One of my favorite areas of study outside of Neurology and Structural Chiropractic is that of nutrition and hormones. One of the most fascinating things to understand is that our body can typically heal itself or correct most problems wen it is given the proper ingredients. Whether we are referring to food, supplements, exercise or sleep, they are all very important when it comes to proper physiology (the way our body works).

Based on what I have seen and heard from many patients or people in the public there is a huge increase in people starting Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT in Ardmore. Specifically they are taking Testosterone for a recently labeled condition called "Low T." You see the advertisements for it, a lot of your friends are talking about and so is your doctor.

What is the fuel behind the fire?

Most of the time patients are reporting to their doctors that they feel sluggish, can't lose, have no motivation and a decreased sexual desire or performance. The doctors are doing a great job in taking care of their patients because they will run lab tests and determine if there is a testosterone deficiency. If there is they will ask you to begin HRT and it typically helps the problem.

We should be looking elsewhere for the problem to begin with. As we age, it is NORMAL physiology to have a decline in Testosterone. But what is "normal?" Normal testosterone or any hormone production is heavily dependent on numerous factors. Actually hormone production is a VERY VERY complicated system of the body that anything and everything can effect.

1. Eating too much sugar can decrease production of testosterone
2. Not eating in general can slow production
3. Inactivity has also shown to have an impact
4. Stress..will spike cortisol which prevents testosterone production

This list is by no means exhaustive of the things that NEED to be taken into consideration or eliminated before going down the road of HRT. I agree there is always a time and place for certain interventions but the trend I see is that HRT for this purpose is definitely being abused

Why do I disagree with Hormone Replacement?

As I mentioned there is a time and place for most treatments. However, there are a lot of options to consider before going down that road. Biggest reason that I disagree with HRT is because it is the type of situation that once you start you typically can't stop. You see, our bodies naturally produce things hormones. The endocrine (hormone production) system works similar to a thermostat. If there is enough available it slows down production, if there isn't enough it turns it on. It is all those other things I mentioned earlier that interfere with "NORMAL" production. But when you start HRT, you are putting mega doses of the hormone in the body. That is fine on a short term basis, but after months or years your body starts to shut down production all together....ad that is a problem.

Why?

As I mentioned earlier the hormone system is a VERY VERY complex system. We do not only need testosterone, there are several chemicals produced on the way to creating testosterone that are necessary for other processes of the body. It is a complex network of building blocks and components that work in synergism to operate properly. When this synergy is not present, that is what leads to side effects. YOU CAN NOT DEFY NATURE!!

HRT will never be on equal playing grounds and allow NORMAL physiology as that of making the proper changes to promote natural hormone production.