Moving cupping therapy is very effective at combating several thyroid disorders.
The thyroid gland is a part of the endocrine system, which produces and releases hormones into the bloodstream and is responsible for many body’s activities.
Thyroid Gland
The thyroid gland has a very essential job to do within our body — releasing hormones that control metabolism. It controls our metabolism with T3 and T4 hormones. It creates these two hormones and they tell the body how much energy to use. When our thyroid works properly, it releases the right amount of hormones to keep our metabolism working properly.
Thyroid Disorders
Thyroid diseases are very common nowadays. Several thyroid disorders can arise when our thyroid produces too much or not enough hormones.
1- Hyperthyroidism:
It is also called overactive thyroid which occurs when the thyroid gland produces too much of the hormone thyroxine. Hyperthyroidism is less common in men. Doctors use several treatments for hyperthyroidism like anti-thyroid medications or radioactive iodine to slow down the hormones or sometimes they remove all or a part of the thyroid gland.
2- Hypothyroidism:
Hypothyroidism or underactive thyroid happens when the body doesn’t produce adequate thyroid hormone which affects mood, brain and various functions of the body. The symptoms of hypothyroidism are hardly noticeable but untreated hypothyroidism can cause some serious health problems.
3- Hashimoto’s thyroiditis:
It is also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, often leading to an underactive thyroid gland. It mostly affects middle-aged women but it can also occur in men and children. The disease occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks or slowly destroys the thyroid gland which affects the body’s ability to produce hormones. The signs of this disease are very minor at first. This disease progresses over the years and could cause chronic thyroid damage.
4- Goiter:
A goitre is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of goitre worldwide. Goitre can also be caused by hyperthyroidism or sometimes also associated with Grave’s disease. Enlarged goitres are mostly painless but it could make it difficult for you to swallow or breath. Goitre mostly affects women who are around 40 and have a thyroid disorder. Doctors treat goitre by giving small doses of iodine or radioactive radiations to shrink enlarged goitre or sometimes they remove the thyroid gland.
5- Thyroid nodules:
Thyroid nodules are solid or liquid-filled lumps that grow within our thyroid gland. The causes could be iodine deficiency and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Most thyroid nodules are not serious, only a small amount of thyroid nodules are cancerous. In most cases, people won’t notice that they have thyroid nodules until your doctor tells you or maybe your thyroid is large enough to be visible or make it difficult to swallow or breathe. Thyroid nodules are more common in women than men.
6- Thyroid cancer:
Thyroid cancer occurs in the cells of the thyroid gland. Thyroid cancer might not cause any symptoms at first but as it grows could cause pain and swell in the neck. Cancer occurs when cells in the thyroid undergo genetic changes. These changes allow the cells to grow and multiply rapidly. These cells lose the ability to die like other normal cells. These abnormal cells form a tumour. The tumour can also spread to nearby tissues or other parts of the body. There are several types of thyroid cancer. Some grow very slowly and others can be very aggressive.
7- Graves’ disease:
Graves’ is an autoimmune disorder that results in the overproduction of thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism). The body’s immune system attacks the thyroid gland by mistake. This mistake causes the gland to overproduce the hormone responsible for regulating metabolism. Doctors treat Graves’ disease to reduce the number of thyroid hormones that the body produces.
Causes
Thyroid diseases can cause severe fatigue, fluctuations in weight, muscle cramps, hair loss, dry skin, intolerance to heat or cold, sleeping disorders, irregular menstrual cycle, depression, anxiety and memory loss.
The normal treatment for thyroid diseases is a lifetime of supplementation, however, there are several other ways to control the symptoms of thyroid disease.
Moving Cupping Therapy
Moving cupping therapy is one of the most effective therapy to reduce the severe symptoms of thyroid disease.
Moving cupping therapy is mostly used for the treatment of digestion, inflammation and congestion. Cups are glided towards the lymph nodes, as a way of helping the body to expel the toxins and waste through the lymphatic system.
Hypothyroidism is characterized by the thyroid gland’s inability to produce enough hormones. The symptoms of hypothyroidism develop slowly over time and are sometimes difficult to diagnose by physicians.
Moving cupping therapy is used to help stimulate the blood flow and to activate the lymph system. Since the thyroid gland is a vital part of the endocrine system, the blood and lymphatic circulation associated with moving cupping therapy help to maintain the low production of T3 and T4 hormones. As Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism and is an autoimmune inflammatory condition, moving cupping therapy neutralizes the effect of the inflammatory damage on the thyroid.
Benefits of Moving Cupping Therapy for Thyroid Disease
Moving cupping therapy can benefit thyroid patients in many ways. Some of the benefits are as under:
1- Improves Blood Circulation
One of the biggest benefits of moving cupping therapy for hypothyroid patients is improved blood and lymphatic circulation. Lymph flow is important for all endocrine organs, the thyroid could be benefitted from improved blood circulation.
2- Reduce Stress
The moving cupping therapy may help to release stress out of our body. As cupping promotes the flow of the blood, the muscles and tissues are flooded with healing nutrients and fresh oxygen, they relax completely. Cupping helps to release muscular tension. When cups are gently moved over the body by the method of massage, the massage-like sensation releases stress by decreasing cortisol and other stress hormones. Massage can help release not only physical pain but emotional pains too.
3- Reduce Inflammation
Inflammation plays a very important role in the healing process of our body. Inflammation may contribute to a wide range of chronic diseases. Certain supplements, regular exercise, a balanced diet and proper sleep patterns can help to reduce inflammation. The best and quickest way to reduce inflammation is cupping therapy whether it is wet cupping or moving cupping therapy. Moving cupping therapy can create results similar to anti-inflammatory medications at a cellular level.
4- Digestive Disorders
Hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis can cause digestive disorders. The most common symptoms of digestive disorders include bleeding, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, nausea and vomiting. Moving cupping therapy on the abdominal area can assist the body in eliminating gas, painful bloating, nausea and relieving constipation. Some other types of therapies like massage therapy, Swedish massage or lymphatic drainage can limit the frequency of digestive disorders and promote deep relaxation.
5- Weight management and Metabolism
Weight management is a major issue regarding thyroid diseases. Weight gain may signal low levels of thyroid hormones called hypothyroidism. In contrast, if the body produces more hormones than the body needs, you may lose weight called hyperthyroidism. Moving cupping therapy provides massage to the deep tissues which contributes to improving metabolism and reducing fats. Applying moving cupping therapy in the area with excess fats can break up the stored fats and make them ready for absorption inside the body. Moving cupping therapy encourages blood circulation which not only increases metabolic rate also aids with detoxification and weight loss too.
6- Increase muscle strength and decrease muscle weakness
Moving cupping therapy helps to increase muscle strength which combats with the fatigue and weakness often felt by thyroid patients. Moving cupping therapy squeezes the muscles to increase muscle tone, helps with deep muscle relaxation, provides fresh nutrients with blood circulation, improves oxygenation which helps to decrease muscle weakness and fatigue. To increase strength, help your muscles to relax with the deep tissue massage of moving cupping therapy.
It is very important to understand that moving cupping therapy doesn’t cure thyroid disorder itself but is very helpful in the treatment of thyroid disease. This is evident that moving cupping therapy helps to reduce the symptoms of thyroid disorders.