Hashimoto's · Psoriasis · Autoimmune Disease

Functional Medicine for Hashimoto's, Psoriasis & Autoimmune Disease

Q: How do I apply to work with Dr. Shook?

The first step is the Application for Care . I review the application before offering a private scheduling step when the case appears to be a good fit for my consulting approach.

There is a new way to look at autoimmunity. The Environmentally Induced Autoimmunity model asks a different question: what is triggering and driving the autoimmune process in you? I use functional immunology and functional medicine to evaluate your autoimmunity through that model, identify the triggers and drivers that appear most important, build an individualized plan, and work to dampen the autoimmune process while supporting your overall health.

Brad Shook, DC, AFMC · Functional Medicine · Hashimoto's · Psoriasis · Autoimmune Health

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Working with clients since 2006Advanced functional medicine education with a long-standing focus on autoimmunity and complex chronic health concerns.

A New Opportunity in Autoimmune Health

The Diagnosis Names the Disease. The Next Question Is What Is Driving the Autoimmune Process.

Hashimoto's, psoriasis, and other autoimmune diseases have triggers and drivers. They do not happen for no reason. A diagnosis tells us what disease has been identified. It does not automatically tell us why the autoimmune process was triggered in one person, why it behaves differently from one person to another, or what may be keeping it active.

The Environmentally Induced Autoimmunity model gives us a new way to understand the triggers and drivers of autoimmunity. It looks at the interaction between your genes and the environmental triggers that can contribute to autoimmune activity.

Environmental exposures, breakdowns in the barrier systems of the body, immune-system dysregulation, metabolic dysfunction, poor nutrition, infections, stress, poor sleep, some medications, and other factors can all influence the triggering and continued activity of autoimmunity.

That creates a new opportunity. Instead of stopping at the diagnosis, we can investigate the triggers and drivers behind the autoimmune process, determine which of them we can change, build a focused plan around those factors, and learn from how your autoimmunity responds.

Environmentally Induced Autoimmunity model showing genetic susceptibility, environmental triggers and drivers, barrier-system breakdown, immune dysregulation, metabolic dysfunction, and the autoimmune process — Tap or click the graphic to enlarge.

The diagnosis answers“What disease has been identified?”

Functional medicine asks“What may be triggering and driving the autoimmune process in you, and which factors can we change?”

Areas of Focus

Functional Medicine for Hashimoto's and Psoriasis

I have worked with clients dealing with dozens of autoimmune conditions. My own experience with psoriasis and my years of work with Hashimoto's have influenced my professional training and the types of clients I most often work with. If you are searching for a Hashimoto's specialist, a functional medicine doctor, help understanding psoriasis, or a better way to approach autoimmune disease, these are good places to begin.

Hashimoto's Functional Medicine

Looking for a Hashimoto's Specialist?

Many people searching for a Hashimoto's specialist or Hashimoto's doctor near them are looking for someone who understands that Hashimoto's is first and foremost an autoimmune disease, with the thyroid as the target of the immune response. My Hashimoto's resources focus on the autoimmune process, thyroid physiology, potential triggers and drivers, diet, gluten, celiac disease, testing, lifestyle, and individualized functional medicine.

Start with the Hashimoto's Thyroiditis Resource Center, then explore the topic you want to understand most.

Hashimoto's causes, symptoms & autoimmune drivers Hashimoto's diet & nutrition Gluten, celiac disease & Hashimoto's Functional medicine for Hashimoto's

Psoriasis Functional Medicine

Looking for a Functional Medicine Approach to Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is an autoimmune inflammatory disease that can involve much more than what you see on the skin. My psoriasis resources explain the condition, common triggers and related health questions, and how functional medicine can investigate the individualized factors that may be influencing the autoimmune and inflammatory process.

Begin with the Natural Psoriasis Treatment Resource Center, then explore the topic you want to understand most.

