What are Hormones and What Do They Do In Our Bodies?

A hormone is a chemical produced by the body. The body uses hormones to communicate with other tissues and send messages back and forth between cells. Hormones are secreted directly into the bloodstream so that they can be carried to other parts of the body. They have many different functions including:

• Protein synthesis - the production of proteins
• Growth- stimulates specific organs to grow
• Metabolism- controls the rate of metabolism
• Hormone Secretion- regulates the release of hormones produced by other glands often with a negative feedback loop
• Reproduction and Sexual Stimulation- regulates reproductive functions.
• Emotional Response- modulates our emotions, moods, and feelings including fear, anger, or relaxation.
• Carbohydrate Metabolism- regulates the breakdown and production of carbohydrates in the body.
• Stimulate or Suppress Appetite- causes hunger, craving, and satiety.
• Insulin Secretion- regulates blood sugar levels by taking glucose from the blood into liver cells and fat cells to be used for energy or stored as glycogen.
• Blood Clotting- blood clots form to prevent excessive bleeding from wounds. When a blood vessel is damaged, the body produces a substance that can cause a number of things to happen that eventually lead to a clot forming at the site of the injury.
• Menstrual Cycle Function- regulates the female menstrual cycle.
• Water and Electrolyte Balance - controls how much water is in the body, which affects blood volume and blood pressure.
• A hormone released from cells- regulates cellular functions.

Hormones are essential for physical activity and staying healthy. When the body is functioning properly, it will produce hormones according to its needs. Sometimes, however, too much or too little of a certain hormone may be produced which can cause health issues. If the body does not have enough blood sugar for energy, adrenaline is released which causes glucose to be made from fat and protein in order to give the body the energy it needs. If there is too much blood sugar in the body, then insulin is released telling the cells to take the glucose out of the blood and store it which causes low levels of sugar.

When Hormones are Out of Balance

Hormones can be out of balance for many reasons such as:

• Genetics- you can inherit a predisposition for certain hormonal issues such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, or obesity.
• Medications- some medications can affect hormone levels in the body.
• Surgery- certain surgeries such as a hysterectomy can affect hormone production.
• Diet and nutrition- If you eat too much of the wrong types of food, it can cause your body to produce an excess or deficiency of certain hormones. For example, eating too many simple carbohydrates causes insulin levels to rise which can lead to increased levels of other hormones in the body.
• Stress- elevates cortisol levels caused by chronic stress causes many different imbalances in the body including sex hormone imbalances.

Hormonal imbalances affect men and women differently as well as young adults differently than the elderly. The reason is that every hormone in the body has a different biological function, which means that they respond differently to imbalances.

Hormone Imbalance Symptoms

The symptoms that are present in someone with an imbalance are often very subtle and easy to miss until it becomes more severe. You may have the following symptoms if you have a hormonal imbalance:

• weight gain/loss
• depression
• anxiety
• fatigue
• migraines or other headaches
• irritability or mood swings
• sleep issues such as insomnia or waking up during the night
• hot flashes
• Menopausal symptoms for women can include vaginal dryness and discomfort with intercourse weight gain in the abdomen, face, and chest for men breast growth for men irregular or missing periods.

What Will Happen If Hormone Is Not Balanced?

Hormones are responsible for many different functions in the body including metabolism, growth, cell reproduction, and sexual arousal. Hormonal imbalances can lead to disease states in all of these areas and more:

• Cortisol- a stress hormone that increases blood sugar levels and suppresses immune function and inflammatory responses.
• Insulin- regulates blood sugar levels.
• Testosterone- a male sex hormone that is important for muscle strength, body composition, libido, erectile function, mood, and cognition.
• Estrogen- female sex hormone that regulates the menstrual cycle and causes changes in the breast tissue during puberty.
• Progesterone- a female sex hormone that prepares the uterus for pregnancy and is responsible for temperature regulation and sleep.
• DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone)- a hormone that assists in other hormonal functions such as immune function, muscle strength, cognition, emotional well-being, libido, bone density, cholesterol levels.
• Thyroid hormones- controls metabolism and energy levels and affect heart rate and blood pressure.

What Can You Do To Get Out of Hormonal Imbalances?

There are many different things that you can do to naturally help your body balance its own hormones. These include:

• Eating a diet high in protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and low in processed foods.
• Exercising regularly- your body naturally produces many hormones when you engage in physical activity including human growth hormone and testosterone. A healthy diet combined with regular exercise will help keep these levels high enough to maintain a healthy weight.
• Stress management- the more you stress the higher cortisol levels get which can cause you to gain weight and put your body into fat storage mode.
• Reducing chronic inflammation- the more inflammation your body experiences, the harder it is for hormones to perform their functions.
• Using supplements such as DIM (diindolylmethane) prevents estrogen from becoming active by metabolizing it into non-bioactive metabolites.

