Hormone Balance
Hormone Balance: Hormones like estrogen, testosterone, adrenaline, and insulin are extremely important chemical messengers that affect many aspects of one’s health, including chronic pain problems which may be associated with sciatica. Hormones are secreted by various glands and organs, including the thyroid, adrenals, pituitary, ovaries, testicles and the pancreas. The entire endocrine system works together to control the level of hormones circulating throughout the body. And if one or more is imbalanced it can cause major health problems.
The most common symptoms of hormone imbalance include:
Infertility and irregular periods
Weight gain or weight loss (unexplained, not due to intentional changes in one’s diet)
Depression and anxiety
Fatigue
Insomnia
Low libido
Appetite changes
Issues with digestion
Hair thinning and loss
Symptoms of hormonal imbalances can range depending on what type of disorder or illness they cause. For example, symptoms of diabetes include weight gain, appetite changes, nerve damage, and eyesight problems. Excess weight and obesity can also ultimately cause low back pain and sciatica. Conventional treatments for hormone imbalances include synthetic hormone replacement therapies i.e. insulin injections, thyroid medications. However, with these types of treatments comes negative effects, such as medication dependency, serious side effects like stroke, osteoporosis, anxiety, reproductive problems, cancer and more. And with these synthetic treatments, the symptoms aren’t treated but only masked. Fortunately, there are ways to acquire hormone balance naturally. For example, stay away from oils high in omega-6 fats (safflower, sunflower, corn, canola, soybean, and peanut). Instead utilize rich sources of natural omega-3’s (wild fish, flaxseed, chia seeds, walnuts, and grass-fed animal products).