Functional medicine for psoriasis Psoriasis vs. rosacea Does psoriasis spread?Psoriasis care options

Hashimoto's Doctor & Specialist Searches

Looking for a Hashimoto's Doctor Near You?

If you are searching for a “Hashimoto's doctor near me” or “Hashimoto's specialist,” the important question is not simply who is geographically closest. It is whether the person you work with understands Hashimoto's as an autoimmune disease, the thyroid as the target, the potential triggers and drivers of the autoimmune process, and how to build an individualized plan around what is found.

My work with Hashimoto's uses functional medicine and functional immunology to look for the triggers and drivers of the autoimmune process using current science and evidence. Remote functional medicine consulting is available nationally and internationally for clients I believe I can help. Location is not a limitation.

Functional Medicine for Hashimoto's Apply for Care

The Functional Medicine Process

Detect → Support → Reassess

Functional medicine should give you a clear process. My framework is designed to answer three questions: what appears to be driving the problem, what should we do about it, and what did the response teach us?

Detect

Use your history, symptoms, existing records, laboratory data, diet, lifestyle, exposures, medications, and other relevant information to identify the triggers, drivers, and physiological patterns that deserve the most attention.

Support

Build an individualized plan around the highest-priority findings. The plan is customized around the factors that appear most relevant to you, which may include diet, gastrointestinal health, nutrient status, metabolic health, sleep, stress, infections, environmental exposures, or other targeted strategies.

Reassess

Measure what changed, what did not, and what the response tells us. Then refine the plan based on what we learn from your response.

Common Questions

Answers About Hashimoto's, Psoriasis & Functional Medicine

Autoimmune disease can leave you with questions that a diagnosis alone does not answer. These are some of the questions I hear most often about Hashimoto's, psoriasis, and functional medicine, along with deeper resources that explore the science, the possible triggers and drivers, and the options you may not have considered before.

Can You Cure Hashimoto's Naturally?

No scientifically established natural cure exists, but that does not mean there is nothing you can do. A functional medicine approach focuses on modifiable triggers, drivers, thyroid physiology, and the broader autoimmune process.

Explore Hashimoto's support options →

What Causes Hashimoto's Disease?

Hashimoto's develops from an interaction between genetic susceptibility and environmental triggers and drivers. Understanding your unique triggers and drivers can help identify which factors we may be able to change and create a more focused plan to dampen the autoimmune process.

Explore Hashimoto's causes & drivers →

What Should I Eat With Hashimoto's?

There is no single diet that fits every person with Hashimoto's. Nutrition should be considered in the context of the individual, including celiac disease, food reactions, nutrient status, metabolic health, and overall diet quality.

Explore the Hashimoto's diet guide →

Can Functional Medicine Help Psoriasis?

Functional medicine adds a new layer by investigating the triggers and drivers that may be contributing to the autoimmune and inflammatory process, including diet, gut health, metabolism, stress, sleep, environmental exposures, and other individualized factors.

Explore functional medicine for psoriasis →

Does Psoriasis Spread?

Psoriasis does not spread from person to person like an infection, but lesions can appear in new areas as the disease becomes more active. Understanding triggers and flare patterns can help you make better decisions.

Read the psoriasis spread guide →

I Want Individualized Help. What Is the Next Step?

If you are ready to move beyond general information, the next step is the Application for Care. I review the application before offering a private scheduling step when I believe my consulting approach may be a good fit.

Apply for Care →

Client Experiences

What Clients Have Shared About Working With Me

Every person's experience is different. These stories reflect different diagnoses, different starting points, and different kinds of progress. What connects them is the opportunity to look beyond the diagnosis, investigate what may be contributing to the autoimmune process, make focused changes, and learn from how the body responds.

Brenda before and after psoriasis and wellness transformation, including a 52-pound weight loss

Psoriasis Client Experience

Brenda's Psoriasis Story

From worsening psoriasis to a long-term approach she felt she could live with.

Brenda had lived with psoriasis since her 20s, but in her early 50s her breakouts became larger and more frequent. She had been using steroid creams, but when her symptoms continued to worsen, she began looking for another way to understand what might be driving the autoimmune process.

