AutoImmune 3 ‘R’ Treatment Program

Remove, Relieve, Restore

An autoimmune condition is when the immune system cannot differentiate between self and other.  The body turns against the cells it can no longer recognize.  Sometimes there is a specific organ targeted, such as the Thyroid gland in Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis or Graves Disease, and the joints in Rheumatoid Arthritis. At other times the effect is system wide, as in Lupus (SLE) where the connective tissue and blood vessels in many organs are involved. There are 100 different autoimmune conditions, including Rheumatoid Arthritis, Pernicious Anemia, Crohns disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Type 1 Diabetes and Raynauds.  It is estimated that 23 million people have an autoimmune condition, about the same frequency as those with high cholesterol.  The traditional approach to treatment has been suppressing the immune system, and treating the damage to the organ involved.

Functional medicine takes a different view. 

The goal of treatment is to:  

1. Remove the trigger(s) that are damaging the tissue and/or irritating the immune system, causing the body to become “allergic” to itself.
2. Relieve the inflammation caused by the tissue damage and immune system
3. Restore nutritional deficiencies that may be preventing the immune system from knowing how to turn off once it is activated.  Deficiencies in, for example, Vitamin D, zinc and selenium, can worsen the autoimmune situation.
4. Restore healthy bowel function, which is crucial for healthy immune function.
5. Once triggers are removed, nutrients are replenished, and the bowel is restored, the body comes back into balance.  The goal of the program is to help lower your antibody levels, and to end inflammation and immune activation.  This is accomplished without pharmaceuticals which can have very damaging side effects.
6. Effect a change in lifestyle that will permanently shift you toward better health.