Want to learn what autoimmune disease is and how to treat it?
Let me tell you something that's going to make you angry. Really angry. And it should.
Right now, as you're reading this, millions of Americans are suffering from autoimmune disease – conditions where their own immune system has turned against them like a confused army attacking its own troops. Rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, lupus, psoriasis – the list goes on and on. And what is our brilliant medical establishment doing about it?
They're prescribing drugs. Lots and lots of drugs.
Steroids to suppress your immune system. Biologics that cost $50,000 a year and come with side effects that read like a horror novel. Anti-inflammatory medications that destroy your gut lining while they're "helping" your joints. Disease-modifying drugs that may slow progression but do absolutely nothing to address why you got sick in the first place.
And when these treatments inevitably fail or cause devastating side effects? They shrug their shoulders and tell you it's "genetic" or "just one of those things" and send you to another specialist who will prescribe another drug.
This isn't medicine. This is madness.
I've been practicing functional medicine for nearly 20 years, and I can't tell you how many patients walk into my office completely broken – not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually – by a medical system that has failed them spectacularly.
When she asked her doctor about supplements that could help or if her diet had anything to do with her condition, he replied dismissively that he works with "scientifically approved treatments, not fairy tales," but if she wanted to try "that stuff," she could. But here's what's truly heartbreaking: the research IS there. Thousands of peer-reviewed studies connecting diet, gut health, and autoimmune disease. And Sarah already knew her diet affected her condition – when she ate chicken tenders, her joints would swell up like balloons. When she had gluten, her brain fog would worsen for days. Her own body was screaming at her, giving her clear signals about what was triggering her immune system to attack itself. But her doctor – the supposed expert – called these obvious connections "fairy tales."
They laughed at a woman who was desperately seeking answers while her body was literally attacking itself.
This is the state of autoimmune medicine in America today, and it's an absolute travesty.
Here's what every autoimmune doctor should be telling you but isn't: Autoimmune diseases don't just happen. They're not random acts of genetic cruelty. They're the end result of a perfect storm of factors that conventional medicine completely ignores.
Your immune system didn't just wake up one day and decide to go rogue. Something triggered it. Something broke down the careful balance that kept your body's defense system working properly. And until we identify and address those root causes, you're just putting Band-Aids on a gushing wound.
Let me break down what's really happening in your body when you develop an autoimmune condition:
Seventy percent of your immune system lives in your gut. Let that sink in for a moment. The majority of your body's defense mechanism is housed in the same place where you digest your food and absorb nutrients.
When your gut lining becomes permeable – what we call "leaky gut syndrome" – toxins, undigested food particles, and bacteria start leaking into your bloodstream. Your immune system, doing its job, attacks these foreign invaders. But here's the problem: some of these foreign substances look remarkably similar to your own healthy tissues.
This phenomenon, called molecular mimicry, is how your immune system gets confused and starts attacking your thyroid, your joints, your brain, or your pancreas. It's not a genetic defect – it's a case of mistaken identity triggered by intestinal permeability.
But does your conventional doctor test for leaky gut? Do they assess your microbiome? Do they even know what SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) is?
Most don't. And that's criminal negligence in my book.
Here's another dirty secret: chronic infections are major triggers for autoimmune diseases. Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, Yersinia, Klebsiella – these pathogens can hide in your body for years, quietly triggering immune dysfunction.
I can't tell you how many of my autoimmune patients test positive for chronic bacterial overgrowths that no one else bothered to look for. These infections create a state of chronic immune activation that eventually exhausts your system and leads to autoimmune chaos.
We're living in the most toxic environment in human history. Heavy metals like mercury and lead, environmental toxins like glyphosate and BPA, mold toxins from water-damaged buildings – all of these substances can trigger autoimmune responses in susceptible individuals.
Your conventional doctor runs a basic blood panel and declares you "normal" while ignoring the fact that you're carrying a toxic burden that would make a hazmat team nervous. These toxins don't just disappear – they accumulate in your tissues and create ongoing inflammation that eventually manifests as autoimmune disease.
When was the last time your doctor thoroughly assessed your nutritional status? And I don't mean just checking your B12 and calling it good. I'm talking about comprehensive testing for vitamin D, zinc, selenium, omega-3 fatty acids, and dozens of other nutrients that are absolutely critical for proper immune function.
Most autoimmune patients are walking around with multiple nutrient deficiencies that are literally fueling their disease. But instead of identifying and correcting these deficiencies, we just add another medication to the cocktail.
In my practice here in Michigan, I've seen countless patients reverse their autoimmune conditions – not manage them, not suppress them with drugs, but actually heal their bodies by addressing the root causes of their illness.
Here's how we do it:
First, we become medical detectives. We run comprehensive testing to identify:
This isn't guesswork. This is precision medicine based on actual data about what's happening in your unique body.
