In TCM, it is believe that there are two fairly common causes of hypothyroidism. The first is a result of previous inflammation of the thyroid gland, which leaves a large percentage of the cells of the thyroid damaged (or dead) and incapable of producing sufficient hormone. The most common cause of thyroid gland failure is called autoimmune thyroiditis, a form of thyroid inflammation caused by the patient's own immune system. The second major cause is the broad category of "medical treatments."  The treatment of many thyroid conditions warrants surgical removal of a portion or all of the thyroid gland. If the total mass of thyroid producing cells left within the body are not enough to meet the needs of the body, the patient will develop hypothyroidism. Remember, this is often the goal of the surgery for thyroid cancer.

Integration of Chinese medicine and western medicine would be a good choice for this disease. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, there are some patterns of syndrome that lead to hypothyroidism.
1. Pattern of Kidney Yang Deficiency.
2. Pattern of Spleen Qi Deficiency.
3. Pattern of Heart Qi Deficiency