Commonly with conventional medicine, medications are given to reduce pain and other symptoms of their autoimmune condition, but unfortunately, it is not uncommon that while symptoms are being suppressed, the mechanisms of disease and dysfunction are left to continue their destruction. Immuno-suppressive medications are the additional treatment for many autoimmune conditions. And although they can be necessary to limit tissue destruction, they will contribute to the person being immunocompromised over time. Those benefits and risks need to be weighed out on an individual basis.
Most patients have initial complaints of fatigue with recurrent painful, swollen joints such as in the hands, knees, or feet. The traditional medical practitioner would appropriately order blood tests for rheumatoid factors, inflammation and others and then start the person on steroidal or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAID). Ineffective initial treatment would typically have the conventional doctor switch to a more potent pharmaceutical agent, hoping for a better outcome but usually, and unfortunately, with a greater risk of adverse side effects over time.
A functional medicine practitioner will, on the other hand, look to find out which mechanisms could be causative to the person’s problem and come up with therapeutic options that address many of these factors. He/she would seek more detailed information about the person’s lifestyle and dietary habits. An extensive history would be taken to look for any events that might have occurred before the symptoms first appeared. Potential exposures to toxins would be explored. A review of all the body systems would be performed with particular attention paid to issues such as gastrointestinal symptoms or reactions to food. The search for previous medical problems might extend as far back as infancy with questions referring to colic, frequent ear infections, heavy use of antibiotics or NSAIDs. As well, both conventional and specialized laboratory tests are many times part of the comprehensive workup. It is important to understand that when it comes to the treatment of RA or any other autoimmune disease it is not just the immune system that requires attention, but the entire human organism which is composed by multiple interacting and self-regulating loops that dynamically influence each other to express health or disease.
The functional medicine doctor’s treatment approach will typically revolve around very specific nutrition, diet and lifestyle therapeutic interventions that have been shown either in the scientific literature or with clinical based evidence, to have significant positive effect with managing the condition. And actually, for a doctor of functional medicine, this perspective on evaluation and care of rheumatoid arthritis is similar for any form of arthritis. First evaluating all of a person’s relevant health history to best determine triggers and mechanisms and then a nutrition, diet and lifestyle approach to reducing symptoms and restoring function and strength as best possible.
Treating disease once it has developed and restoring one back to their optimal physiology and health can certainly be seen as 2 sides of the same coin. And a competent compassionate functional medicine doctor is passionate about caring for both sides of it.
“I’ve been going to NMR 2-3 times a week for about a year now to aid in my healing of Rheumatoid Arthritis. When I first started my main goal was to get my mobility back. However, from the beginning the doctors here looked at my case holistically. Dr. Sferra took the time to hear my story and made a personalized plan for me. And the plan has been working! I feel I get the best care from the Physical Therapists like Dr. Jeremy and everyone else out on the main floor (Dan, Desiree, Dr. D). I also see Ellen for acupuncture and cupping. She has such a wealth of knowledge in this space that she is also guiding me through gut healing and always sharing her expertise on herbal medicine. What’s most important in my eyes is that not only do they heal me while I am there, they teach me how to heal when I am home. I am on track to coming completely off my RA medication (Enbrel) and I can confidently say I could not have done it without them. I HIGHLY recommend no matter what you are working on, physically or mentally, big or small, take your healing journey here.”
