Rethinking Autoimmune Disease
Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system—our body’s natural defense mechanism—mistakenly attacks its own tissues. Instead of distinguishing between “self” and “foreign,” the immune system becomes confused, leading to chronic inflammation and tissue damage.
These conditions are increasingly common and include well-known illnesses such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, celiac disease, and many others. While symptoms may differ, the underlying problem is the same: an immune system that has lost its balance.
In conventional medicine, the standard treatment often involves suppressing immune activity with steroids or immunosuppressant drugs. While these can reduce symptoms, they don’t address why the immune system is overreacting in the first place.
Functional Medicine takes a different approach. Rather than masking inflammation, it seeks to understand what’s driving it. By investigating root-cause triggers—such as infections, toxins, nutrient imbalances, hormonal disruptions, and chronic stress—Functional Medicine helps restore communication within the immune system so it can once again protect rather than attack.
At the Restorative Medicine Center in Rochester Hills, Michigan, we help patients uncover and correct the underlying causes of autoimmune disease so the body can return to balance.
Common Autoimmune Conditions Treated Functionally
Autoimmune diseases can affect nearly every system in the body—from hormones and nerves to the skin and digestive tract. While each condition may look different on the surface, they all share the same root issue: a misdirected immune response fueled by chronic inflammation.
Endocrine & Hormonal Autoimmune Disorders
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is one of the most common autoimmune diseases, where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, leading to fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, and brain fog. In Functional Medicine, Hashimoto’s isn’t just a thyroid problem—it’s an immune regulation problem.
Graves’ Disease
The opposite of Hashimoto’s, Graves’ disease causes the thyroid to become overactive, leading to anxiety, insomnia, weight loss, and heart palpitations. Functional care focuses on calming the immune response, supporting detox pathways, and balancing adrenal and thyroid communication.
Type 1 Diabetes
In Type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. By addressing inflammation, gut permeability, and nutrient deficiencies, Functional Medicine helps improve blood sugar stability and reduce immune reactivity.
How inflammation impacts hormones:
Chronic inflammation disrupts hormone receptor sensitivity and metabolic signaling throughout the body. When the immune system is inflamed, hormones can’t communicate effectively, leading to fatigue, mood changes, weight fluctuations, and poor stress resilience. By calming inflammation, hormone balance can often be restored naturally—without overreliance on medication.
Neurological & Musculoskeletal Autoimmune Conditions
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
MS occurs when the immune system attacks the protective myelin sheath around nerves, leading to muscle weakness, numbness, and coordination issues. Functional Medicine focuses on reducing neuroinflammation, supporting mitochondrial energy production, and addressing infections or toxins that trigger immune activation.
Autoimmune Encephalopathy
This condition involves inflammation of the brain caused by immune dysregulation or infection (often associated with PANDAS/PANS or post-viral autoimmunity). Symptoms may include memory loss, mood changes, and cognitive decline. Dr. Birkmeier-Fredal uses targeted immune modulation, detoxification, and nervous system retraining to reduce brain inflammation and restore clarity.
Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus
These systemic autoimmune diseases cause widespread pain, swelling, and fatigue. In rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system attacks the joints; in lupus, it can affect the skin, kidneys, and other organs. Functional Medicine helps by reducing the inflammatory load, balancing gut bacteria, and addressing environmental and infectious triggers that perpetuate immune activation.
How inflammation damages tissues:
When immune-driven inflammation persists, it damages connective tissue, cartilage, and nerves. This leads to the pain, stiffness, and fatigue that define autoimmune musculoskeletal conditions. By identifying and removing inflammatory triggers, Dr. Birkmeier-Fredal helps patients reclaim mobility and energy.
Skin, Gut, and Systemic Autoimmune Diseases
Psoriasis, Eczema, and Vitiligo
These skin conditions are outward signs of deeper immune imbalance. Psoriasis and eczema involve overactive immune signaling in the skin, while vitiligo reflects autoimmune destruction of pigment-producing cells. Dr. Birkmeier-Fredal’s approach supports the gut-skin axis—reducing inflammation from within rather than just masking symptoms on the surface.
Celiac Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Both conditions reflect gut-immune dysfunction. In celiac disease, gluten triggers an autoimmune response that damages the small intestine. In IBD (Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis), chronic inflammation disrupts the gut lining and nutrient absorption. Functional Medicine focuses on healing the gut barrier, balancing the microbiome, and calming immune reactivity through personalized nutrition and detoxification.
The gut-immune connection:
The gut is often the starting point for autoimmunity. When the intestinal barrier is compromised (known as “leaky gut”), toxins and microbes can escape into the bloodstream, triggering immune attacks elsewhere in the body. Restoring gut integrity helps calm systemic inflammation and reduce autoimmune flare-ups—improving not just digestion, but overall health and energy.
Functional Medicine Approach to Autoimmune Disease Treatment
Autoimmune conditions are complex—and no two patients develop them for the same reason. That’s why at the Restorative Medicine Center, Dr. Teresa Birkmeier-Fredal follows a comprehensive, stepwise strategy designed to uncover the specific factors driving each patient’s immune dysfunction.
