A functional medicine doctor treats autoimmune diseases differently than conventional medicine. Functional Medicine provides a map to find out which molecule cells mimic. Analyze the root cause of the inflammation and ask why the inflammation exists. Autoimmune disease represents an inappropriate immune response.
The solution to achieving symptom control and remission of the disease is to help the immune system behave more normally. In conventional medicine, potent immunomodulatory drugs are often prescribed. In functional medicine, it focuses on restoring balance in the body by addressing lifestyle, diet, gut health, and nutritional deficiencies, among other factors. Conventional and functional approaches are not mutually exclusive and can be used together.
The ultimate goal is to reduce the chronic inflammation that triggers symptom outbreaks and disease progression. In functional medicine, we believe that all autoimmune diseases stem from the gut. This can be due to years and years of infection in the intestine from taking antibiotics or damaging the intestinal lining by eating processed foods, taking medications, or anti-inflammatory drugs. We want to know what exactly is happening in your body to make this happen, as well as what is causing this to happen.
In general, an autoimmune disease can develop into multiple autoimmune diseases due to continuous and constant damage to tissues and the intestine. There is some genetic predisposition to autoimmune diseases, but certainly, and possibly most importantly, environmental factors play a very important role. Of course, genetics plays a role, but above all it is a case of predisposition to a certain autoimmunity. These are just some of the things a functional medicine doctor can do to help you control or prevent autoimmune diseases.
Functional medicine can help with autoimmune diseases because it not only treats symptoms, but it treats the root cause. The Fork Functional Medicine clinic in Franklin, TN offers a holistic plan of care for national and local residents, including Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Columbia, Murfreesboro, Hendersonville, Gallatin, Lebanon, Mt. Functional medicine is a comprehensive approach to health care that identifies and treats the root cause of the disease, rather than just treating symptoms. If you have an autoimmune disease, talk to your doctor about checking your levels of these key nutrients on a regular basis.
In fact, nearly eighty percent of people report great emotional stress before the onset of physical symptoms due to an autoimmune disease. In functional medicine, treatments are customized for each disease and individual based on their particular needs. Infections Chronic infections with bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi can be one of the main environmental triggers of autoimmune diseases. Western medicine often considers autoimmune diseases to be chronic and incurable, focusing primarily on symptom control.
Taken together, autoimmune disorders are one of the most prevalent diseases in the U.S. They affect up to 10% of the U.S. population, or approximately 24 million people.
