If you are living with fatigue, joint pain, digestive problems, brain fog, thyroid symptoms, skin changes, or an autoimmune diagnosis, one of the first questions you may ask is:
What is the best way to treat autoimmune disease?
The short answer is that there is no single treatment that works for every autoimmune condition.
The most effective approach begins with identifying the specific autoimmune disease, understanding how active it is, receiving appropriate medical treatment when needed, and then addressing nutrition, sleep, stress, movement, digestive health, metabolic health, and other factors that may influence how you feel.
For people in Denver, Westminster, Arvada, Broomfield, Lakewood, Thornton, Golden, and surrounding Colorado communities, Dr. Glenn Harrison’s autoimmune health program provides a personalized functional medicine approach designed to investigate the bigger picture behind chronic and autoimmune symptoms.
What Is an Autoimmune Disease?
An autoimmune disease develops when the immune system mistakenly reacts against the body’s own healthy tissues. Autoimmune diseases can affect the joints, thyroid, skin, digestive system, nervous system, connective tissue, and other organs.
There are many different autoimmune conditions, and they do not all behave—or respond to treatment—in the same way. That is one reason personalized evaluation is so important.
Common autoimmune conditions include Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, celiac disease, psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, and other immune-mediated inflammatory disorders.
Symptoms vary depending on the condition, but people may experience fatigue, joint pain or stiffness, digestive complaints, skin changes, hair loss, temperature sensitivity, or other persistent symptoms. Dr. Harrison’s existing autoimmune specialist page discusses many of these signs in greater detail.
What Is the Best Treatment for Autoimmune Disease?
The best autoimmune treatment is an individualized plan based on the specific disease, its severity, the organs involved, your medical history, and the factors affecting your overall health.
For some people, controlling abnormal immune activity with prescription medication is essential. Depending on the autoimmune disease, conventional treatment can involve anti-inflammatory medicines, corticosteroids, disease-modifying medications, biologic therapies, immunosuppressive treatment, or other condition-specific therapies prescribed and monitored by an appropriate medical specialist.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases notes that autoimmune diseases vary significantly—even among people diagnosed with the same condition—which is one reason the right therapy must be selected for the individual patient.
Lifestyle and functional medicine strategies can then be considered as part of a broader care plan rather than as a replacement for medically necessary treatment.
Step 1: Make Sure the Diagnosis Is Correct
Fatigue, brain fog, muscle discomfort, digestive problems, and joint pain are not specific to autoimmune disease.
Similar symptoms can occur with thyroid disorders, anemia, nutritional deficiencies, infections, metabolic problems, sleep disorders, medication side effects, and many other conditions.
That makes careful evaluation important.
Autoimmune evaluation may include a detailed medical history, physical examination, and laboratory testing selected according to the person’s symptoms and suspected condition. A rheumatologist, endocrinologist, gastroenterologist, dermatologist, neurologist, primary-care clinician, or another specialist may need to participate depending on which organs are affected.
At Dr. Harrison’s Center of Functional Medicine, the process begins with a detailed history and review of previous testing, followed when appropriate by an in-person assessment and additional investigation. The clinic describes its process as moving from discovery and evaluation toward a personalized clinical plan.
Learn more about Dr. Harrison’s functional medicine approach in Denver.
Step 2: Control Active Autoimmune Disease
One of the biggest mistakes a person with autoimmune disease can make is assuming that diet, supplements, or lifestyle changes should automatically replace conventional medical treatment.
For many autoimmune disorders, controlling inflammation and immune-system activity can reduce symptoms and help prevent damage to affected tissues or organs. The appropriate treatment depends on the diagnosis.
The National Institutes of Health advises people with autoimmune diseases to work with healthcare professionals to develop treatment strategies appropriate for their particular disease.
A thoughtful integrative approach should therefore ask two questions at the same time:
What needs to be medically controlled now?
And:
What other factors can we improve to support the patient’s long-term health?
Those questions are complementary—not mutually exclusive.
Step 3: Look Beyond the Diagnosis
A diagnosis explains an important part of the problem, but it may not explain every symptom a person experiences.
Two Denver patients with the same autoimmune diagnosis can have very different problems with sleep, diet, digestion, blood sugar regulation, stress, physical activity, nutrient status, hormonal health, or other health factors.
That is where a personalized functional medicine assessment can add another layer to the conversation.
Rather than assuming that everyone requires the same protocol, Dr. Harrison’s practice evaluates each patient’s history, existing laboratory results, symptoms, health goals, and other relevant factors before developing recommendations. His functional medicine program specifically emphasizes individualized rather than one-size-fits-all care.
Can Gut Health Affect Autoimmune Symptoms?
The relationship between the gastrointestinal system, microbiome, immune system, and inflammation is an active area of scientific research.
