DC, ND and AOM students recently had the chance to learn about functional immunology from two experts: Russell Jaffe, MD, PhD, CCN, and Erika Mennerick, DC, Cert. MDT, a local chiropractic physician and former faculty member.

“Both presentations were well-attended and offered two unique perspectives on functional medicine, an increasingly popular form of health care,” said Chris Arick, DC, MS, assistant dean of the chiropractic medicine program.

Known for creating, “The Alkaline Way,” a diet rich in alkaline food, Dr. Jaffe talked to students about managing health issues by addressing one or all of the fundamental elements such as immune burden, core repair deficits, oxidative damage and metabolic acidosis.

Dr. Jaffe first came across alternative medicine while trying to disprove holistic forms of care, which later transformed him into a student and then researcher in traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, active meditation, homeopathy, and manipulative arts. Today, Dr. Jaffe focuses on integrative health solutions along with functional, predictive tests and procedures designed to improve the precision of both diagnosis and of treatment outcomes.

His presentation at National University highlighted eight of those functional tests that can help optimize therapeutic management and confirm specific individual needs to initiate restorative healing. In order to tailor optimal therapeutic management, he told students it is essential to look at predictive tests that can address these aspects and confirm specific individual needs to initiate restorative healing.

Students also attended a presentation with Dr. Mennerick, a chiropractic physician with a private practice in Elburn. She discussed how the immune system can become overburdened by foods and environmental toxins, and may no longer have the resources necessary to perform repair and rebuilding functions. By identifying and removing reactive items, the body can then focus its resources on healing, according to Dr. Mennerick.

Dr. Mennerick has used these strategies in practice for the last 12 years. During her presentation, she discussed numerous case studies with patients suffering from IBS, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue, eczema, frequent illness, and others.

These are just some of the examples of how National University exposes its students to special emerging topics in health and learning beyond the textbook.