Hormone Replacement Therapy

What Is Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hormone replacement therapy is the use of hormones to treat and restore hormone balance within the human body. Hormone imbalance affects both women and men, and can occur for a variety of reasons, but is most commonly associated with the normal aging process. Symptoms of hormone imbalance that are effectively treated with hormone replacement therapy include hot flashes, night sweats, irritability, anxiety, weight gain, muscle loss, joint pain, poor sleep, low libido, fatigue and more.

However, it is important to understand that not all hormone replacement therapy is created equal. At Balanced Health we offer bioidentical hormone replacement therapy which integrates the practice of functional medicine to help patients overcome the negative symptoms of hormone imbalance, as well as experience a greater sense of well-being and better health as they age. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy has been rigorously studied and is considered to be a safe and evidence-based healthcare modality for both women and men.

At Balanced Health, we are committed to work with you to tailor an individualized treatment plan that is designed to suit your unique needs while taking into account your personal medical history, health status, and lifestyle preferences.

Biodentical vs Synthetic Hormone Replacement

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) uses bioidentical hormones derived from natural sources, typically from the soy or wild yam plant, and are compounded to be an exact structural match to the hormones inside the human body.  

 
Synthetic hormones, on the other hand, are often derived from animal sources and are combined with chemicals to create a hormone replacement that is similar, but not exactly like human hormones. 
 
The natural ingredients in BHRT, combined with the structural molecular match, allow bioidentical hormones to fit into human hormone receptors exactly as naturally occurring hormones would. With synthetic hormones, the molecular structure is merely similar, causing the body to struggle with recognition of the substance and, therefore, causing side effects and poor outcomes. 
 
ARE BIOIDENTICAL HORMONE SAFE TO USE?
 
In the past, most research into hormone therapy focused on synthetic hormones, but as the effectiveness of bioidentical hormone therapy has become consistently demonstrated, researchers are turning their attention to BHRT. Because of this, bioidentical hormones have become a safe and effective treatment option for disease prevention as well as a variety of uncomfortable symptoms that often accompany hormonal decline. 
 
In 2001, a famous study called the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), suggested that hormone therapy was dangerous. At the time, this was the largest ever study on hormone therapy. It was designed to compare the efficacy of estrogen-only therapy and a combination of progesterone and estrogen therapies. For the study, researchers used synthetic hormones and many of the participants were of advanced age and higher risk of disease before the study began. These factors led many experts to review the study and uncover flaws in the methodologies used. These reviews have led large medical organizations, experts, and communities to revise previous policies against the use of hormone therapy. Since then, the WHI has been debunked, and the original authors have admitted to the flaws of the study and the resulting inaccurate outcome that hormone therapy is unsafe.
 
Today, the known benefits of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy are numerous, and it is believed to be the best treatment option for hormone imbalance and prevention of disease. 

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Get Started

To get started with our practice we recommend either scheduling a complimentary 15-minute one-on-one discovery call or attending one of our virtual discovery events. During your consultation we will listen to your concerns and give you an overview of our practice philosophy and provide you with education about balancing your hormones. If you feel our practice is the right fit for you, we will send an order for lab work to the lab of your choice and schedule your first in-office visit. During your first in-office visit, we will review your lab results, give our recommendations, and discuss your options for hormone replacement therapy.

We are dedicated to providing you with an individualized plan of care that we are both comfortable with. We will never push you into a decision that you are not ready to make. Our goal is to help you get well and stay well! It is our hope that we can walk along side you during your hormone health journey!