Should You Massage Your Thyroid Gland?

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.