However, having an autoimmune disorder does not mean that every patient has the same gut problem or that treating the microbiome will cure autoimmune disease.
Digestive symptoms should instead be evaluated on their own merits.
Someone experiencing persistent bloating, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal discomfort, or other gastrointestinal changes may benefit from investigating whether a digestive condition is contributing to their overall health picture.
Dr. Harrison also offers a dedicated gut health program for Denver-area patients experiencing chronic digestive concerns.
What About Hashimoto’s and Thyroid Autoimmunity?
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition involving the thyroid gland.
Patients can experience symptoms related to impaired thyroid function, including fatigue, changes in weight, cold intolerance, mood changes, and other symptoms.
Because thyroid hormone levels affect many systems in the body, appropriate thyroid evaluation and monitoring are important.
Patients dealing with thyroid and autoimmune concerns can learn more about Dr. Harrison’s thyroid treatment and functional medicine services in Denver.
Where Does Functional Medicine Fit Into Autoimmune Care?
Functional medicine is most useful when it adds personalization and investigation to a patient’s broader healthcare plan.
For someone with chronic autoimmune symptoms, that may mean carefully reviewing areas such as:
- Nutrition and eating patterns
- Sleep quantity and quality
- Exercise and physical activity
- Stress and recovery
- Digestive symptoms
- Blood sugar and metabolic health
- Thyroid or hormone-related concerns
- Nutritional deficiencies when clinically indicated
- Current medications and supplements
- Previous laboratory testing
- Environmental and lifestyle exposures
The goal should not be to promise a universal cure.
The goal is to understand the individual more completely and identify reasonable, measurable areas in which health may be improved.
That philosophy is central to Dr. Harrison’s functional medicine services.
Autoimmune Care for Denver and the Front Range
Finding someone who takes the time to understand a complicated health history can be especially important for people who have been dealing with symptoms for months or years.
Dr. Glenn Harrison, DC, BS, has more than a decade of experience focused on chronic illness according to his professional biography. His postgraduate education includes functional neurology, functional endocrinology, functional blood chemistry, and clinical nutrition.
His Dr. Harrison’s Center of Functional Medicine is located at:
Dr. Harrison’s Center of Functional Medicine
9035 Wadsworth Pkwy #3300
Westminster, CO 80021
Phone: 720-449-6217
The Westminster location serves patients throughout the greater Denver metropolitan area.
Patients can begin with a complimentary 15-minute discovery call to discuss their health concerns and determine whether Dr. Harrison’s approach is appropriate for their situation.
Book a free consultation with Dr. Harrison.
Frequently Asked Questions About Autoimmune Disease Treatment in Denver
Can autoimmune disease be cured naturally?
There is currently no single natural treatment proven to cure all autoimmune diseases. Treatment depends on the specific condition. Lifestyle, nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management may support overall health, but they should not replace medically necessary treatment.
What kind of doctor treats autoimmune disease?
It depends on the condition. Rheumatologists commonly manage systemic autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, while endocrinologists may manage autoimmune thyroid disease and gastroenterologists may treat conditions affecting the digestive system. Some patients also use functional or integrative care alongside their medical specialists.
Denver Health, for example, provides rheumatology care for conditions including inflammatory arthritis and systemic autoimmune diseases.
Is functional medicine good for autoimmune disease?
Functional medicine may be useful as an adjunctive approach for patients who want a more detailed review of nutrition, lifestyle, digestive health, metabolic factors, and other aspects of their overall health. It should complement rather than automatically replace condition-specific medical treatment.
What foods should someone with autoimmune disease avoid?
There is no universal autoimmune diet. Dietary recommendations should reflect the specific disease, nutritional needs, allergies or intolerances, medications, and individual response. Extremely restrictive diets can create nutritional deficiencies and should not be adopted simply because they are promoted as an “autoimmune cure.”
How do I find autoimmune care near Denver?
Look for a provider who takes a comprehensive history, explains the reasoning behind testing and recommendations, recognizes when specialist care is needed, and avoids guaranteeing a cure.
Denver-area residents interested in a personalized functional medicine perspective can explore Dr. Harrison’s autoimmune disease services or schedule a discovery call.
Take the Next Step
Living with autoimmune symptoms can be complicated, but treatment does not have to begin with guesswork.
A good plan starts by understanding your diagnosis, determining what medical treatment is necessary, evaluating other factors affecting your health, and building a strategy tailored to you.
If you live in Denver, Westminster, Arvada, Broomfield, Lakewood, Thornton, Golden, or elsewhere along Colorado’s Front Range and want to explore a personalized functional medicine approach, learn more about autoimmune disease treatment with Dr. Harrison.
Call 720-449-6217 or request your free 15-minute consultation.
This article is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment by an appropriately licensed healthcare professional. Do not stop prescribed medication or change treatment without consulting the clinician managing your condition.