About Functional Medicine is the Future of Conventional Medicine
Functional Medicine is a revolution in our understanding of the human body and how illness occurs. It investigates and attempts to fix the root problems compromising your health instead of simply treating the symptoms of illness as most of Western medicine does.
Functional Medicine is patient-centered care. Rather than breaking down medicine into a series of specialties and whole people into parts, functional medicine asks:
- What are the common underlying links depriving your cells of the nutrients and energy they need to function properly?
- What are the core factors that are driving all of your health conditions?
- What is the simplest, most straightforward way to treat these root problems and resolve illness instead of focusing solely on a reduction in symptoms?
By listening to our patient’s story, we can discover a unique treatment plan designed to address the individual’s needs. The unique genetic makeup is considered along with internal (mind, body, and spirit) and external (physical and environmental).
Using a detailed chronological history and cutting-edge laboratory testing, functional medicine practitioners:
- Prescribe diet and therapeutic diet plans
- Detoxification programs
- Stress management techniques
- Determine lifestyle and environmental exposure
- Supplement and botanical medicines
- Utilize hormones and medicines that can help you shift back to your natural, healthy state.
Why do we need Functional Medicine?
- The epidemic of chronic diseases is on the rise in our society, such as heart disease, diabetes, mental illness, cancer, and autoimmune disorders like celiac disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
- The standard system of medicine focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of trauma and illness of short duration such as broken bones and appendicitis. These practitioners are drug and surgery oriented to treat immediate symptoms and issues.
- The standard acute-care approach to medicine lacks the methodology and techniques for preventing and treating complex, chronic diseases. There is no emphasis on individual and integrative tools to determine the unique genetic makeup of patients.
- Most physicians are NOT trained to assess the underlying causes of disease in each individual adequately. Strategies must be implemented to prevent chronic illnesses such as nutrition, diet, and exercise. Functional Medicine is a strategic approach designed to determine the ROOT cause of symptoms.