DON'T Massage Your Thyroid Gland (Do This Instead)

Thyroid gland massage is something that has gained momentum and attention lately. And when I talk about thyroid gland massage I am not talking about massage therapy for your thyroid gland. I'm talking about actual massage of the thyroid gland itself.

Why are some people considering thyroid gland massage as a treatment for hypothyroidism? Well, the reason is as follows:

Because the thyroid gland is almost a spongy-like material and because it has some storage capacity of thyroid hormone, massaging the thyroid gland may release thyroid hormone and alleviate or improve low thyroid symptoms.

It sounds good in theory but there are several reasons why I do not recommend that you massage your thyroid gland.

Here are the biggest reasons:

#1. You may cause inflammation and make matters much worse.

The number 1 cause of hypothyroidism in the US is Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The hallmark of Hashimoto's is inflammation and immune cell infiltration of the thyroid gland. Do you know what happens when you physically touch or palpate inflamed tissue? It gets worse! Massaging a gland with Hashimoto's may make your condition worse and should be avoided.

#2. There's no way to know how much thyroid hormone you are releasing when you massage the thyroid gland.

Even if it was a good idea to massage your gland to release thyroid hormone, there's no way to know how much hormone you are releasing. In other words, you are just as likely to make yourself hyperthyroid as you are to feel yourself feel better.

Having said all of that, there are still things that you CAN do instead of thyroid gland massage that can be helpful:

#1. Massage therapy of the body and especially the head and neck.
#2. Neck exercises to balance musculature in the neck area.
#3. Chiropractic work or osteopathic therapy.
#4. Lymphatic work.
#5. Trigger point injection therapy.

These options can all be used in place of thyroid gland massage and can help improve thyroid function by improving the muscles and tissues that surround the thyroid gland.

Recommended thyroid supplements to enhance thyroid function:

See ALL of my specialized supplements including protein powders, thyroid supplements, and weight loss products here:

Want more from my blog? I have more than 400+ well-researched blog posts on thyroid management, hormone balancing, weight loss, and more. See all blog posts here:

Disclaimer:

This video is for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose and it is not a substitute for a medical exam, treatment, diagnosis, prescription, or recommendation. It does not create a doctor-patient relationship between Dr. Childs and you. You should not make any changes to your medications or health regimens without first consulting a physician. If you have any questions please consult with your current primary care provider. Restart Medical LLC and Dr. Westin Childs are not liable or responsible for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis, or any other information, services, or product you obtain through this website or video.
#thyroid #hypothyroidism #hashimoto's

[Milagroscrs]

I am waiting on the day when we can use a device to find out where our thyroid hormones are it would really help a lot of people. Just like the diabetes device.

[linuslinus]

I disagree. I've been massaging my thyroid for 2 weeks, and I feel so much better. I do it about 3x a day, lightly massaging for a few seconds. I wake up early and I'm not crashing early. It's not about pushing out but about lightly stimulating the gland.

[sarahlove]

I started physical therapy for my neck issues and it kicked my thyroid out of balance actually. I never had issues before therapy but the neck exercise caused terrible hot flashes to begin out of no where. I am currently waiting on blood test results but I was very surprised to learn in this video that might be my whole issue!

[katbruno]

Thank you for this information, Dr. Childs. I have Hashimotos disease, and I actually thought that massaging my thyroid gland was a good idea. I will definitely look into another type of a treatment method. I recently was fasting for half of the day, for about three months. I lost some weight and had more energy, but not sure how healthy it is for me to be doing this.

[rsrinivasan]

Thanks for the great information doctor. I have been doing this massage since last few days, but after seeing your video i will be stopping it. I also apply walnut oil in the neck area. Some people are saying it is effective doctor. Your views please.

[gayanemadatian]

Hi Doctor can you talk about women’s hair loss please.

[GinaR]

My hypothyroidism was caused by steroids, so I'm just stopping everything and letting everything crash and I'm hoping my thyroid recovers! I was treated by cortisol steroid and it pushed down my thyroid and I'm tired of taking synthetic thyroid, I'm tired of fake hormones, I'm just tired of it all!

[joshmcown]

I was told by a thyroid doctor that you weren't supposed to massage your thyroid?
This doctor put me on medicine for my under active thyroid, yet that made me gain more weight.
So i stopped the thyroid med.s
🤔👩💬what do i do?
I'm not a big eater, i watch what i eat. I'm just so darn tired anymore, loss of energy😴 sleeping way out of control😢12, 15 hr.s sometimes 18hours😴
I love life; but now with low energy.
Below as a figure of speech
(I'm beside myself)
So how can i get my thyroid working properly again?
Please Susie in Florida, Ty
Nov.25, Sat.6:24am2023

[carolthomas]

The mosquito bite “itches” - you “scratch” it .

[cuppasilverbullets]

Is this only for Hypo or would it benefit Hyper?

[jazstar]

Also, I've noticed that when I take zinc I get dry mouth. I take the Jarrow brand with copper.

[jazstar]

Dr. Childs, would you happen to have an opinion on taking Moringa?

[Sally-oglh]

I have started applying cod liver oil to my thyroid at night. Since receiving your advice I am not massaging but just applying. I hope the cod liver oil helps to reduce inflammation in the thyroid.

[kapurl]

Thanks, how about hot and cold therapy with placing towel on neck

[flugmodus]

Wouldn’t pushing the thyroid hormone out w Massage stimulate the gland to just make more? Obviously in a gentle way….

[AP-nxxo]

I apply castor oil over my thyroid area. It stimulates blood flow I’m going for lab work My dr may lower my thyroid medication. My pulse is higher and I’m losing weight It’s an East Indian and African remedy for a healthy thyroid. Keep your dr in the loop. I haven’t tried massage therapy. A little skeptical at this point

[carolludwick]

I had parathyroid surgery and was told to firmly massage my entire neck and chest from ear to ear, paying special attention to the scar. I've been massaging it vigorously for several weeks twice a day. I was told this was in order to avoid scar tissue building up inside which could hinder swallowing and speaking. So I've been diligent about it. However, I'm having what I call "hyper" bursts where I get sweaty, I feel like my blood is racing and I have an urgent need to use the bathroom. The agitation can last for a couple of hours. But this comes and goes. I wonder if the twice daily massage has something to do with it. Can you show us where we should NOT massage? Thanks so much! (I have Hashimoto's and post surgery my TSH plummeted from it's usual 5 to 1.0!) I've always had a hard time managing my Tirosint dose as too much drug makes me feel wired so my doctor agrees I can stay at about a 5 TSH. )

[katecarlisle]

I'd settle for a very angry discussion with my immune system. 👹

[vitch]

can we put stimulator (the tiny cheap electric abs stimulator) in our tyroid?

[mykulpierce]

The thyroid produces immune cells does it not? Commonly called T-Cells?