Thyroid disease patients can experience a number of different complications as a result of their hypothyroid (underactive thyroid) or hyperthyroid (overactive thyroid) conditions. Two of these complications are nerve pain and dysfunction, referred to as "peripheral neuropathy" and muscle weakness with possible atrophy (shrinkage of muscles), referred to as "thyroid myopathy".

In some cases, these two problems that are co-morbid to thyroid disorders can coexist, so that they are occurring at the same time and this may be referred to as "neuromuscular disease". This is a symptom-aspect that has less information available on it via online medical search, than do the more common thyroid-related problems, such as weight gain, joint pain, and fatigue.

Within the chapters of this book, that follow, I hope to present to the listener a general understanding of these often debilitating and potentially very serious manifestations of thyroid disease, affecting the nerves and muscles of the body, including the treatments available for them. I present this information to you as a fellow hypothyroid patient with autoimmune thyroiditis and co-morbid peripheral neuropathy and myopathy, which inspired me to search and research the information contained in the chapters.