🦋 Acupuncture & Thyroid Health: Balancing Energy, Mood & Metabolism

Did you know your thyroid - a small butterfly-shaped gland in your neck - has a big impact on how you feel every day? From energy levels and metabolism to mood, sleep, fertility, and even skin health, this little gland does a lot of heavy lifting.

In Australia, thyroid conditions are on the rise, especially hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (an autoimmune thyroid disorder). Many people are turning to integrative approaches, like acupuncture and Chinese medicine, to support thyroid health alongside medical care.

Let’s explore how acupuncture can help. 🌿

🔍 The Thyroid in TCM Terms

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), thyroid imbalances are often seen as a disharmony between:

• Kidney Yin & Yang → impacting core energy, metabolism, and body temperature

• Spleen Qi → influencing digestion, weight, and fatigue

• Liver Qi → regulating mood, stress, and hormonal balance

• Phlegm & Damp accumulation → linked with nodules, swelling, or sluggishness

  
  

This means that rather than treating “the thyroid” alone, acupuncture works by rebalancing your whole system.

Profile view highlighting the neck, suggesting a focus on thyroid acupuncture therapy.

🌟 How Acupuncture May Support Thyroid Conditions

While acupuncture isn’t a replacement for thyroid medication, research suggests it can play a supportive role:

• Energy & Fatigue ⚡ – Stimulating points like ST36 (Zusanli) and CV6 (Qihai) may boost Qi and reduce that “dragging tiredness.”

• Mood & Anxiety 💭 – Calming points (HT7, Yintang, Shenmen) are used to help regulate the nervous system, easing stress and emotional swings often linked with thyroid disorders.

• Weight & Digestion 🥗 – Supporting Spleen and Stomach function helps metabolism and bloating.

• Temperature Regulation ❄️🔥 – Acupuncture helps balance Yin & Yang, assisting with cold hands/feet in hypothyroidism or heat intolerance in hyperthyroidism.

• Immune Balance 🛡️ – In autoimmune thyroid disease (like Hashimoto’s), acupuncture may help regulate immune function and inflammation.

📚 What Does the Research Say?

• A 2024 review in Frontiers in Endocrinology discussed acupuncture as a promising complementary therapy for autoimmune thyroid conditions, showing acupuncture could effectively improve thyroid dysfunction and histopathological changes.

• A 2023 meta-analysis in Medicine (Baltimore) found that acupuncture, when combined with conventional treatment, was associated with improved thyroid hormone regulation and symptom relief in Hashimoto thyroiditis.

• More high-quality trials are needed, but early results are encouraging for using acupuncture alongside mainstream care.

🧭 Holistic Thyroid Support

Beyond acupuncture, TCM often recommends:

• Dietary support → warm, cooked foods for Spleen Qi; avoiding excess cold/raw foods; and including iodine- and selenium-rich foods where appropriate.

• Stress reduction → Qi Gong, Tai Chi, breathwork, and acupuncture help calm the nervous system (stress is a thyroid trigger!).

• Lifestyle → gentle exercise, good sleep hygiene, and reducing toxin exposure support overall thyroid health.

✨ Key Takeaway

Your thyroid is central to your health - and while medication may be essential for many people, acupuncture offers a holistic way to improve energy, balance mood, regulate sleep, and support overall wellbeing.

By treating the whole system, acupuncture doesn’t just look at thyroid numbers on a lab test - it aims to restore harmony so you feel more like you. 🌸

See you in clinic,

Dr. Taralee Reynolds