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Five Physicians Reshaping How Women's Hormone Health Gets Treated
A growing group of physicians has pushed back on the idea that women's hormonal symptoms are just something to tolerate. Their combined body of work has shifted the conversation considerably.
MK Wellness InsightsFounded by Danielle Cordova, Cypress, TX
Women's hormonal health has historically been underrepresented in research funding and, as a result, in clinical guidance. A group of physicians has built substantial public bodies of work specifically addressing that gap, each with a slightly different focus. Their combined work is worth understanding as a set.
Dr. Sara Gottfried
Dr. Sara Gottfried, author of several books including "The Hormone Cure," focuses on a systems-based, root-cause approach to hormonal imbalance, connecting stress physiology, cortisol dysregulation, and sex hormone balance rather than treating them as separate issues. Her work emphasizes functional lab testing that goes beyond standard reference ranges to catch imbalances earlier.
Dr. Lara Briden
Dr. Lara Briden, author of "Period Repair Manual," concentrates specifically on menstrual cycle health, arguing that a regular, symptom-free cycle is a meaningful vital sign of overall health, not just a reproductive function to manage. Her work has been particularly influential in reframing conditions like PCOS and painful periods as signals worth investigating rather than default experiences to suppress.
Dr. Jolene Brighten
Dr. Jolene Brighten focuses heavily on post-birth-control hormonal recovery and PCOS, an area she argues is significantly underserved by conventional care, along with broader functional approaches to hormonal balance across a woman's reproductive years.
Dr. Aviva Romm
Dr. Aviva Romm, a physician and midwife, bridges functional medicine with women's health across pregnancy, postpartum, and the full hormonal lifespan, with a particular focus on adrenal and thyroid function's role in women's energy and mood.
Dr. Felice Gersh
Dr. Felice Gersh concentrates on the interplay between the menstrual cycle, the microbiome, and metabolic health, with particular attention to how these systems shift through perimenopause and menopause specifically, an area we've covered in more depth separately.
The Common Thread
Across all five, the recurring argument is the same one running through most of the functional-medicine perspectives we cover: that "normal for a lab range" and "optimal for how you actually feel" are not always the same thing, and that women's hormonal symptoms deserve a root-cause investigation rather than a default prescription or a dismissal.
Where MK Wellness Fits
This is squarely a conversation for a physician specializing in women's hormonal health. Our modalities support the adjacent systems, inflammation, cellular energy, nervous system regulation, that all five of these physicians identify as connected to hormonal balance, alongside that medical care, not in place of it.
MK Wellness services are non-medical and not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition. This article summarizes published physicians' views for educational purposes, it is not medical advice. Consult your physician before starting any wellness program or making changes related to hormonal health.
Put This Into Practice
The Hormonal Balance Protocol at MK Wellness
We build this goal around modalities that work better together. The core of the protocol:
About MK Wellness
MK Wellness was founded by Danielle Cordova after years of searching for real answers for her own family. Our Insights follow The MK Way: root cause over symptoms, the whole body as one system, and honest reporting on what the evidence does and doesn't show. This article is for general education, not medical advice.
Read our story →The MK Way Letter
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