I don’t know about you, but I am ready to leave 2024 behind and welcome the promises of a new year!
Many of you have asked me to touch on clinical pearls for autoimmunity, so I will start the year off with this topic.
Overview of today’s email:
- What is the “autoimmune triad”?
- A resource to expand your education
- EMR template
1. The Autoimmune Triad
In mainstream medicine we don't dig deeper into the suspected root causes of autoimmunity; we just diagnose and (maybe) give a treatment.
But digging deeper via a functional medicine approach is not straightforward...autoimmunity is COMPLEX! To be an expert, we have to know and understand molecules such as cytokines, interleukins, as well as Th17 vs Th1 vs Th2 immune responses.
I initially approach any of the 80+ autoimmune conditions by digging into “The Autoimmune Triad” (coined by Dr. Alessio Fasano in 2009):
- Genetic Predisposition
- Intestinal permeability
- Environmental trigger
I encourage you to read more about Dr. Fasano’s journey.
2: A Resource From Which to Learn More
If you are ready to take a deep dive, look into the trainings per Cogence Immunology (look for the coupon on the page to get access for free!)
3: An EMR Template
There are many types of autoimmune conditions, but no matter what the diagnosis, in Functional Medicine we start with the “Autoimmune Triad” when looking for the root cause. These include:
- Genetics (what we can’t control, but is only considered a minor contributor and risk factor)
- “Leaky gut” (e.g. looking for issues with the gut mucosa, microbiome, and more)
- External/environmental triggers (e.g. taking a deep dive into medication history, exposures to toxins such as indoor mold toxins, and the biggest trigger = physical and/or mental stressors)
Thanks for reading! I will touch on the role of LDN in treating autoimmunity next week…
Meg
P.S. Join me for one of the brainstorming sessions on a Functional Medicine mentorship! Click here to register for January 20th (Monday) at 3pm MST, or click here to register for February 1st (Saturday) at 10am MST.
If you want to forward this on to someone who could benefit from the information, thank you! Here's a link for anyone new who wants to sign up (link also includes access to a PDF resource for tips for staying organized)
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If you're looking for more helpful content on functional medicine for clinicians, check out blog articles on my website! I also have a few helpful low-cost resources you can find on the website as well. Thank you for your time and support - I truly hope I am serving you well!
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