Autoimmune conditions arise when a person’s immune system mistakenly sees itself as something to attack, leading to a host of problems. In some cases a diagnosis is given simply because nothing else fits the condition. Conventional treatment includes drugs for symptom relief, along with strong immunosuppressive medications focused on turning off the malfunctioning immune system. On the other hand, Chinese medicine is designed to balance immune function without compromising other bodily systems so that the immune system works to keep invaders out of the body and also recognizes the body is not to be attacked anymore. The use of acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutritional therapy, ozone therapy, and our detoxification protocol have allowed Dr. Soto the opportunity to help many people improve or reverse their autoimmune conditions.
How We Successfully Treat Autoimmune Conditions
Autoimmunity becomes the norm for many people for many different reasons. Diagnoses include Lyme Disease, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Skin conditions, Chronic fatigue, Diabetes, and many others. One way to look at the body’s immune system when it starts to overact is the relatively new science of epigenetics. Epigenetics offer a way of looking at immune function as a combined result of what was given to us by our parents — genetics — and what in our environment and lifestyle may trigger those predispositions into disease states. In the case of type 1 diabetes, risk factors are inherited from the parents and it becomes a problem very early in life. But with other autoimmune conditions, there are factors outside of genetics alone that serve to initiate the disease, such as stress, poor nutrition, immobility, the environment, infection, and toxic exposure.
Even with this growing understanding of how the immune system can malfunction, current conventional treatments are limited. They often include strong drugs that suppress the immune system like methotrexate, plaquenel, mercaptopurine (6-MP), cyclophosphamide (cytoxan), and azathioprine (AZA). It would make sense to turn off the part of you that isn’t working correctly but this can have drastic effects as the immune system is still needed to perform its many functions. This is exactly why these drugs come with equally strong, body-weakening side effects including anemia, infection, hair loss, slow wound healing, ulcers, organ failure, and cancer.
Many patients have found Blue Root Acupuncture & Wellness Center after struggling with the decision to begin conventional treatment or after already suffering side effects upon having their immune systems medically suppressed. Regardless of the decision you make or the state you are in, Dr. Soto is here to work with you and the rest of your medical team. You’ll start by having a comprehensive consultation, listing your symptoms, as well as discussing the history of your condition and your life. You’ll then be given a unique treatment plan that will likely start with acupuncture, chinese medicine, ozone insufflations, homeopathic injections and nutritional therapy. Each of your questions will be answered before your treatment begins.
Our Customized Therapies for Overcoming Autoimmune Conditions
Acupuncture
The ancient medical practice of acupuncture has been found to modulate immune function within the human body and restore homeostasis. If an immune system has been hyperactive, as in the case of autoimmunity, acupuncture will down-regulate it to normal. But if the immunity is low, as in a weakened or suppressed immune system, it will up-regulate it to normal. The systematic use of various points around the body allows our acupuncturists to address the immune system as a whole, in addition to relieving symptoms that can arise in most any other system of the body. With successive treatments your body should get closer and closer to a point of normal function again.
Chinese Herbal Medicine
Chinese herbs are categorized according to their function within the body. Some cool the body, others increase metabolic activity, and another group thins the blood. There are a couple dozen different categories of herbs that are selectively combined to create an herbal formula specific for your condition. After a consultation and discussion of your history, a custom herbal formulation is designed to treat both your symptoms and your underlying condition.
Nutritional Therapy
Nutritional Consultations
A consultation about your eating habits will inform you and your doctor about what may be creating or contributing to your condition. Unfortunately, our food supply is often to blame for many autoimmune conditions. Reducing inflammatory agents like processed foods, gluten or sugar has helped many of our eczema, arthritis, diabetes and fibromyalgia patients.
Nutritional Supplements
There are many supplements that we recommend to combat many autoimmune disorders. Depending on your symptoms, different types of supplements will be recommended.
Detoxification Protocol
Our proprietary protocol has many uses and its healing effects on the body are often profound for patients with autoimmune disorders. Our detox protocol consists of ozone insufflations and homeopathic injections. For cancer patients, we recommend this protocol after their chemotherapy regimen is complete to rid their body of the residual toxicity. For arthritis, fibromyalgia, diabetes and other inflammatory conditions, this protocol is useful in carrying out from the body any inflammatory waste products accumulated in the tissues, joints, and organs. Without these substances in the body, the immune system has an easier time doing its primary job of keeping the body disease free.
