Functional Medicine is made for hormone and thyroid disfunction and imbalances and it is one of the most important services we provide to patients because it almost always changes their life.
Women today struggle to have energy and make it thru the busy days, keeping up with the pressures of life is a real challenge. Between making dinner, taking care of family, raising children, keeping up a home, and having a career most women are burning the candle at both ends. Fatigue is my most common complaint and most of the women I see between the ages of 40-75suffer from some form of hormone or thyroid dysfunction.
Men are not excluded, fact is as we age, we all change. Our resilience, energy, vigor and virility suffers. It does not have to be this way. I’ve personally helped countless high performing and busy women (and men) to REVERSE these energy draining symptoms and regain their energy, happiness, and focus.
This is not a cookie cutter approach, our process is very custom, and is all based on science, lab results and most importantly you, the patient… what works for one person might not work for you, and that’s why we use personalized medicine.
We are one of the few providers well versed in and using the Dutch test. DUTCH is the most advanced hormone test for functional and integrative medical practitioners, especially when monitoring (b)HRT. Do you have concerns about your hormonal health? Are you struggling to understand the reasons for your symptoms? We use Dutch testing with every patient whom we monitor hormones. One can not get a clear picture of how the body is using, converting, metabolizing and detoxing from hormones without seeing what the conversion process looks like. This is where we stand out and are different than other providers in this area.
In the journey to restore vitality in our patients we use bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, herbs, adaptogens, diet and lifestyle, and other approaches as part of our customized treatment of hormone imbalance. We feel confident our approach is outstanding and our patients can testify to this fact.
It is not normal to feel fatigued all the time.
Thyroid disease is more common than most people realize and millions of people in the world are affected. Some patients thyroids make too much hormone and others make too little, and some suffer from autoimmune disease of the thyroid where their immune system has become overactive and is driving dysfunction and attacking the thyroid causing a type of hypo or hyperthyroidism known as either Graves Disease or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Others can suffer from nodules on the thyroid, Goiter, or even thyroid cancer.
The thyroid is only a small gland in the neck but it has perhaps one of the most powerful influences on health. The thyroid hormones are used throughout the entire body in many different processes. The thyroid is responsible for the production of protein, growth and development of the body, t helps to regulate many body functions and controls your metabolism. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and many times patients tell me their thyroid has already been checked and there was no issue. The problem I have seen is that many providers are only checking TSH or occasionally T4. In addition many providers such as myself, who specialize in endocrine disorders, including thyroid disease, thinkrare too broad, leaving many patients who suffer from low-thyroid disease undiagnosed and untreated. Additionally most patients have never had their thyroid antibodies checked, or their reverse T3, or their free levels of T4 or T3. I can tell you, I see undiagnosed thyroid disease daily. And treating this and optimizing those levels is a game changer. There is no way a person can experience a fully functional life that is vibrant when your thyroid is not functioning optimally.
Treating thyroid disease is a process with many interconnecting parts. It is necessary to evaluate a patients insulin and cortisol levels as well to understand the whole picture. And, every person is different. Hashimoto’s has to be treated very differently than hypothyroidism and adrenal driven disfunction that might look like thyroid disease is approached differently still. Once we have determined the underlying cause we then treat thyroid disease with hormone replacement therapy, micronutrient therapy, balancing mineral levels, healing the gut, and supporting the HPA axis so that the body is able to function at is optimal level smoothly like a well oiled machine. When this happens people find themselves experiencing life changing improvements.
The Fork Functional Medicine
110 3rd Ave N.
Franklin, TN 37069
Phone: (615) 721-8008
Fax: (615) 237-8331
Monday: 9am - 5pm
Tuesday: 9am - 5pm
Wednesday: 9am - 5pm
Thursday: 9am - 5pm
Friday: CLOSED
Saturday-Sunday: CLOSED
By appointment only
Telemedicine visits are available to patients in the State of Tennessee. See further information under patient info.