After finding one of my videos, Brenda began working with me and made significant changes to her diet, lifestyle, and nutritional support. She described feeling better quickly, while the visible changes in her skin took longer and continued improving over time.

After working through an elimination and food-reintroduction process, Brenda eventually found a way of eating that she felt she could maintain long term. She also lost 52 pounds and shared before-and-after photographs of the changes in her hands, feet, and overall appearance.

“This keeps my skin about 95% clear most of the time.”

“Celebrate successes! This is a hard journey and it takes making thousands of good decisions. That's worth celebrating.”

Brenda

Rheumatoid Arthritis Client Experience

Andy's Rheumatoid Arthritis Story

From severe pain, stiffness, weakness, and exhaustion to getting back to the life he had been missing.

When Andy first came to see me, he described significant joint and muscle pain, severe stiffness, very low energy, and sleeping much of the day. He said there was a point when he could barely stand or walk and felt like his life was almost finished.

What gave Andy hope was the idea that there might be a reason his health had changed so dramatically and that we could investigate what was driving the problem. As he put it, hearing that we were going to look for the root cause was the first time he felt someone was asking the question he had been trying to answer.

Andy later shared that a bacterial finding became an important part of his case and that his improvement happened gradually over time. About a year later, he said he was playing golf two or three times a week, doing his own yard work, working on home renovations, and getting back to the activities that had disappeared from his life.

“There was a point in time where I figured my life was just about finished.”

“I'm playing golf now, two and three times a week. I do all my yard work. The renovations are back. There's just not anything that I can't do right now.”

Watch Andy's video testimonial →

Andy

Sherry before and after psoriasis wellness transformation, including close to 30 pounds of weight loss

Psoriasis Client Experience

Sherry's Psoriasis Story

From a period when she felt very sick to feeling significantly better, with improvement in her feet, hands, and overall health.

Sherry shared that her feet had improved significantly and that the painful cracking was gone. Her hands were also doing better, and although she still experienced occasional reactions, she said they were nothing like what she had been dealing with the year before.

Diet had been an important part of her process. Sherry had used an autoimmune protocol style diet and later planned to return to it for a short reset because she felt such a noticeable difference in how she was doing.

She also shared photographs taken around Thanksgiving, when she said she felt very sick, and again around Valentine's Day, when she had lost close to 30 pounds and felt dramatically better.

“My feet have been doing a lot better! No cracks! My hands of course are doing better too.”

“I still feel so much better compared to last year. I am forever grateful for your knowledge and how much you helped me.”

Sherry

Hashimoto's Client Experience

Carolyn's Hashimoto's Story

Better sleep, less joint pain, clearer thinking, and fewer nighttime anxiety symptoms.

Carolyn described improvement in several areas that had been affecting her quality of life. She said she was sleeping through the night, no longer dealing with the same joint pain, and was able to think more clearly without having to stop.

She also shared that she was no longer waking during the night with anxiety attacks. Carolyn and her sister were both working on similar health problems, and she said they had improved in almost everything they were working on.

“I sleep through the night. I don't have joint pain. I can think without having to stop.”

“I'm not waking up at night with anxiety attacks... we have improved on almost everything.”

Carolyn

Functional Medicine Client Experience

Judy Brittian's Story

From persistent leg swelling and limited mobility to traveling and using the stairs again.

Judy came in dealing with significant swelling in her legs, gout, discomfort, and difficulty getting around. She described how the swelling and pain affected everyday activities and even made travel difficult.

After making diet and supplement changes, Judy said the constant swelling in her legs was gone except after sitting for a long period of time. She also reported that gout and the persistent pain in her legs were no longer the problems they had been before.

One of the biggest changes for Judy was getting back some of her freedom. She said she could travel again and could go up and down the two sets of stairs in her home much more like she had before becoming sick.

“The constant swelling is gone.”

