How Conventional Medicine Got Autoimmune Diseases All Wrong

As shared by our functional medicine colleague Dr. Amy Myers

I believe conventional medicine has it all wrong when it comes to treating autoimmune disease. Autoimmune conditions affect over 50 million Americans, a large percentage of whom are women. Autoimmune diseases are now the third leading chronic disease in the country right behind heart disease and cancer. They are a top ten leading cause of death in women under the age of 65, and they come in more than 80 different varieties, including rheumatoid arthritis, type I diabetes, Lupus, thyroid disease, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, and more. Yet, it takes an average of six-to-ten doctors and five years to receive one of these autoimmune diagnoses. What is conventional medicine doing wrong?

Autoimmune Disease: A Disease Of The Immune System
Under our current medical system, autoimmune diseases are not recognized as diseases of the immune system as a whole. Instead they are seen as diseases of particular organs. Unfortunately, that means that there isn’t a unified branch in conventional medicine to treat autoimmune conditions. With cancer for example, we have cancer specialists called oncologists who treat many different types of cancers no matter which organ system they involve. Yes, there are some sub-specialties within oncology, but they typically still fall under one main oncology umbrella.

If, on the other hand, you are suffering from an autoimmune disease, you will see a specialist who focuses on the organ system that is being affected: a rheumatologist for rheumatoid arthritis; an endocrinologist for Hashimoto’s and diabetes, a gastroenterologist for celiac, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s; a dermatologist for psoriasis; and so on. If you have multiple autoimmune conditions, as many people do, you will see several different specialists.

Supporting, Rather Than Suppressing, The Immune System
In conventional medicine, the belief is that once you have an autoimmune condition, there’s nothing you can do to reverse it, only ways to manage the symptoms. Managing the symptoms typically involves harsh medications that are aimed at suppressing your immune system. While these medications can be effective at reducing some of the symptoms of the disease, since they suppress the entire immune system, they are not without many unwanted side effects such as fatigue, weight gain, depression, increased infection rates and even cancer.

In contrast, functional medicine sees the body as a whole and works on the principle that the health of one system impacts the health and function of the others. Instead of focusing on disease symptom management, we focus on supporting and strengthening the immune system by getting to the root of why the immune system went rogue in the first place. While there is no known cure for autoimmune disease, I believe that there are five key elements that are at the root of all autoimmune conditions.

By Dr. Surrusco
In our functional chiropractic wellness practice I have been able to successfully help hundreds of patients lower and reverse antibodies, get off their harsh medications, and become symptom free by following certain guidelines that help individuals have remarkable results. Visit the center for a no obligation consultation so we can discuss your situation and see if we can accept your case. 
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