When it comes to a thyroid doctor Overland Park, Kansas residents trust, In2Great Functional Medicine & Integrative Health is where you will find your thyroid issues taken seriously. Thyroid conditions have many different ways of expressing themselves and conventional medicine often misses symptoms related to poor thyroid function. In addition, conventional medicine does not assess thyroid as comprehensively as we do, nor do they offer many solutions for resolving your thyroid issues.

The level of frustration we hear from people coming to us with a thyroid condition is high. They are frustrated that according to conventional medicine standards, their thyroid is adequately managed but they still have symptoms. Hypothyroid is the most common thyroid condition and the thyroid doctor Overland Park KS needs knows that to truly manage, and correct hypothyroidism more comprehensive labs are required then only a TSH level. If your doctor only relies on a TSH level to determine if your thyroid function is optimal, you are in the wrong hands. It is that simple. In our clinical experience and in depth knowledge of the body’s biochemistry, we know that TSH level is not enough information to appropriately assess thyroid function.

Why TSH is Not Enough

TSH stands for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone. This is the most common lab value used for assessing thyroid function in the conventional medical model. Thyroid medication is then adjusted based on the standard reference range lab values of TSH. We are here to tell you, this approach to thyroid management is why you have a TSH level in “normal” range but still feel horrible. As the thyroid doctor Overland Park KS relies on we have patients come to us complaining that they still have symptoms of fatigue, hair loss, poor sleep, weight gain, irritability, and digestive issues after years of thyroid medication. They lament that despite having obvious symptoms of hypothyroid, their doctor will not do anything else for them because their TSH level is normal.

This is the precise reason managing thyroid disorders with only a TSH level is not enough. First of all, TSH is not actually thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone are actually T3 and T4. TSH is a hormone that controls the body’s release of T3 and T4, but there can be a myriad of reasons that actual thyroid hormone levels of T3 and T4 are out of range. A thyroid doctor Overland Park KS should rely on knows that TSH as the predictor of thyroid health is only managing symptoms and not finding and addressing the underlying, root cause of the thyroid issue.

What Great Thyroid Management Looks Like

Your thyroid condition can be managed in a way that leaves you feeling great. There are also situations when the thyroid condition can be corrected to the point of not needing supplemental thyroid support or medications. Great thyroid management first starts with a comprehensive assessment of thyroid related hormones. This includes all hormones, not only thyroid. Hormones are always doing a balancing act. The thyroid doctor Overland Park patients want, respects that all hormones in the entire body are connected to each other in feedback loops. This means the body is constantly sending signals to the brain about what needs to be adjusted.

This balance is complex and to be honest, not every practitioner wants to understand and deal with the complexity of systems that surround thyroid disorder management. This is where In2Great Functional Medicine & Integrative Health actually thrives. We thrive on complex conditions that require a comprehensive understanding of how body systems interact and affect each other. We steer clear of a myopic view of one body system at a time and keep the full, whole you in the picture at all times. The right thyroid doctor Overland Park KS needs respects your body as an amazing mechanism of interacting parts, systems and functions that deserves to be understood as such. With multiple treatment options available, we work with you to find the best way forward.

Working with us is a team approach. We listen to you and recognize that you are an expert on your health! We offer our years of training, experience and clinical knowledge to put together a plan that works for you based on your health goals and your lifestyle.

Don’t settle for thyroid management that still leaves you feeling poorly and misunderstood by your doctor. Get to In2Great Functional Medicine & Integrative Health where you can connect with the thyroid doctor Overland Park KS patients look to for optimal thyroid management to get you the health you need for the life you want.

Autoimmune Disease and Naturopathic Medicine

According to national statistics, almost 20 percent of people in this country suffer from some type of autoimmune illness. And every year, that number continues to rise. One of the most common is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, a condition where the immune system attacks the thyroid.

Thyroid hormone is critical for the health of many areas, including the cardiovascular system, creation of new red blood cells, gut health, and liver function.

Women are more susceptible to the condition than men are. Symptoms of Hashimoto thyroiditis include depression, dry skin, fatigue, hair loss, and weight gain.

Unfortunately, more and more studies are concluding that autoimmune thyroiditis is increasing at such a fast pace that it cannot just be genetics that is causing the condition to become so prevalent. It has been determined that environmental factors are playing a key role in the increase in the condition. Some of these factors include heavy metals, pesticides, and cigarette smoke.

When these environmental factors combine with certain drugs, intentional permeability, poor diet, stress, and viruses, the patient often develops Hashimoto’s.

Naturopathic Treatment

When an Overland Park KS thyroid doctor is treating someone with Hashimoto’s, they must first find out why the body is reacting the way it is. The thyroid doctor will investigate whether or not there are heavy metals present in the body, whether the gut is imbalanced, whether there is an excess of cortisol being produced, or whether the adrenal glands are being overworked.

Your thyroid doctor in Overland Park KS will also investigate whether there are certain foods that may be triggering the patient’s autoimmunity or if there is an imbalance of hormones.

Once your Overland Park KS thyroid doctor has determined what is causing the condition, he or she will develop a plan for treatment, which may include detoxification, healing of the gut, balancing hormones, adjusting the diet, reducing stress, and herbal treatments.

When it comes to herbal treatments for Hashimoto’s, your Overland Park KS thyroid doctor may recommend the following, which have been shown to support thyroid function:

  • Ashwagandha: One of the main factors that causes strain on the hypothalamus-pituitary adrenal (HPA) system is chronic stress. This causes suppression in the function of the thyroid. Ashwagandha removes the strain from the hypothalamus and pituitary, which results in stimulation of the thyroid.
  • Bladderwrack: Bladderwrack is a type of brown seaweed. It is very rich in minerals, particularly iodine. Iodine is critical for thyroid function and can be most helpful in treating autoimmune thyroid disease. Bladderwrack is also a strong antioxidant.
  • Guggul: This herb has strong pro-thyroid properties, helping the gland process iodine and enhancing activity of enzymes.

Many people who suffer from autoimmune diseases think they will have to suffer from the condition for the rest of their life, but that is not always the case. One a thyroid doctor Overland Park KS patients recommend has determined what is causing the problem, he or she can develop the right treatment plan for you, including the right combination of herbal supplements, to help heal your body.