Personalised Support for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
CROHN'S DISEASE . ULCERATIVE COLITIS
At the Autoimmune Clinic, we specialise in inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, through a functional medicine approach.
WE GO BEYOND SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT TO UNCOVER AND SUPPORT POSSIBLE ROOT CAUSES OF YOUR CONDITION, HELPING YOU REGAIN CONTROL OVER YOUR HEALTH AND WELLBEING.
Living with a condition such as Crohns or ulcerative colitis can be overwhelming, whether you're dealing with pain and discomfort, repeated bowel movements, fatigue, malnourishment, weight loss. That's why our tailored programmes are designed to meet your unique needs, empowering you to take positive steps towards lasting health improvements.
What is IBD?
At clinic, we specialise in providing personalised support for individuals with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and other common forms of IBD. Our functional medicine approach aims to identify and address the root causes of these conditions, helping you manage symptoms and improve your overall health.
IBD encompasses a group of chronic inflammatory conditions affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The two primary types are:
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Crohn's Disease: This condition can affect any part of the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus, leading to symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhoea, weight loss, and fatigue.
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Ulcerative Colitis: This form of IBD specifically targets the large bowel, causing inflammation and ulcers. Symptoms often include diarrhoea, blood in the stool, weight loss, tiredness, and abdominal discomfort.
Other forms of IBD include Microscopic Colitis, which affects the colon and rectum.
What are the limitations of conventional medicine?
Conventional medicine plays an important role in managing Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) by helping to reduce inflammation and control symptoms, but it does have its limitations. Most treatments, such as anti-inflammatory medications, immunosuppressants, steroids, and biologics, focus on keeping symptoms at bay rather than addressing the root causes of the condition.
While these medications can be effective, they often come with side effects like a higher risk of infections, digestive discomfort, fatigue, and, in some cases, long-term health complications. Even with medication, many people still experience flare-ups, meaning they have to keep adjusting their treatment or, in some cases, consider surgery.
"Another challenge with conventional treatment is that it doesn’t always look at the bigger picture."
Factors like gut bacteria imbalances, food sensitivities, stress, and environmental triggers can all contribute to IBD, yet they’re often overlooked in standard care.
Many people with IBD also experience conditions like Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), leaky gut, or nutrient deficiencies, which can make symptoms worse but aren’t always tested for.
Plus, while diet and lifestyle changes can play a huge role in managing IBD, these are often not given much attention in traditional medical approaches.
That’s where a functional medicine approach can help—by taking a more personalised look at your health, identifying what might be triggering inflammation in your body, and using tools like advanced testing, dietary adjustments, and targeted supplements to help you feel better in the long run.
By combining the best of both worlds—conventional treatments when needed and a more holistic, root-cause approach—you can get a plan that works for you and your unique health needs.
SIBO & Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) are closely linked, with research showing that individuals with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are at a higher risk of developing SIBO. SIBO occurs when bacteria that should predominantly reside in the large intestine proliferate in the small intestine, leading to symptoms such as bloating, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and nutrient malabsorption.
The chronic inflammation and structural changes associated with IBD, such as strictures, fistulas, or reduced motility, can create an environment conducive to bacterial overgrowth.
Additionally, the use of medications commonly prescribed for IBD, such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and immunosuppressants, may further alter the gut microbiome, increasing susceptibility to SIBO.
The presence of SIBO in individuals with IBD can exacerbate symptoms, making it difficult to distinguish between an IBD flare-up and bacterial overgrowth. This overlap can lead to mismanagement if not properly diagnosed.
Supporting SIBO in the context of IBD requires a comprehensive approach that includes testing, dietary interventions, and targeted antimicrobial or prokinetic therapies to restore gut balance. By recognising and supporting SIBO, practitioners can help alleviate additional digestive distress and improve the overall well-being of those living with IBD.
Our Approach
At the Autoimmune Clinic, we take a holistic, functional medicine approach to managing IBD. Our focus is on identifying and supporting possible root causes of your condition, enabling you to take control of your health and achieve lasting improvements in your quality of life.
90 minute initial appointment
During this time Claire dives deep into your personal health story and medical history. Areas she may cover include:
Diet, lifestyle, infections, environmental exposures (past and present), your family health history, stress, etc.
We start connecting the dots for you to understand your health picture better.
We also revisit your existing results together and how they fit into the picture, making sense of it all for you.
Comprehensive Testing
We use testing methods (when relevant) to uncover hidden factors affecting your health, including:
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Persistent inflammation, changes to your microbiome, and gut damage.
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Nutrient deficiencies, such as iron, calcium, and B vitamins, caused by malabsorption.
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Additional food sensitivities that may worsen symptoms.
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Assessing for SIBO which may trigger or exacerbate your condition.
Personalised Nutrition Plans
Nutrition is important to manage inflammatory bowel disease. We design nutrition plans to:
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Restore nutrient levels with balanced, nutrient-dense foods.
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Include gut-healing foods to repair intestinal damage and improve digestion.
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Avoid other dietary triggers that may exacerbate symptoms.
Gut Health Restoration
Inflammation caused by flares often damages the gut lining, leading to leaky gut syndrome and systemic inflammation. We use targeted strategies to:
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Repair the intestinal lining with supportive foods and supplements.
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Restore healthy gut bacteria to improve digestion and immune balance.
Targeted Supplementation
We recommend evidence-based supplements to address deficiencies and support gut healing, such as:
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Vitamin D for immune regulation and bone health.
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Pre and probiotics to restore gut microbiome balance.
Compounds such as zinc and L-glutamine to promote gut repair and reduce inflammation.
Ongoing Support and Guidance
Follow up appointments are needed to continue to build on the foundations that we put in place, to keep you motivated, on track and engaged with the process.
From experience, we see more successful outcomes when individuals are committed to a series of appointment over a period of time to achieve real long lasting improvement in their symptoms and condition.
Continuity of work also allow us to build a relationship and for you to feel supported.