Comprehensive Testing
Healing begins with clarity. Before any treatment plan is designed, Dr. Birkmeier-Fredal uses targeted testing to map out the underlying triggers and inflammatory patterns unique to each patient.
Immune and Inflammatory Markers
To assess immune activation and inflammation, testing may include:
- ANA, hsCRP, cytokines, C4a, TGFB1, and MMP-9
These biomarkers reveal the intensity and location of inflammation and help determine how overactive or suppressed the immune system has become.
Hormonal and Metabolic Markers
Because autoimmune disease often disrupts hormone communication and metabolism, Dr. Birkmeier-Fredal evaluates:
- Thyroid panels, cortisol rhythm, and vitamin D ratios
This helps identify hormonal imbalances that contribute to fatigue, mood swings, and poor stress tolerance.
Gut and Microbiome Testing
Since much of the immune system resides in the gut, Functional Medicine testing examines:
- Food sensitivities, intestinal permeability (leaky gut), and microbial diversity
This reveals how gut health may be amplifying systemic inflammation.
Environmental Toxin Panels
To identify environmental contributors to immune dysfunction, patients may be screened for:
- Heavy metals, mold mycotoxins, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
These toxins can keep the immune system “on alert,” fueling autoimmunity until cleared safely.
Personalized Treatment Protocol
Once testing is complete, a customized Functional Medicine protocol is created to restore immune balance. Dr. Birkmeier-Fredal’s integrative treatment approach combines nutrition, detoxification, hormone repair, and nervous system regulation—all paced according to each patient’s tolerance and progress.
Nutrient Repletion
Autoimmunity often depletes key nutrients needed for immune regulation. Replenishing vitamin D, zinc, selenium, magnesium, and antioxidants helps modulate inflammation and strengthen immune tolerance.
Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition
Food is one of the most powerful tools for calming immune reactivity. Patients receive guidance on:
- Eliminating processed foods, gluten, dairy, and inflammatory oils
- Emphasizing clean proteins, high-fiber vegetables, and healthy fats
This approach stabilizes blood sugar, reduces inflammation, and supports gut repair.
Detoxification Support
Clearing toxins safely and gradually is essential for reducing immune burden.
- Gentle binders (like activated charcoal or bentonite clay) capture toxins in the gut.
- Adequate hydration, infrared sauna therapy, and red light therapy promote cellular detoxification and repair.
Infection Management
If stealth infections are contributing to immune overactivity, Dr. Birkmeier-Fredal utilizes targeted antimicrobials or immune-modulating botanicals to address bacterial, viral, or fungal triggers without overwhelming the system.
Hormone and Mitochondrial Repair
Chronic inflammation weakens energy production and disrupts hormone signaling.
Therapies focus on restoring mitochondrial function (through CoQ10, NAD+, and antioxidant support) and balancing cortisol and thyroid hormones to enhance vitality and metabolic health.
Nervous System Balance
The nervous system and immune system are deeply intertwined. Dr. Birkmeier-Fredal integrates:
- Limbic retraining programs to reset chronic stress responses
- Breathwork and mindfulness techniques to lower inflammatory stress hormones
- Sleep restoration protocols to promote nightly repair and immune stability
Long-Term Immune Support
Healing autoimmune disease is not a “quick fix.” It’s a process of building resilience and preventing flare-ups through ongoing monitoring, education, and support.
Maintaining Remission
Once stability is achieved, Dr. Birkmeier-Fredal helps patients maintain remission through lifestyle adjustments and continued detox support.
Regular Check-Ins and Biomarker Tracking
Periodic follow-up appointments and lab reviews ensure that inflammation remains under control and that any early warning signs of flare-ups are addressed promptly.
Education and Empowerment
Dr. Birkmeier-Fredal believes that empowered patients are successful patients. She provides guidance on how to:
- Identify and avoid environmental or dietary triggers
- Support ongoing detoxification and gut repair
- Maintain emotional balance through stress regulation techniques
Restore Immune Balance—Reclaim Your Health
If you’ve been told your autoimmune disease is “incurable” or that managing symptoms is your only path forward, it’s time to take a deeper look.
At the Restorative Medicine Center, Dr. Teresa Birkmeier-Fredal uses Functional Medicine to identify and treat the root causes of immune dysfunction—helping patients calm chronic inflammation, restore immune balance, and reclaim their vitality.
Whether you’re struggling with fatigue, joint pain, thyroid imbalance, or brain fog, healing begins when you understand why your immune system is misfiring. Through advanced testing, personalized protocols, and compassionate guidance, Dr. Birkmeier-Fredal helps patients achieve long-term remission and feel like themselves again.
Contact Us
📍 Restorative Medicine Center
705 Barclay Cir #115
Rochester Hills, MI 48307
📞 Phone: 248.289.6349
📠 Fax: 248-289-6923
🌐 Website: www.restorativemedcenter.com