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THYROID NATURALLY!
Dear Thyroid Sufferer,
I invite you to find out why 90% of women (and men!) on thyroid
medications WILL CONTINUE TO SUFFER with symptoms... despite
perhaps having normal labs... and what you can do to finally END
your suffering.
Some twenty million Americans are affected by thyroid disorders. Thats 1
in 13 people! And more than half are unaware they have a thyroid problem
because it frequently remains undiagnosed... until it gets severe.
According to the national Womens Health Information Center, 1 in 8
women will experience a thyroid disorder during their lifetime. The reason
why may surprise you because I am sure youve never had it explained to
you, as most doctors are only vaguely familiar with the true causes behind
thyroid disorders.
My name is Dr. Gregory Frick and I am a doctor of chiropractic with over
23 years of clinical experience. Based on my unending study and
knowledge of functional medicine and functional neurology, I use a
different approach in diagnosing and treating patients with thyroid
disorders. Before I tell you about that...
Let me tell you a little about myself...
You may be wondering, What does a doctor of chiropractic know about
thyroid conditions? Starting with my direct experience, Ive had to deal with
with my own thyroid condition over the past ten years. I was dealing with
severe insomnia, irregular heart beat, constipation, and anxiety. Doctors
couldnt tell me what was wrong. After learning some of what I know now, I
had a complete blood panel run on myself and it showed that I had low T3
hormone. The crazy thing is most doctors dont even test for T3. Related
markers showed that this was probably the result of my liver and gut failing
to properly convert T4 into T3. No other doctor had even tested for this! No
wonder I was still having problems. My labs also showed a host of other
related problems (that are also most likely going on with you but you dont
know it because your doctor probably hasnt run all the necessary tests). I
address my own health by working to get to the cause of the problem. I am
not interested in merely covering up (suppressing) symptoms with drugs.
So I had to find ways to heal myself naturally. I must admit... I spent a ton
of time and money (and frustration) discovering what doesnt work!
Hopefully, from what Ive learned, I can save you much time, money and
frustration!
Professionally, I have had many patients come in over the years with
thyroid problems (in addition to other chronic problems) who were not
getting any better through conventional medical care. This is despite being
on thyroid medications! A majority were told by their doctor their lab tests
were normal, yet they were still suffering. Some were even told to see a
psychiatrist because it was all in their head. I knew these patients had
real problems, yet no one was getting to the underlying cause, including
myself. Since I am not satisfied with mediocrity, or thr status quo, I
researched and studied until I found some real answers. What I
discovered is that the answers are there (in the scientific literature!) even
though most doctors are unaware of it (studies show that most doctors
dont subscribe to or read professional journals - they get most of their
information from colleagues or drug salespeople) .
I have put in hundreds of hours each year of the past number of years, and
have gained a ton of knowledge that I now use to reverse chronic
conditions like never before. And am constantly learning more!
I feel it is important you know that the current model being used in medicine
today to manage thyroid disorders dates back to the 1960s. It is totally
based on TSH levels. It clearly is outdated and out of touch with current
scientific research. What HAS been discovered is that most thyroid
disorders are the result of an autoimmune condition - making it an immune
system problem, not a primary thyroid problem - and treating the thyroid
with medication only is, for the most part, a dead-end road. I am surprised
how many doctors are unaware of this - even endocrinologists! If more
doctors were aware and willing to change what they were taught in school
(not very likely though), perhaps you wouldnt be reading this - you would
be feeling better and enjoying your life!
So, I had to literally go back to school in order to find out how to actually
help patients with thyroid and other chronic conditions. I studied (and
continue to study) the fields of functional medicine and functional
neurology. Some of the organizations I trained with include Functional
Medicine University, The Academy of Functional Medicine, Dentistry, and
Psychology, and The Carrick Institute for Functional Neurology. I have
studied personally with thyroid researcher and best selling author Dr. Datis
Kharrazian, who wrote the book, Why Do I Still Have Thyroid
Symptoms When All My Lab Tests Are Normal?. I completed Dr.
Kharrazians Mastering the Thyroid class in 2010. I hold regular in-office
workshops for thyroid, fibromyalgia/chronic pain, diabetes, and weight loss.
I have been featured on T.V. and radio - including CBS Talk Philly.
Allow me to explain a little about Functional Medicine (since it is the
foundation of my unique metabolic and neurological approach to chronic
conditions). First and foremost, functional medicine is a way of thinking. It
seeks to empower patients by helping them understand the causes of their
condition, and what they can do to heal. My care moves beyond the
standard, superficial - and often toxic - attempt to treat or suppress
symptoms. I have become convinced that every persons landscape of
health is unique and that when a person has symptoms or a chronic
condition, theres almost ALWAYS more than one cause behind the
problem. And, its VITAL to address ALL of the causes!
When you come into my office well build strength in every area of your
health. Heres what well do:
Well test and evaluate brain balance and the degree of connection
between the brain and body.
Well order and review blood chemistry in order to see how ALL the
parts are working together. Well interpret these tests functionally
(read further down for what this actually means).
