There are times when I have been criticized for encouraging others with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions who are interested in natural treatment methods to seek the advice of a natural healthcare professional who focuses on endocrine disorders, rather than showing them how to self treat their condition. I talk about how people should see a holistic doctor in my free guide that I offer on my website, in some of my articles and blog posts, in my book, and even during my webinars. But is it truly necessary to seek the advice of a natural healthcare professional for your thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition?
When I encourage those with these conditions to consult with a natural healthcare professional, I’m sure some people think I do this in order to persuade people to schedule a consultation with myself. While it’s true that I do consult with patients, my intentions are not to convince people to schedule an appointment with me. If you ask any dentist whether you should receive dental cleanings a couple of times each year, they most likely will say “yes” regardless of whether you choose them to perform the services. And the reason for this is because they honestly believe that everyone should get their teeth checked and cleaned twice per year. Similarly, I think that everyone with a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition should seek the advice of a competent natural healthcare professional.
Sticking with the dental analogy, I have a good friend who didn’t go to the dentist for about ten years, as he just minimized his consumption of sweets, brushed and flossed regularly, etc. And when he finally felt some tooth discomfort he went to the dentist, who discovered he had a single cavity, went ahead and filled it, and he lived happily ever after. If a single dental cleaning was $100, then by not going to the dentist twice per year for cleanings over a ten year period then he of course saved $2,000. Of course not everyone is this fortunate, as some people who take this approach end up with more than just a single cavity over a ten year period.
The point I’m trying to make here is that there is a lot people can do on their own when trying to restore their health back to normal. And to be frank, a lot of the responsibility falls on the patient, as it’s not as if any doctor is going to wave a magic wand to make their thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition disappear. When it comes to seeing a natural healthcare practitioner, they will give you some advice, and then it’s up to the person to follow this advice. But there are risks to self-treating one’s condition, which is one of the reasons why I feel it’s important to speak with an expert.
The Risks Of Playing Doctor
Many people don’t realize how serious most thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions are. And times have changed, as these days you can find a lot of information on the internet on just about any topic. So for many it seems easy enough to read some books and do some searching on the internet and attempt to self treat their condition. After all, why should you pay someone for advice when you can find it online or in a book?
Of course the problem with this approach is that you can’t believe everything you read online. For example, there are sources on the internet which claim that everyone with a hyperthyroid condition has a copper deficiency. On the other hand, Dr. Larry Wilson, who is an expert on nutritional balancing, talks a lot about copper toxicity, and even correlates this with Graves’ Disease. So if someone randomly takes high dosages of copper based off of something they read, but they actually have a copper toxicity problem instead of a deficiency, then this of course can exacerbate their condition. The same concept applies to iodine, as while I’m pro-iodine, I recommend testing before anyone takes iodine, and then if someone is iodine deficient I recommend starting with a small dosage. But some sources will recommend for everyone with hyperthyroidism to consume large dosages of iodine, and some doctors claim they don’t do any testing because just about everyone is deficient in iodine.
I’m focusing a little bit on hyperthyroid conditions, but the same can be said with hypothyroid conditions. For example, some sources claim that coconut oil is a cure for hypothyroidism, and as a result some people stop taking synthetic or natural thyroid hormone and simply take coconut oil. It really doesn’t matter whether you have a hypothyroid or hyperthyroid condition, as either way there is a lot of false information out there. There obviously is no magic cure for these conditions, as it usually takes a combination of diet, lifestyle changes, and supplementation to restore one’s health back to normal.
How To Choose A Competent Natural Healthcare Professional
Every week I get numerous emails from people asking if I know of a good natural healthcare professional who focuses on endocrine conditions where they live. In most cases the answer is “no”, and it admittedly can be a challenge to find a natural healthcare professional who focuses on endocrine disorders. However, such doctors obviously exist, and if you don’t know of any in or near your area, then the following is one of the best ways to find one. First of all, create a list of all of the naturopaths, chiropractors, and holistic medical doctors in or near your area. In many cases you won’t find a natural endocrine doctor in the same town you live in, but if you’re willing to drive an hour or two then there’s a good chance you can find one.
Anyway, if you were to randomly call a naturopathic doctor or a chiropractor and ask if they see people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions, there is an decent chance they will say “yes”. But this doesn’t mean they focus on these conditions, and you ideally want to see someone who has a good amount of experience with such conditions. So when you call their office the question you want to ask is “what are the top three conditions the doctor deals with?”. Chances are you’ll ask this question to the front desk receptionist, which is fine. Either way, if one of the answers isn’t “thyroid conditions”, or “autoimmune thyroid conditions”, then it’s time to call another office.
Once you find a doctor who focuses on thyroid or autoimmune thyroid conditions, you probably will also want to ask specifically what type of thyroid and/or autoimmune thyroid conditions they commonly deal with. This is especially true if you have hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease, as there definitely are a lot more doctors who focus on hypothyroid conditions, and many of these doctors don’t have much experience with hyperthyroid conditions.
Taking this approach of course won’t guarantee that you will find a natural healthcare professional who has experience dealing with endocrine disorders, but if you contact enough doctors you eventually should find one who can help you. This isn’t to suggest that a general naturopath or chiropractor can’t help someone with a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition, as I know some people who chose to see a local holistic doctor due to convenience and were very happy with their decision. You can definitely take this approach, and if things don’t work out you can then always try to find someone who primarily deals with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions.
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