Hormone Balance
Are you getting the answers you are looking for?
Hormone Balance is one of the most common reasons patients seek Dr. Nielsen’s care, and for good reason! Hormones have profound effects on your mental, physical, and emotional health and well-being.
Conventional medicine often falls short in addressing hormonal health for a number of reasons. Many conventional practitioners are not trained in how to order appropriate hormone testing and are focused on “normal ranges” of hormone levels instead of optimal ranges applied to each individual. In addition, conventional practitioners often fail to recognize the complex “dance” that our many hormones have with each other and the influence of these interactions on hormone balance.
What are Hormones?
Hormones are chemical messengers made in cells throughout the body. These messengers are carried in your blood to the organs and tissues they affect. There are many types of hormones that influence nearly every bodily function.
Hormones Impact:
Energy
Mood
Brain Function
Weight
Metabolism
Muscle Mass and Bone Health
Breast and Vaginal health
Menstrual cycles
Sleep cycles
Body Temperature
Skin Health
What is Hormone Balance?
The term “hormone balance” can be misleading, as women experience hormone fluctuations throughout most of their life. To establish balance, you have to view hormones in light of the stage/age of a woman. In addition, there are numerous types of hormones that are constantly interacting with one another in your body. The “dance” of these many hormones with each other is also a key aspect of hormone balance.
Could you have a Hormone Imbalance?
There are many symptoms and conditions associated with hormone imbalance, including:
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Infertility
Mood Swings or Mood Disorders (depression, anxiety)
Poor Memory
Brain “Fog”
Poor Libido or Sexual Dysfunction
Poor Sleep
Acne and/or Aging Skin
Increased Appetite
Weight gain
Bone and/or Muscle Loss
PMS
Painful and/or Heavy Menstrual Periods
“After a six-year experiment of living with the symptoms of menopause—the blast furnace—without hormone replacement therapy, I decided enough was enough. I wanted a holistic and natural approach to this aspect of my wellness with minimal interventions and I found this approach at Integrative Medicine. Dr. Nielsen suggested bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, along with a select number of supplements, in keeping with her, and my, belief that less is more. Within a few months, the differences in the quality of my life were evident…the hot flashes subsided, the dryness of my skin improved, and my mood softened. My partner claims I’m positively ‘glowing’ now. Best of all, I feel more like myself. Thank you, Carin!”
— Christine, age 58
Dr. Nielsen’s Approach
Dr. Nielsen believes the fundamentals of restoring hormone balance include:
Knowing which hormones to test, and when and how to best test them.
Distinguishing what is normal vs abnormal hormone fluctuations.
Taking into account the changes in hormone fluctuation throughout one’s life cycle.
Navigating the complex way in which hormones interact with each other.
Recognizing the roles of both genetics and lifestyle in hormone health.
Hormone testing is offered via blood, urine, or saliva, depending on the type of hormone(s) being tested. Cycle map testing is available to track hormones throughout a menstrual cycle or over a period of time. Treatment plans are customized for each patient, and may include:
Dietary interventions
Stress management
Gut health
Detoxification support
Sleep optimization
Vitamins, supplements, and/or herbal therapies
Bioidentical hormone prescriptions