Treatment of Hypothyroidism and Stress Using Neuro-Emotional Technique (NET): A Case Study

Abstract

Hypothyroidism is generally considered an autoimmune condition, and typical medical management involves taking levothyroxine (synthetic thyroid hormone) for life. This case report details the results of a mind-body intervention (MBI) called the Neuro-Emotional Technique (NET) used to treat a 28-year-old Caucasian female presenting with symptoms and bloodwork markers associated with two years of hypothyroidism and a long history of stress. The patient's medical doctor provided a diagnosis of hypothyroidism after blood tests showed that thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were high at 6.87 mIU/L (where the acceptable range is 0.40-3.50 mIU/L) and free T4 (FT4) levels were low at 8.6 pmol/L (where the acceptable range is 9.0-19.0 pmol/L). Psychometric tests were completed at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment to evaluate changes in mental health and emotional well-being. The Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-Q) revealed a high degree of childhood trauma that may have predisposed to the underlying autoimmune thyroid dysfunction. At the conclusion of the treatment period, serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free T4 were within normal ranges and psychometric indicators normalized. We hypothesize that these changes may be due to the stress-reducing mechanism of NET and outline possible mechanisms via the Psycho-Immune-Neuroendocrine (PINE) network. The PINE network model asserts that chronic stress acts as a potential driver of pathophysiology that can lead to one or more medical and mental health conditions. While further studies with larger sample sizes are required to establish whether these results could be extrapolated to a wider population, the results of this case suggest that it may be pertinent to consider co-management of subclinical hypothyroidism with a relatively quick and cost-effective MBI such as NET.

Keywords: adverse childhood experiences (aces); allostatic load; case report; hashimoto's thyroiditis; hypothyroidism; mindfulness-based intervention (mbi); neuro-emotional technique (net); psycho-immune-neuroendocrine (pine) network.

Figure 1. Autoimmune risk zone

ACE: adverse childhood experiences, ACE-Q: Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire

Figure 2. DASS-21 results at baseline and 12 weeks

DASS-21: Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales

Figure 3. DRAM results at baseline and 12 weeks

DRAM: Distress and Risk Assessment Method, MSPQ: Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire, MZDI: Modified Zung Depression Index

Figure 4. SF-MPQ results at baseline and 12 weeks

A: SF-MPQ PPI, B: SF-MPQ Sensory (physical pain), C: SF-MPQ Affective (emotional pain), D: SF-MPQ VAS SF-MPQ: Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, PPI: Present Pain Intensity, VAS: Visual Analog Scale

Figure 5. Hypothyroidism bloodwork changes during 12 weeks of NET treatment

High TSH and low FT4 are the blood test markers commonly relied upon for diagnosing hypothyroidism. TSH: thyroid-stimulating hormone, FT4: free T4, euthyroid: blood markers indicate normal thyroid function