It is important to remember that every person's body has a unique set of environmental factors that affect hormone balance including diet, sleep patterns, exercise routine, stress levels, etc. It is best to consult with your doctor or natural healthcare practitioner like a chiropractor before beginning any supplement regimen. Your natural healthcare provider can help you address any issues that are causing your hormone imbalance as well as natural solutions that will work best to balance hormones including diet, supplements, and natural herbs.

How Do Chiropractors Aid in the Treatment of Hormonal Imbalance?

What Chiropractors Do When Treating Hormonal Imbalance?

Chiropractors have natural training on how the body is affected by a healthy spinal column and natural techniques to help the body heal itself. Chiropractors natural hormone therapy Minnetonka can use natural, non-invasive ways to get your body back into balance including:

• Spinal adjustments- gentle but effective natural chiropractic care helps get the vertebrae inline which allows for improved nerve function throughout the body.
• Thermography- natural hormone therapy Minnetonka is able to use natural thermography to show chiropractors what part of the spine is out of alignment and causing any issues that they may be suffering from including hormonal imbalance.
• Acupuncture- Dr. Arthur Hoffman can provide acupuncture at The Glen Chiropractic and Acupuncture in Minnetonka, MN.

Natural chiropractic care combined with natural hormone replacement therapy can work to restore harmony into your natural system while also eliminating any symptoms that may be causing you discomfort.

Dr. Arthur Hoffman of The Glen Chiropractic and Acupuncture in Minnetonka, MN, will be able to help you decide which natural hormone therapy Minnetonka option may best suit your needs and the symptoms that you are experiencing. It is important to remember that every person's body responds differently to hormones so it is essential to work with healthcare providers who can help you find what works best for your natural needs.

When Should Someone Consider Natural Hormone Therapy?

Natural hormone therapy is a good option for restoring the body's natural ability to balance hormones which can be done by eliminating any outside factors that may be interrupting your body's production of necessary hormones.

Some signs that your body may be struggling with hormone imbalance include:

• Emotional fluctuations
• Feeling tired all the time
• Difficulty sleeping
• Depression Feeling unmotivated
• Loss of interest in sex
• Hair loss Migraines
• Weight gain
• Anxiety and/or panic attacks

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it may be time to talk to a natural healthcare provider like a chiropractor to determine whether or not natural hormone therapy may be right for you.

The goal of natural hormone therapy is to identify the root cause of your hormonal imbalance so that you can live a more active, energetic life.

Who Can Benefit from Chiropractic Natural Hormone Therapy?

Everyone who has experienced any of the above symptoms may benefit from natural hormone therapy, especially if they have already tried other options including prescriptions and over-the-counter medications. With natural hormone therapy, you may find that you have more energy and feel better than ever before.

What Are the Benefits of Chiropractic Care?

Chiropractors will be able to determine what is causing your hormone imbalance and then put together a customized natural hormone therapy plan to help you get out of hormonal imbalances for good.

The goal of Dr. Arthur Hoffman's natural hormone therapy plan is to restore your body's ability to produce necessary hormones so that you are healthy, happy, and feeling great.

Chiropractors are able to help patients with a variety of ailments including migraines, anxiety, weight loss, high blood pressure, neck pain from whiplash, relief from TMJ disorder, back pain relief, hip pain relief, knee pain relief, and so much more.

Chiropractic treatment has no negative side effects so it can be used whenever you are experiencing any kind of discomfort or even when you just want to take preventative measures for the future.

Natural hormone therapy can bring your body back into balance to improve your health and your life.

If you are suffering from hormonal imbalance, it may be time for you to consider chiropractic natural hormone therapy. The Glen Chiropractic and Acupuncture in Minnetonka, MN, offers this treatment as well as many other options that can benefit you both now and in the future.

Conclusion

If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, it may be time for a visit to your local chiropractor. Have you experienced extreme fatigue? Do you have trouble sleeping through the night or staying asleep at all? Are there times when food seems tasteless and unappealing no matter how much effort goes into preparing meals? It could be that your thyroid is not functioning properly which can lead to hormonal imbalance. The goal of Dr. Arthur Hoffman's natural hormone therapy plan is to restore your body's ability to produce necessary hormones so that you are healthy, happy, and feeling great! Visit our website at www.theglenchiro.com or call our office at (763) 316-3161. If these descriptions sound familiar because we want nothing more than for people to live their best lives-and this starts with feeling healthy and balanced. Contact us today to schedule your appointment!