More great news regarding this female client enrolled on my long-term 6-month Nutritional Therapy programme diagnosed with mild-moderate Alzheimer’s disease, Rheumatoid arthritis (RH), with severe weight loss and sleeping issues, reporting severe Rheumatic swelling and joint pains on both her hands. The client, who started therapy at the end of March had initially accepted that the Rheumatic pain in her hands is something she had to live with as it ‘run in her family’. Two months on her weight is generally stable but increased by 1kg (work in progress).
However, I am very pleased to report as a result of her amazing efforts (and that of her supporting husband), her hand swelling has considerably decreased and hand pains have completely resolved! Her sleep hygiene has also considerably improved, a finding that could have positive implications on her Alzheimer’s disease progress further down the line, watch this space! RH differs from Osteoarthritis (fig. 1), as it’s considered chronic, systemic autoimmune disease marked by persistent bilateral (both sides) inflammation of synovial joints, leading to progressive joint destruction, pain, stiffness, and functional disability.
The pathophysiology begins with an inappropriate immune response, where environmental triggers, infections, as well as other imbalances that can interact with genetic predispositions (e.g., HLA-DR4 or HLA-DR1) to initiate autoimmunity. Antigen-presenting cells activate T lymphocytes, which in turn stimulate B cells to produce autoantibodies such as Rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies. These immune complexes trigger complement activation and attract inflammatory cells into the synovium. The inflamed synovium (pannus), triggers the release of pro-inflammatory mediators like TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, or MMP9, lwhich results in cartilage degradation, bone erosion, and systemic manifestations (Fig. 2). Functional medicine offers a complementary, root-cause-based approach to RA by addressing the upstream factors that contribute to immune dysregulation and symptoms.
Key interventions include identifying and eliminating potential triggers. Functional medicine approaches targets various of these mechanisms to ameliorate inflammatory processes which can considerably improve quality of life in persons experiencing RH. By using adjunct, evidence-based and personalised diet and lifestyle strategies, Nutritional Therapy help modulate immune function and oxidative stress. This integrative model empowers personalised care, often enhancing conventional treatment outcomes. If you are experiencing RA, or know someone who does that could benefit from a more functional medicine support with Nutritional Therapy, get in touch with me by email info@andrewfortuna.com or WhatsApp me using the red chat icon on the bottom-left of your screen.
