leave the psychiatric


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