What are Autoimmune Diseases?   This broad term refers to a large group of diseases where the bodies immune system looses the ability to distinguish self from outside invaders and attacks its own cells.  Those common in my practise are Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Grave’s Disease, and Multiple Sclerosis, type-1 diabetes, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis and Celiac disease.  An estimated 14-22 million people in the U.S today suffer from autoimmune disease, placing it on par with cancer at 9 million and heart disease at 22 million (The NIH Autoimmune Diseases Research Plan, 2003).

What Causes Autoimmune Diseases? Mainstream medicine theorizes that genetics and environmental factors both explain the origins of autoimmune disease, although many questions are left unanswered.  While attempting to answer this question is beyond the scope of this article, my clinical experience tells me that the stress link is key, a physiological conditioned helplessness, if you will.  Many of my patients with autoimmune disease have a history of extreme stress such as rape, abuse, severe depression, and the like.

When we are stressed our adrenal glands naturally produce a hormone called cortisol.  One of the outcomes of cortisol is the natural suppression of the immune system.  It is part of a system of checks and balances that ensures the immune system is neither over nor under active.  Hypothetically if extreme stress occurs for a long time the body will be less included to respond to the normal signals of cortisol and we might require higher and higher amounts for the same outcome (to keep the immune system in check).  This exact process occurs with insulin and the development of diabetes.  Chronically high sugar levels cause chronically elevated insulin and soon the body doesn’t respond to insulin as well.  So, it is conceivable that eventually our immune system cannot be kept in check very effectively to the extent that it becomes over-active, not only attacking foreign matter (such as bacteria or viruses), but also attacking our own tissues. 

Conventional Treatment Conventionally autoimmune disease is treated with prednisone, a synthetic cortisol hormone.  High amounts are used to suppress the immune system and therefore prevent self-destruction.  While extremely effective for short term use, prolonged high as occurs with the treatment of most autoimmune diseases produce worrisome side effects such as high susceptibility to infection, osteoporosis, weight gain and water retention, cataracts, ulcers, diabetes and more. 

Alternative Approaches.   Since most patients visiting with me are on a corticosteroid drug the fist line of treatment is to repairing and limit further damage from side effects.  For example, the digestive system is commonly inflamed, the liver sluggish from having to metabolise high doses of medications and the lymphatic system (like the human equivalent of our sewer system) backed up.  These multiple systems are all supported and go a long way to improving ones sense of well-being.  Another short-term goal is to manage specific symptoms related to the autoimmune.  For example, supporting skin health in psoriasis or inflammation in rheumatism.  In the long run I support the underlying cause of the disease.  For man people this means supporting the adrenal glands (stress glands) using herbs, nutrition, acupuncture, homeopathy and of course coping mechanism such as meditation and counselling.    The treatments vary widely but are long term and comprehensive.  Can these autoimmune diseases be cured?  To the extent that a cure is defined by a negative ANA titer (the gold standard blood test for many autoimmune disease) I would say in some cases yes.  For most people commitment to their health in a holistic fashion yields significant improvement and the ability to significantly reduce and/or eliminate the need for medications.