Once we identify what's driving your immune system into overdrive, we systematically remove those triggers:
We replace the nutrients your body desperately needs to function properly:
Finally, we focus on repairing the damage and rebalancing your immune system:
When we address autoimmune disease this way – by treating the root causes rather than just suppressing symptoms – the results are nothing short of miraculous.
Sarah, the rheumatoid arthritis patient I mentioned earlier? After six months of functional medicine treatment, her inflammatory markers normalized, her joint pain disappeared, and she was able to discontinue all of her medications. She's now been medication-free for over two years and feels better than she has in decades.
This isn't an isolated case. I see these "miraculous" recoveries regularly because we're not performing miracles – we're just doing real medicine. We're treating the cause instead of chasing symptoms with drugs.
You might be wondering: if this approach works so well, why isn't every doctor using it? The answer is both simple and infuriating.
First, the training doctors receive in medical school simply doesn't include this information. They spend years learning about diseases and medications, but virtually no time studying nutrition, environmental toxins, gut health, or the complex interactions between different body systems. It's not that doctors are bad people – they're practicing exactly what they were taught.
Second, the reason medical education is so heavily focused on prescriptions is that medical schools are largely funded by pharmaceutical companies. These companies have a vested interest in training doctors to think in terms of drugs and procedures, not root cause healing. The curriculum reflects the priorities of those writing the checks.
Third, this type of comprehensive care isn't covered by medical insurance because medical insurance is designed specifically for mainstream medical care – drugs, surgeries, and conventional treatments. And here's the kicker: sitting on the boards of these insurance companies are executives from the very medical institutions and pharmaceutical companies that benefit from keeping the system exactly as it is. They're literally deciding what gets covered and what doesn't based on what serves their financial interests.
The system is designed to keep you sick and dependent on medications for life. That's not a conspiracy theory – it's a business model.
If you're struggling with an autoimmune condition, I want you to know that you're not broken beyond repair. Your body hasn't betrayed you. It's responding to triggers that can be identified and addressed.
You don't have to accept a lifetime of increasing disability and drug dependence. There is another way.
If you're searching for an "autoimmune doctor near me, Michigan," know that functional medicine practitioners like myself are available to help you get to the root of your illness. We're trained to look beyond symptoms and see the bigger picture of what's happening in your body.
But here's the thing: this journey requires commitment. It requires you to be an active participant in your healing rather than a passive recipient of treatments. It requires you to make changes to your diet, your lifestyle, and your environment. It requires you to take responsibility for your health instead of just hoping the next drug will be the magic bullet.
The conventional medical approach asks nothing of you except compliance. Take this drug, accept the side effects, come back in three months for more of the same. It's easy, but it doesn't work.
Real healing requires real work. But the payoff – getting your life back, feeling vibrant and healthy again, being free from the fear of progressive disability – is worth every bit of effort.
The autoimmune epidemic is growing every year. More and more people are being diagnosed with these devastating conditions at younger and younger ages. Children are developing autoimmune diseases that were once rare in adults.
We can't drug our way out of this crisis. We can't suppress our way to health. We need a fundamental shift in how we think about and treat autoimmune disease.
That shift starts with you. It starts with demanding better from your healthcare providers. It starts with seeking out practitioners who understand root cause medicine. It starts with taking control of your health instead of surrendering it to a system that profits from your illness.
Your body is not your enemy. Your immune system is not fundamentally flawed. You are not destined for a life of progressive illness and increasing medication dependence.
You have the power to heal. You have the right to get better. And you deserve doctors who will work with you to address the real causes of your illness instead of just managing your symptoms.
If you're in Michigan and you're tired of being a victim of your diagnosis, I want you to know that there's another way. You don't have to accept a life of pain and suppressed symptoms. You don't have to be a spectator in your own life.
My practice is built on the belief that your body is not broken; it's just misunderstood. We use a combination of advanced diagnostics, personalized nutrition, and targeted lifestyle interventions to create a roadmap to wellness that is as unique as you are.
The journey to healing is not always easy, but it is always worth it. It’s about taking back control. It’s about listening to your body instead of fighting it. It’s about finding the courage to demand more from your healthcare.
If you are ready to stop managing symptoms and start healing, if you're ready to find an autoimmune doctor near me, Michigan who truly gets it, then let's talk. Your body is waiting for you to listen. Let's start the conversation and get you back to living the life you deserve.
The revolution in autoimmune disease treatment starts now. The question is: are you ready to join it?
About Author: Dr. Josh Shields, D.C., C.F.M.P., is a functional medicine practitioner specializing in autoimmune conditions and chronic illness. His practice focuses on identifying and treating the root causes of disease rather than simply managing symptoms. If you're ready to take a different approach to your autoimmune condition, Dr. Shields is accepting new patients in Michigan.
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