Your Autoimmune Condition Has a Root Cause. Let's Find It.
Charlotte’s functional medicine approach to autoimmune conditions — identifying the underlying triggers your specialists may have missed.
4.9/5.0 Google Rating
In Practice Since 1997
Charlotte, NC
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EMPATHY
You've Seen the Specialists. You're Taking the Medications. You're Still Flaring.
Rheumatology. Immunology. Gastroenterology. Endocrinology. You’ve built a team.
They’ve given you a diagnosis — maybe Hashimoto’s, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s, psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, or one of dozens of others. You may be on immunosuppressants, biologics, or corticosteroids that manage the flares but come with side effects of their own.
And still, the condition isn’t controlled. Or it’s controlled at a cost — fatigue, brain fog, digestive disruption, vulnerability to infections — that makes “managed” feel like its own kind of suffering.
Conventional autoimmune treatment focuses on suppressing the immune system’s overactivity. That’s often necessary. But it doesn’t ask the question that functional medicine does: why is the immune system misfiring in the first place?
WHAT'S HAPPENING
The Root Causes Conventional Immunology Rarely Investigates
Autoimmune conditions don’t arise randomly. The immune system turns on the body’s own tissues when it’s been triggered — repeatedly, persistently — by factors that remain present and unaddressed.
Gut permeability (“leaky gut”). Research increasingly links intestinal permeability to autoimmune activation. When the gut lining is compromised, partially digested proteins and microbial fragments enter the bloodstream and trigger immune responses. This is a primary driver in many autoimmune conditions — and it’s rarely evaluated by rheumatologists.
Dysbiosis. An imbalanced gut microbiome is a foundational factor in immune dysregulation. The gut is where approximately 70% of immune activity originates. When the ecosystem is off, the immune system is off.
Molecular mimicry. Certain pathogens, foods, or environmental compounds have protein structures that resemble the body’s own tissues. The immune response to these triggers can inadvertently attack the body — the mechanism behind many autoimmune diseases.
Toxin accumulation. Heavy metals, mold, pesticides, and other environmental toxins can trigger or amplify autoimmune activity by burdening detox pathways and creating chronic immune stimulation.
Nutritional deficiencies. Vitamin D, zinc, omega-3s, and other nutrients play critical roles in immune regulation. Deficiencies are common in autoimmune patients and consistently missed.
Chronic infections. Epstein-Barr virus, Lyme disease co-infections, and other stealth pathogens can drive persistent autoimmune activation.
THE APPROACH
Dr. Lauren Pepper's Functional Medicine Approach to Autoimmune
A comprehensive functional medicine evaluation looks at what your standard care is not screening for. Advanced lab panels evaluate gut integrity, microbiome health, comprehensive inflammatory markers, full thyroid panel (including antibodies), adrenal function, vitamin D and micronutrient status, toxin burden, and more.
The result is a map of how your immune system became dysregulated — and a targeted protocol to address those specific triggers. This doesn’t replace your specialist care. It works alongside it, addressing the inputs that your specialist isn’t trained to evaluate.
What this looks like in practice:
- Gut restoration protocols (removing triggers, rebuilding the intestinal lining, rebalancing the microbiome)
- Targeted detoxification support
- Anti-inflammatory nutritional protocols
- Nutraceuticals chosen for your specific deficiencies and immune patterns
- Dietary modifications based on your personal triggers
- Lifestyle factors that affect immune activity (sleep, stress response, movement)
For patients with autoimmune conditions that also have a structural component — spinal involvement in ankylosing spondylitis, inflammatory arthritis affecting joints and mobility — Dr. Brad Wolf’s chiropractic and decompression work integrates with the functional medicine plan.
PATIENT VOICES
"I feel whole — body, mind, and soul! I believe for the first time in my life I found a doctor who talks to my body."
"My chills went away and now I can enjoy outside activities. The pain in my bones, joints, and radiating pain cleared up too! Both Dr. Wolf and Dr. Pepper always take plenty of time with you and look at all aspects of the body to heal holistically."
"Taking a natural approach to my health has eliminated ongoing medications that gave me temporary relief. Since coming to see Dr. Wolf and Dr. Pepper, I don't feel the need to seek any other medical attention."
CREDIBILITY
Dr. Brad Wolf, DC has specialized in complex spinal injuries in Charlotte since 1997. His combination of chiropractic care, DRX9000 decompression, and biomechanical correction has helped hundreds of local patients resolve sciatica that other providers couldn’t.
In practice since 1997
4.9/5.0 Google Rating
Insurance & Cash Pay
DRX9000 on-sites
Ready to Find Out What's Causing Your Sciatica?
- (704) 549-3005
- 8401 University Executive Park Drive, Suite 126, Charlotte NC 28262
- Mon/Wed/Fri 8AM–3PM | Tue/Thu 10AM–7PM
— Amina Muhammed, Charlotte NC