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Thyroid problem news from Thyroid Talk
Hashimoto’s Disease and Joint Muscle Pain
By: James M. Lowrance - www.jimlowsaudios.com
Over the past three years, I have corresponded with many thyroid patients with Hashimoto’s Disease, the autoimmune type hypothyroidism. Patients with the disease complain of many symptoms they experience with this disease that are caused by antibodies attacking the thyroid gland, causing it to hypo-function but one of the more common ones I hear repeated by patients, is mild to moderate “joint and muscle pain”. This particular symptom is also one of those that seems to linger in some patients, months or even years after starting treatment for their hypothyroidism, with hormone replacement medication. Strangely, some patients actually experience a worsening of their joint/muscle pain, once beginning thyroid medication and this was the experience I personally had, after beginning treatment with hormone replacement for Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism. I cannot explain this particular phenomena but know for a fact patients do experience it, until their bodies adjust completely to their thyroid medication.
The inflammation aspect, is from the autoimmune process, that causes antibodies to attack the thyroid gland, resulting in high levels of inflammation. This inflammation first affects the area of the thyroid gland itself but it is my belief, that over time, continuing inflammation, is going to eventually have a systemic affect and travel to other parts of the body. I also believe it is no coincidence that autoimmune disease thyroid patients often complain of their joint pain, first manifesting more severely, in their shoulders and cervical (upper) spine area. These are the joints that are closest to the thyroid! Over time, these joint pains, can spread to the other areas of the body, sometimes all the way down to the feet and all the way out to the fingertips. Inflammation also tends to lead to stiffness in the joints as well, due to mild swelling and fluid around the joints, caused by the release of histamines that are also sent out by the immune system, that act as agents to overwhelm bacterial and viral intruders and reduce inflammation.
Patients with autoimmune thyroid disease, should closely monitor their joint symptoms once on treatment for their hypothyroidism because if they have joint symptoms that result in significant swelling or pain that is more than mild to moderate, this could indicate the onset of Rheumatoid Arthritis, another autoimmune disease, that affects the joints. There are blood tests, that help diagnose or rule out this disease specifically, the main one being called “Rheumatoid Factor”. Two others that are sometimes also used in addition to RA Factor, are the “ESR” ( Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate), which checks for high levels of inflammation and the “ANA” (Anti-Nuclear Antibodies), which tests for autoimmune disease activity. One sign a patient can look for their self, is significant swelling and redness in a joint such as a hand, elbow, knee, etc…, that is affected equally on both sides of the body. In other words, with Rheumatoid Arthritis, this will manifest in both joints simultaneously, on both sides of the body. Unfortunately, having one autoimmune disease, such as Hashimoto’s, puts a patient at a higher risk for developing other autoimmune disorders and is why this joint pain aspect should be monitored.
The mild to moderate muscle pain, which can include cramping and spasms, in my belief, is due to a slowing down of all organs in the body, due to lack of thyroid hormone, which also regulates our metabolism. This causes blood circulation the become less adequate and so the muscles are not nourished by blood and oxygen as they should be. Strangely, some hypothyroid patients experience hypertension (high blood pressure) because the disease causes blood vessels to constrict but at the same time, they do not have proper blood circulation to some of their muscles because heart function is slightly reduced due to slowed metabolism. This affect, also causes symptoms in tendons and ligaments and many hypothyroid patients also complain of “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome” (hand/wrist) and “Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome” (feet).
If a patient has severe, ongoing muscle symptoms, they should seek further medical testing, as I also recommended for joint pain patients, to rule out possible Muscle Disease and Connective Tissue Diseases. Some of the same tests as mentioned above are used to help diagnose muscle disease but there are others as well, such as one called “Anti-Smooth Muscle Antibodies”. There are many Connective Tissue Diseases, including “Lupus” and some patients can experience “Overlap Syndromes”, meaning they are experiencing more than one type.
A well-informed Doctor is important when you are being treated for autoimmune hypothyroidism, one who understands the risks for other autoimmune disease disorders and one who can detect when symptoms may indicate something other than thyroid related ones. I have visited a few Doctors in the past who actually did not know that hypothyroidism caused joint and muscle pain! I have also known of other Doctors who did not recognize emotional symptoms as being thyroid related in patients they were treating but actually believe these were separate issues! A truly good, caring, well informed Doctor, is worth her/his weight in gold!
In conclusion I would like to add that many times, these mild to moderate joint pain symptoms, can be treated with over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications. There are also very effective over-the-counter, natural supplements that help with joint pain and inflammation, one of these being a combination of “Glucosamine and Chondroitin”. It is also very important to take your thyroid medication as recommended by your Physician and let him/her know about other supplements you may choose to take in addition to your hormone replacement.
If it takes a prescription strength medication to treat your joint/muscle pain symptoms, it might be time to ask your Doctor for further testing.
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