The Integrative Medicine Approach to Lupus (Part 1)

Conventional allopathic medicine treats lupus primarily by providing temporary symptom relief and weakening the immune system. Functional Medicine and Chinese Medicine, on the other hand, seek to find the true cause of each patient’s lupus and then address that cause. This article explains the most common causes of lupus and how to address them.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus) is an autoimmune disease, meaning it is a type of disease in which the body’s immune system mistakes the body’s own tissues as foreign invaders. Most autoimmune diseases only attack specific types of tissues; for example, rheumatoid arthritis only attacks joint tissue, multiple sclerosis only attacks the brain and spinal cord, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis only attacks the thyroid gland. However, lupus causes the immune system to attack the skin, joints, internal organs, and the nervous system. Some lupus patients may have more skin symptoms, while others have more symptoms involving the internal organs. For this reason, lupus can be difficult to diagnose and complicated to manage using a one-size-fits-all conventional medicine approach.

Early signs and symptoms of lupus can include headaches, fatigue, anemia, a “butterfly” rash on the face, hair loss, water retention, sensitivity to light, poor circulation in the hands and feet, fever, joint pain, nosebleeds, and canker sores in the mouth. The conventional treatment for lupus usually includes alleviation of symptoms with diuretics for water retention, aspirin and other pain medications for joint pain, steroid drugs such as prednisone, and immune suppressants. Steroid drugs can lead to even more fluid retention, as well as muscle wasting and weight gain on the abdomen, neck, and back. Immune suppressants can lead to increased susceptibility to infections and viruses, as well as blood disorders and more hair loss.


Functional Medicine, Chinese Medicine, and Acupuncture in Del Mar, CA (often together referred to as Integrative Medicine, especially when used in coordination with some conventional medicine treatments) address lupus by first investigating the cause of lupus in each individual patient. Every patient is unique in their symptomatology, and they are also unique in their history and root cause of illness. Here, we explain the most common root causes of lupus.


1. Gluten Intolerance: While actual celiac disease only affects 1 out of every 100 people, gluten intolerance is far more common. More people may actually be gluten intolerant than not, though most gluten intolerant individuals will not develop lupus. There must be an underlying genetic factor for lupus as well. The most common symptoms of a gluten intolerance include pain, brain fog, sleeping problems, fatigue, mood disorders, and ADHD. Note that digestive problems are not a major issue for most gluten intolerant individuals. Making changes to your diet to include real, whole foods and exclude gluten may help you manage the underlying causes of lupus.


2. Leaky Gut: Many lupus patients do have underlying digestive problems as a root cause of their autoimmune disease. Leaky gut occurs when the semi-permeable membrane in the gut becomes too permeable, and undigested food particles leak into the bloodstream. In individuals with a genetic susceptibility to autoimmune disease, leaky gut can be “the straw that breaks the camel’s back” in setting off the autoimmune process or provoking a flare-up of symptoms. Seeking Acupuncture in Del Mar, CA and acupuncture in La Jolla, CA, in addition to specific food recommendations and supplements, can help you heal a leaky gut.

To be continued in Part 2 next week…