“I can travel... I can go up and down the steps now.”

Judy

More Client Experiences

“After working with Dr. Shook for only 1.5 months, I'm starting to feel better than I have in years. I have more energy, brain fog is gone, and muscular aches and pains have significantly lessened... for the first time in a very long time, I feel hope.”

Anna Tran

“Dr. Shook comes across as a very kindhearted, caring, and genuine doctor... The videos and podcasts that he provides frequently on his website and his regular Facebook page are so helpful and valuable as well.”

Jo-Ann Gulotta Inguanta

“His testing gave me more insight than any tests run in the past 20 years... the biggest gain [was that I] found HOPE again.”

Janet Kiefer

Individual experiences vary. These stories reflect the experiences of individual clients and do not guarantee similar results.

About Brad Shook

Functional Medicine Focused on Autoimmune Triggers, Drivers & Individual Physiology

I am Brad Shook, DC, AFMC. My work focuses on functional medicine, functional immunology, Hashimoto's, psoriasis, and autoimmune health.

I use the Environmentally Induced Autoimmunity model to organize a simple but powerful question: what may be triggering and driving the autoimmune process in this individual? From there, the goal is to identify the factors that deserve attention, build a focused plan, and reassess what happens.

Each plan is customized around what is uniquely happening in the individual: the triggers and drivers we identify, their physiology, history, laboratory findings, lifestyle, and priorities. The goal is to make better decisions based on the person, not the diagnosis alone.

About My Training & Approach

Individualized Functional Medicine

Ready to Investigate What May Be Driving Your Autoimmune Process?

If you have Hashimoto's, psoriasis, or another autoimmune disease and want an individualized functional medicine approach, the first step is to tell me what you are dealing with and what you are trying to accomplish.

I review every Application for Care before offering the private next step for scheduling. That allows me to determine whether I believe my approach is a good fit before you invest time and money in a consultation.

Apply for Care See Psoriasis Care Options

Step 1: ApplyTell me what you are dealing with, what you have tried, and what you want help accomplishing.

Step 2: I Review ItI review the application personally before providing a private scheduling step.

Step 3: Build the Next StepIf I believe I can help, we can move forward with the most appropriate next step for your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Functional Medicine, Hashimoto's, Psoriasis & Autoimmune Disease

What is the Environmentally Induced Autoimmunity model?

The Environmentally Induced Autoimmunity model gives us a way to understand autoimmune disease through the interaction between genetic susceptibility and environmental triggers and drivers. It helps organize factors such as exposures, barrier-system health, immune dysregulation, metabolism, nutrition, infections, stress, sleep, medications, and other individualized influences that may contribute to continued autoimmune activity.

What does functional medicine look for in Hashimoto's?

A functional medicine approach to Hashimoto's looks beyond thyroid hormone levels alone and asks which individualized triggers and drivers may be contributing to the autoimmune process. Depending on the person, that may include diet, gastrointestinal health, nutrient status, metabolic health, stress, sleep, infections, environmental exposures, medications, and other relevant factors.

Can you cure Hashimoto's naturally?

There is no scientifically established natural cure for Hashimoto's. That does not mean there is nothing you can do. Functional medicine focuses on identifying triggers and drivers that may be changed, supporting thyroid and immune physiology, and building an individualized strategy around the factors that appear most relevant.

Does Dr. Shook work with Hashimoto's?

Yes. Hashimoto's has been one of the primary areas of my functional medicine and functional immunology work for many years. My approach focuses on Hashimoto's as an autoimmune disease and looks for the triggers and drivers that may be contributing to the autoimmune process in the individual.

Does Dr. Shook work with psoriasis?

Yes. DrBradShook.com includes a dedicated psoriasis resource center covering functional medicine, natural psoriasis treatment, triggers, diet, related conditions, and care options.

How do I apply to work with Dr. Shook?

The first step is the Application for Care. I review the application before offering a private scheduling step when the case appears to be a good fit for my consulting approach.