The third most common disease category in the United States following cancer and heart disease is that of autoimmune conditions. It is estimated that around 50 million individuals in the U.S have been diagnosed with them, and this number is likely even higher as autoimmune diseases commonly go unnoticed.
Autoimmune diseases occur when the body’s immune system attacks a specific type of its own tissues, which feeds into a cycle of inflammation in the body. Biomedical theories suggest that the immune reaction can cause a state of inflammation and likewise a state of inflammation can cause the immune reaction. This vice-versa thinking is a common theoretical viewpoint in Ancient Chinese Medicine, i.e., one state of vulnerability in the system can lead to another state of vulnerability. For example, anxiety can lead to insomnia and likewise insomnia can lead to anxiety.
In a sense, an autoimmune journey is one of reclaiming safety in our body. Quite literally on a cellular level, our immune system is treating a specific facet of our being as if it is unsafe to our overall functioning, seeking to remove it from the equation. This statement is not to promote fear or induce blame; often environmental factors and things outside of ourselves have led to such a state. And then the question becomes – okay, so what do we do with that?
So let’s explore one vessel into working with states of autoimmunity, which is through the lens of Ancient Chinese herbal medicine.
According to Ancient Chinese Medical theory, in states of autoimmunity, the Kidney which is innately linked to our immune system and an essence which is referred to as Jing, is in a state of over-reaction. From a Western Biomedical perspective, this reaction is mediated by the immune system’s T-Lymphocytes.
There are three main herbal approaches that might be considered:
- Subdue the up-flaring yang, which in this case is exemplified by the body’s autoimmune over-reaction, and tamper it with yin moistening herbs. Examples of yin moistening herbs include Tian Men Dong (Asparagus Root), Mai Men Dong (Creeping Lily Turf Root), Sheng Di Huang (Rehmannia Root), Wu Wei Zi (Schisandra Berry).
- Get rid of local and systemic inflammation, a quality of heat in Chinese Medicine, with cooling herbs. This might include herbs such as Bai Shao (White Peony Root), Chai Hu (Bupleurum), Dan Shen (Red Sage Root).
- Nourish the underlying systemic deficiency with tonifying, circulatory and warming herbs like Gui Zhi (Cinnamon Twig), or other key warming herbs which will be combined to target specific systems in the body that are not in a state of optimal function. Biomedically, this could be the enteric nervous system of the Gastrointestinal tract, the circulatory system, the liver enzymes, the thyroid metabolic output, the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis, etcetera.
Each individual’s specific diagnostic findings will reveal the present state of their system, which is often referred to as the qi dynamic. With this diagnostic information, a synergistic formula is created to directly target the root of the autoimmune response in the body.
Although we often consider the specific healing directionalities above, autoimmune conditions never fit into a linear black and white box, nor does any state of dis-ease. They are as dynamic as each individual who comes into contact with them. Likewise, herbal medicine is simply one vessel to work with on your healing journey.
Furthermore, much healing lies beyond placing weight on the names of certain states of being which we refer to as ‘diseases.’ Subconsciously, doing so sometimes creates an over-identification with a state of disease, boxing it into something we must “fight” or “overcome,” which unnecessarily complicates things for ourselves. Instead, we can replace this mindset with the realization that we are dynamic humans transforming our inner landscape, and a name is simply a description of a network of relationships within our being that we are alchemizing into a new state. This optimistic outlook can boost our spirits as we move through states of autoimmunity, or any other fluid state of discomfort that we are making contact with in our being.
Sources:
- Autoimmune Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, October 2022.
- Fruehauf, H. Traditional Mentorship Tutorial, National University of Natural Medicine; April 2023.
- Murray, M. A Major Health Crisis: The Alarming Rise of Autoimmune Disease, National Health Council; March 2024.