Well evaluate your nutritional status and weigh your systems toxic
load.
Once weve figured out the weak areas in the foundation of your health,
well put together a COMPREHENSIVE plan to address the metabolic and
your thyroid condition. If so, we need to address the immune system first!
It becomes the priority.
electromagnetic fields (such as cell phones) are also potential triggers for
autoimmune flare-ups.
While it is held that autoimmune disease cannot be cured, it certainly can
be managed and regulated so the attack on your body is dampened. This
is where my experience as a functional medicine doctor comes into play.
Certain nutrients are essential in managing patients with autoimmune
conditions, such as, Vitamin D, Omega 3 essential fatty acids, glutathione,
and other neuro-endocrine-immune modulating compounds. Traditional
medicines response to autoimmunity is to wait until there is total tissue
destruction and then put the patient on steroids. Which choice would you
prefer?
ordered a couple more. From your M.D.s perspective, if your TSH level is
within that very wide lab range of .35 to 5.0, you're normal and theres
nothing wrong with you (according to his training)! BUT, and this is a
HUGE BUT, the OPTIMAL LEVEL for TSH is 1.8 to 3.0. So you could still
be normal in the medical doctor's eyes but abnormal in the functional or
optimal range. This difference makes ALL the difference in getting you
well!
It's only when that range is above 5.0 that the medical doctor will put you
on a thyroid hormone such as Synthroid or other hormome replacement.
BUT, as I mentioned above, in a medical doctor's eyes, if your TSH is
within .35 to 5.0, YOU ARE CONSIDERED NORMAL! Even though you
still may have all the thyroid symptoms: extreme fatigue, hair falling out,
etc., youre NORMAL! Wellyou and I both know you are not normal
If you were, you would not be suffering from symptoms! You could be
within the normal TSH range of .35 to 5.0 but still be outside the optimal
range of 1.8 to 3.0. Your TSH level could be at 4.2, and that's why you're
having the problem, its outside the optimal or functional range. The
same is true for any other of the thyroid blood test such as Total Thyroxine
(TT4), Free Thyroxine Index (FTI), Free Thyroxine (FT4), Free
Triiodothyroxine (FT3) and the three or four other tests that need to be run
on your thyroid to get to the EXACT cause of your problem.
consume them they trigger our immune system into action. Our bodies
have not evolved eating these franken-foods yet that is what we are
consuming on a daily basis!
In my experience, many patients do best when they eliminate gluten from
their diet. This is just about mandatory if you are autoimmune. If you
are sensitive to gluten, it will cause your immune system to attack your
body whether it is your thyroid, your joints, your pancreas, your cerebellum,
or whatever.
Many of the standard tests for gluten sensitivity wont come back positive
because they only test for one type of gluten protein. Plus, they dont test
for what is called gluten cross-reactivity with other foods. When this
remains undetected it will cause a person to continue to suffer even if they
eliminate all gluten from their diet. I test for gluten sensitivity using an
advanced clinical laboratory (Cyrex Labs) that utilizes immunological
assays based on the latest scientific research. This testing yields the
data you need in order to get relief.
and a light snack before bedtime. The snacks can be vegetables, lowsugar fruits, seeds or nuts, but it SHOULD be something healthy!
Insulin resistance is high blood sugar that hasnt yet reached the point of
diabetes. Its called pre-diabetes and is the result of cells becoming
resistant to insulin, preventing glucose from entering the cell (which the cell
needs to make energy).
Glucose is essential to cellular energy. Your brain and every cell of your
body depends on it. Excess glucose will be converted into trigylcerides
and stored as fat. This is why it is important to monitor triglyceride levels
as well as glucose. The process of turning glucose into fat demands an
increased amount of energy causing you to feel tired after eating. So,
when you are eating a high carbohydrate diet filled with bread, pasta, and
refined sugar laden foods, you cannot keep your blood sugar levels stable.
If you feel sleepy or crave sugar after eating, it means you ate way too
many carbohydrates. If you feel sleepy after a low carbohydrate meal, you
are most likely insulin resistant.
It is literally impossible to support insulin resistance or hypoglycemia unless
you are eating a healthy breakfast with ample high-quality protein. You
need protein in the morning, not carbohydrates. You would do best to eat
eggs or meats in the morning (i.e. chicken or turkey sausage). Protein is
essential in supporting healthy blood sugar levels. Protein will many
times eliminate the feeling of nausea that many people experience in the
morning (which prevents them from eating in the first place)..
Finally, if you have hypoglycemia, you should not fast as it will make
matters much worse.
are responding properly to stress, and most importantly, resetting when the
stress is over. If it isnt, it means your nervous system is stuck in a chronic
stress state, also called dysautonomia. Healing cannot occur when your
body is stuck in a stress state. It will only lead you to prolonged frustration
and continued ill-health.
Please call my Cherry Hill office for initial appointment scheduling regardless if you are seeing me in the Cherry Hill or Ringoes office. The
number to call is (856) 428-0660.
I look forward to meeting you!
Sincerely,