Dr. Becky's Newsletter
Our free monthly e-newsletter is designed to be used as a resource for our patients in discovering and empowering them to make the best choices for their health and wellbeing.
1492 Prince Ave
Athens GA 30601
Phone 1: 706-369-3600
Phone 2: 706-338-5650
Facsimile: 706-208-0021
Becky L Laird D.C.
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Are Your Children Being Unnecessarily Medicated?
Dr. James Bogash
[ read article ]
Fever is a good thing
Daniel W Basista DC
[ read article ]
Functional Endocrinology or How Your Body’s Processes Relate
Dr. Becky L. Laird
[ read article ]
Do You Have Subluxations?
Dr. Becky L. Laird, D.C.
[ read article ]
Functional Endocrinology or How Your Body’s Processes Relate
Dr. Becky L. Laird
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In order to define Functional Endocrinology first it is important to define endocrinology. Endocrinology includes the specialty branch of medicine that involves the glandular systems and their related hormones. Hormones are much more diverse than sex hormones that help us express our gender specific characteristics. Hormones are the chemical messengers that regulate everything from blood sugar levels, as with insulin, metabolic rate, as with the thyroxin (the thyroid’s hormone), to multi-functional in the case of the adrenal hormones. There are further distinctions between general endocrinology and functional endocrinology. General clinical endocrinology is based on therapies, which identify organs that are deficient or dysfunctional and finding so, use some type of pharmaceutical agent or hormone to replace, suppress or support the dysfunctional gland. This is necessary in some cases, especially when genetic disorders and diseases seriously alter hormone production or function. On the other hand, Functional Endocrinology identifies alterations in the endocrine system, which are NOT necessarily in a disease state at the point of diagnoses. However, if these alterations are not addressed during these early signs of dysfunction it may lead to pathology and disease down the road. In order for the clinician to use functional endocrinology he or she must have an in-depth understanding of human physiology and biochemical metabolism. Which goes beyond just learning signs and symptoms of disease states and matching the right pharmaceutical to manage them. Functional Endocrinology involves the understanding and support of a complex series of vicious cycles that feed in on each other. It is the role of the trained clinician to unlock these patterns by supplying support and counsel to the client. This support and counsel may come in the form of providing missing nutrients and or needed information on lifestyle changes and strategies. There are fundamental differences in practice methods and perception between conventional allopathic medicine and those that are trained to practice Functional Endocrinology. For example when a patient of the conventional approach presents with elevated blood pressure and or elevated cholesterol they are often put on medications to alter these secondary changes that may be taking place due to possible insulin resistance, which is a blood sugar handling problem. The functional endocrinology clinician in contrast would likely optimize gastrointestinal function as a means for lowering blood sugar and decreasing inflammation thereby correcting the cause of the elevated physiologic values. The Functional Endocrinologist recognizes the complex interrelationship between certain types of diets, high insulin, increased inflammation, especially in the cardiovascular system and high cholesterol and triglicerids. Conventional physicians may understand this process to a level, however, it is not commonly the way they address the problem or clinically practice. Functional Endocrinology is more akin to naturopathy with treatments and methods but more related to biochemistry and physiology in its understanding and diagnosis of dysfunction. In clinical practice they work with the body as a complex, integrated, interdependent system. In the world of medical specialists such as, orthopedists, gastroenterologist, allergists, dermatologists, rheumatologists we often perceive that one illness or disease can befall the body that is totally unrelated to any other bodily process. That would be like saying one system can be diseased while the body is otherwise healthy. Most often this just isn’t the case. More than likely, lesser symptoms have been plaguing the patient for some time before a disease can actually be demonstrated by medical testing. Symptoms of indigestion, allergies, weight gain, increased fatigue and PMS have causes that affect multiple systems and often have multiple causes. These symptoms are signs that the body’s normal processes are breaking down and imbalances are beginning to happen. The conventional approach addresses the most bothersome symptom with medications to alleviate the discomfort while the underlying problems are often allowed to continue to escalate. This is because in most cases, the medications prescribed don’t heal the body, don’t balance the imbalance and don’t address the underlying cause of the symptoms. And in many cases, these medications add even further stress to an already struggling system. When lab tests such as blood chemistries are done to try and find the underlying problem the response is often “everything looks fine”. The reason for this is that blood chemistries are a late stage detection device. Which means that often they are not sensitive enough to demonstrate a problem until it is a full-blown disease. Blood tests usually don’t pick up the signs of slowly degenerating health. This is because the blood in your body has to keep within a very narrow range of values with regard to things like blood sugar, pH, salts, oxygen, metabolic wastes and nutrients. If not, the body will fail very quickly. This process that keeps the blood in critical balance is called homeostasis. Which means, the body will steal and borrow from every other body tissue in order to maintain this blood homeostasis. It will also store toxins and wastes wherever it can in order to maintain proper blood levels when it can’t otherwise rid itself of them fast enough. It is only when the body can no longer adapt and maintain this balance that it will finally show imbalances in the blood. This is why patients often have had symptoms for a very long time before it will show in the blood and maybe not even then. As a result, alternative healthcare practitioners, including more and more medical doctors, have implemented the use of more sensitive lab tests, which can actually demonstrate imbalances happening in the tissues long before they show up in the blood. At this early stage and often later we can address these “nutritional” imbalances and correct the problems by allowing the body to heal itself. These are the tools of the functional endocrinology clinician. Instead of treating a disease, we find the cause of the primary underlying deficit and then support the body with what it needs to become healthy again. Below is a simplified diagram of some of the interrelationships within the endocrine systems. This illustrates how it would be short sighted to treat one symptom without regard or consideration of the related systems. Cardiovascular Disease; Increased Inflammation; Joint Pain; Increased Allergic Response (Allergies); Estrogen dominance; Increased Toxins; Buildup of Xenohormones(environmental chemicals that mimic hormones); Liver Overload; Gastrointestinal Dysfunction; Hypoglycemia; Increased Adrenal Stress; Increased Cholesterol; Insulin Resistance; Decreased Thyroid; Decreased Fat Breakdown Function; Depression; Fatigue; Obesity. To help in following one symptom though this diagram lets just look at fatigue as an example. It is one of the most epidemic problems in our society today. More people go to their medical doctors complaining of fatigue than ever before. As you can see from the diagram there are many possible causes of generalized fatigue. However, in mainstream medicine the thyroid is the most commonly treated gland for this symptom. Most likely because it is often the first gland to show dysfunction on a blood test and usually the first gland to be looked at in cases of fatigue. The conventional treatment is supplemental thyroid hormone therapy, whether synthetic or natural. However, as we can see by the diagram there are many, many other primary dysfunctions that can cause the thyroid gland to slow down. Digestive system dysfunction, blood sugar problems, obesity, toxic overload, adrenal exhaustion, hormonal imbalances and depression are just a few that could cause symptoms of fatigue. When those causes are not addressed the body often continues its slow decline in overall health. Functional Endocrinologist identifies the primary cause of a symptom. If it is the thyroid, support the gland and its related systems in becoming healthy again. If the thyroid is secondary, address the reasons behind the chain of events that lead to the slow down and allow the body to heal it’s self. In most cases, when you focus on restoring health these warning signs or symptoms of dysfunction will dissolve. The aim with this approach is to restore the overall health of the patient. That is the true meaning of “holistic”.
Life Source Healing Center is a holistic practice for all ages where we offer care for all levels of dysfunction. Whether structural, nutritional or physiological, we support wellness.