Autoimmune Disease: Multifactorial Health Conditions Require A Multi-Step Approach.
My approach to reducing inflammation and balancing immunity
About Autoimmune Disease:
Autoimmune diseases are complex, multifactorial, progressive diseases that occur when the immune system is triggered to attack specific proteins in your body.
The type of autoimmune disease is based on which area is targeted by the immune system. In many cases, symptoms start long before you are diagnosed. The complexity of these diseases mean that there are varying levels of treatment based on severity, different goals for each person (remission vs symptom management), and some people may need to continue on medication, while others may be able to manage their condition without pharmaceuticals.
Goals
My goals are to identify imbalances in both your body and your surrounding environment that are significantly contributing to disease severity and to apply the appropriate treatment plans to resolve/balance these factors to lessen the burden on the immune system.
Treatment goals include reducing the severity of symptoms, slowing disease progression and overall improving in quality of life. This is not a quick-fix approach as the immune system is complex and its function is highly influenced by genetic and environmental factors.
My Approach to Autoimmune Disease
I have been treating autoimmune diseases since I started practicing in 2009. I have seen a number of different autoimmune presentations and my strong interest and curiosity in the complex nature of these diseases have led me to pursue further education and training in the deep understanding and management of autoimmune conditions.
I use a number of different treatment approaches, mainly focusing on dietary and lifestyle changes, optimizing digestive health and the microbiome (which is essential the central influencer of the immune system) and botanical medicine to slow progression and help improve symptom outcomes.
I identify other organ/endocrinological imbalances that may be greatly impacting the health and function of the immune system. For example, research has found that hormonal imbalances can contribute to the susceptibility and severity of autoimmune diseases, as seen in autoimmune conditions where symptoms are worse during the premenstrual time of the cycle. Another example is that many autoimmune flares occur after a period of intense stress; the reason for this is that our “fight or flight” system is an inflammation producing symptom and when chronically or intensely activated can contribute to inflammation within an autoimmune disease.
I am very familiar with current pharmaceutical therapies used to manage autoimmune conditions, and can work with or work alternative to these therapies, based on your goals. It is often a goal for patients to reduce and limit the need for pharmaceutical medication to control autoimmune symptoms, something I can confidently help you with.
Autoimmune diseases I have experience treating:
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Graves disease
Sjorgen’s syndrome
Scleroderma
Rheumatoid arthritis
Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis
Multiple sclerosis
Primary biliary cirrhosis
Inflammatory bowel disease – Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Celiac disease
Type 1 diabetes
Schedule a Visit with Me
If you’re interested in optimizing your health and working with me, let’s book an appointment.