Autoimmune Disorders

Managing Autoimmune Disorders: Holistic and Integrative Medicine Approaches

Autoimmune disorders occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues, leading to inflammation and many other chronic symptoms. Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis can significantly impact daily life. This guide explores holistic and integrative medicine approaches to managing autoimmune disorders, focusing on natural treatments, lifestyle modifications, and supportive therapies that help reduce inflammation and restore immune balance.

Table of Contents

Understanding Autoimmune Disorders

An autoimmune disorder is a condition in which the body’s immune system mistakes its healthy tissues as foreign and attacks them. Most autoimmune diseases cause inflammation (starting in the digestive tract) that can affect many systems in the body. The affected parts of the body depend on which autoimmune disease a person has. Common signs and symptoms include:

Fatigue
Fever
Muscle aches
Joint pain and swelling
Skin problems
Abdominal pain
Digestion problems
Swollen glands

The symptoms often come and go and can be mild or severe. There are many different types of autoimmune diseases. They are more common in women and can run in families.

Common Types of Autoimmune Disorders:

Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Autoimmune disease where the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. Being a demyelinating disease, MS disrupts the ability of parts of the nervous system to transmit signals, resulting in a range of signs and symptoms, including physical, mental, and sometimes psychiatric problems.

Celiac Disease: Long-term autoimmune disorder, primarily affecting the small intestine, where individuals develop intolerance to gluten, present in foods such as wheat, rye, or barley. Usually first diagnosed in childhood, however, it may develop at any age.

Type 1 Diabetes: Occurs when the immune system destroys the pancreas’ insulin-producing cells

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Underactive thyroid

Grave’s Disease: Condition of the thyroid where the gland is overactive

Skin conditions: Occurs when the body’s immune system attacks healthy skin or tissue, causing painful, itchy, or blistering rashings. Includes Psoriasis, Scleroderma, Dermatomyositis, Epidermolysis bullosa, and Vitiligo.

Sjogren’s Disease: Affects the body’s moisture-producing glands, primarily the eyes and mouth.

Lupus: When the body’s immune system attacks healthy tissue and cells; usually occurs in women. It’s often treated with steroids, prescriptions, and biologics that can lower immune system responses. This can cause inflammation that causes damage in many body systems including the lungs, kidneys, and brain.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Pain and swelling in the joints, primarily in the hands and wrists

Common Symptoms and Diagnosis

Diagnosing an autoimmune disorder is determined through various lab tests, sometimes even allergy testing. Dietary changes are sometimes made, like stopping sugar and gluten, but this doesn’t get to the root cause of the inflammation. As opposed to symptom management it is imperative to do proper lab testing for accurate root cause diagnostics.

What are common autoimmune symptoms?

Classic symptoms include gastrointestinal problems such as chronic diarrhea, abdominal distention, malabsorption, loss of appetite, and among children – failure to grow normally (also known as failure to thrive). Non-classic symptoms are more common, especially in people older than two years of age. There may be mild or absent gastrointestinal symptoms, many involving any part of the body, or no obvious symptoms.

Multiple Sclerosis:

Double vision
Vision loss
Eye pain
Muscle weakness
Loss of sensation or coordination in hands and feet or limbs

Celiac Disease:

Symptoms often start with chronic diarrhea
Cramping
Bloating
Food intolerance

Type 1 Diabetes:

Increased urination
Increased thirst
Increased appetite
Weight loss
Fatigue
Mood changes and irritability

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis:

Fatigue
Weight gain
Muscle weakness
Cold intolerance
Constipation
Depression
Sometimes a puffy and swollen face

Grave’s Disease:

Heart problems
High blood pressure
Typically western medicine treats these symptoms with various medications, which can help with symptom management but also have damaging long-term side effects.

Sjogren’s Disease:

Dry, itchy eyes and mucus membranes
Dry skin, nose, and vagina
Frequent nosebleeds
Dry throat and frequent coughing
Fatigue
Join and muscle pain

Lupus:

Pain can occur in muscles and/or chest
Overall fatigue
Rashes, either red or scaly can occur
Hair loss is common

Rheumatoid Arthritis:

Swollen, tender joints
Typically in fingers and hands
Usually treated with steroids and other harmful medications

Holistic Approaches to Managing Autoimmune Disorders

Reducing inflammation is key in natural autoimmune treatment. As a result of imbalances in the body, inflammation is the core cause of autoimmune disease.

First, start with the physical.

Repair the GI system with organic food – eliminating harmful chemicals, dyes, hormones, and pesticides – all damaging to the gut. All substances (beneficial and harmful) cross the blood-brain barrier and affect all organs and body systems. The skin and GI are often the first to show symptoms, but without proper lab testing, the imbalances and root causes are hard to identify.

An anti-inflammatory diet eliminates sugar, gluten, dairy, certain vegetables and fruits.

Other items that cause inflammation are reduced or eliminated:

Coffee
Dairy products
Alcoholic beverages
Artificial sweeteners
Food additives found in many pre-packaged foods

If not eliminated because of gluten and other food sensitivities, bread could be made from scratch from a sourdough starter. This provides natural cultures helping to balance the GI bacteria. Any corn products, grain, or pasta should be organic and non-GMO. Gluten-free does not necessarily mean healthy, so organic fresh, or frozen foods are preferred because of the risk of exposure to chemicals and added preservatives.

Second, immune health support.

As major players in many autoimmune disorders: depression, mood, and anxiety can be corrected and balanced with various herbs and plants. These can include

Ashwagandha
L-Theanine
Gingko Biloba
Lemon balm
Valerian
Chamomile

Prebiotics and probiotics restore the normal microbiome balance in the intestines, helping to ensure multiple body systems are functioning correctly. Various minerals and vitamins are often depleted due to poor gastrointestinal health. These include Vitamin B, Iron, Vitamin D, and Magnesium. Adding these supplements can help naturally support your immune system.

And third, stress management.

Management of stress is critical and often overlooked as a major contributor to developing autoimmune disease. Mainstream society understands the relationship of stress to heart disease and high blood pressure, but not as a factor in developing autoimmune disorders. Chronic stress affects the adrenal glands, which dump abnormal amounts of cortisol into the bloodstream. The fight or flight response left unaddressed, creates a condition in the body where the nervous system is always on alert, resulting in an imbalance of stress and inflammation in the cells and organs of the body.

Integrative Medicine Strategies for Autoimmune Conditions

Based on symptoms, customized lab panels are created to identify food sensitivities and other components that can be eliminated to reduce histamine levels and inflammation. Using specific, customized lab testing identifies the root causes of symptoms that can then be eliminated.

Traditional medicine uses limited lab values and simply the management of symptoms by medication. The root cause is not identified, and therefore the condition persists.

Lifestyle Modifications for Autoimmune Health

Strengthening your immune system can happen in several ways, below are three of the simplest to implement into your everyday routine.

Increased Physical Activity:

This promotes better sleep, helps regulate hormones, improves the efficient function of the body, and reduces stress and anxiety.

Stress Management and Mental Health:

Chronic stress and anxiety cause chemical and physical changes in the body which over time can lead to an autoimmune response in the body. Finding healthy ways to manage stress can include:

Physical movement
Yoga
Meditation
Volunteer work at spiritual organizations or schools
Hobbies

Getting proper sleep:

Practice good sleep hygiene by eliminating screen time at least one hour before bed. This helps regulate melatonin, serotonin, and dopamine; all chemicals in the brain that help regulate hormone function and quality sleep.

Integrative Therapies for Autoimmune Support

Integrative or holistic therapies to support immunity and lifestyle changes can include:

Acupressure
Acupuncture
Healing touch
Massage therapy
IV nutrient therapy
Reflexology
Craniosacral massage
PEMF therapy
Ozone therapy
Mindfulness meditation
Emotional freedom technique
Heart-mind coherence (also called heart math)
Sound therapy (can be music of all kinds, tuning forks, gongs, bowls)
Art therapy
Exercise in all forms (walking, tai chi, yoga, etc.)
Grounding
Red light therapy
Microcurrent neurofeedback
Prolozone injections
Laser pain relief
Ultraviolet blood irradiation
Theta chamber (used to induce a theta state signaling the hypothalamus to return to normal production of serotonin, dopamine, and other neurotransmitters)

Managing all autoimmune disorders requires a comprehensive approach integrating holistic and integrative medicine strategies. After addressing the underlying causes, adopting healthy lifestyle habits, and utilizing supportive holistic or integrative therapies, individuals can effectively manage their symptoms and improve their overall health. Working with healthcare professionals to develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to your specific health needs is essential to managing these conditions.