Integrative Functional Medicine
What is a Functional Medicine Doctor?
Functional medicine is a form of alternative medicine that focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of disease[2][3][4]. It is a patient-centered approach to chronic disease management that seeks to answer the question, "Why are you ill?"[3]. Functional medicine doctors are medical professionals who specialize in finding the root causes of disease[2]. They work holistically, considering the full picture of a patient's physical, mental, emotional, and sometimes even spiritual health[2][3]. They consider factors like diet, genetics, hormonal changes, prescription and over-the-counter medications, and other lifestyle components[2].
Functional medicine doctors look at a patient's full history to identify the root causes of an illness[2][3]. They usually spend more time with patients than conventional doctors and collect detailed information about the disease and the patient's overall lifestyle[2]. A functional medicine doctor may ask about a timeline of symptoms, sleep patterns, exercise habits, nutrition, stressors, personal relationships, and emotional wellbeing[2].
Functional medicine is well-suited to treating chronic illnesses[3]. Doctors in this field seek to find the causes of chronic disease, as opposed to just treating the symptoms[3]. They use a variety of tools, including the functional medicine matrix, which assists the clinician in organizing and prioritizing each patient's health issues as elicited by a thorough personal, family, social, and medical history[4].
Functional medicine is a relatively new field, and its effectiveness is still being studied[3]. However, it may be ideal for people with chronic illnesses that aren't easily managed by conventional medical techniques[2]. Anyone facing a chronic condition can benefit from functional medicine, including those with adrenal disorders, Alzheimer's disease and dementia, arthritis, asthma, autoimmune diseases, cancer prevention, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, digestive disorders, and more[3].
What is the difference between Functional Medicine and Conventional Medicine?
Functional medicine and conventional medicine are two distinct approaches to healthcare that differ in several ways. Here are some of the key differences between functional medicine and conventional medicine:
Functional Medicine:
- Focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of disease[1][3][4]
- Takes a physiologic-metabolic-biochemical-genetic systems approach[1][3]
- Considers the full picture of a patient's physical, mental, emotional, and sometimes even spiritual health[2][3]
- Looks at a patient's full history to identify the root causes of an illness[2][3]
- Uses a variety of tools, including the functional medicine matrix, which assists the clinician in organizing and prioritizing each patient's health issues as elicited by a thorough personal, family, social, and medical history[4]
- Is well-suited to treating chronic illnesses[3]
- Uses advanced diagnostic testing to re-balance physiological systems with targeted food and herbal support designed with each person in mind to unleash the body's inherent healing ability to reverse disease, naturally[4]
- Treats the person, not just the disease or the symptoms[5]
- Realizes that everyone is different, so everyone's treatment should be different[5]
- Educates and empowers the patient to help improve their health and quality of life[5]
- Runs more comprehensive labs that look at underlying components that could be driving symptoms[6]
- Has a large emphasis on nutrition and overall healthy lifestyles[6]
Conventional Medicine:
- Takes an anatomical-symptomatic approach[1][3]
- Focuses on treating individual diseases[4]
- Uses standardized protocols for diagnosis and treatment[2]
- Is not usually the best option for treating chronic diseases, promoting overall wellness, and prevention[2]
- Masks or suppresses symptoms, but does not address underlying cause, which creates "patients for life"[4]
- Views the body as a collection of separate parts, each of which has its own doctor[4]
- Treats the symptoms that the patient is having with a portion of lifestyle management[6]
In summary, functional medicine takes a more holistic approach to healthcare, focusing on identifying and addressing the root cause of disease, while conventional medicine tends to focus on treating individual diseases and symptoms. Functional medicine is well-suited to treating chronic illnesses and has a large emphasis on nutrition and overall healthy lifestyles.
What conditions can be treated with Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine is a relatively new field of medicine that focuses on treating the root cause of disease, rather than just the symptoms. Functional medicine doctors work holistically, considering the full picture of a patient's physical, mental, emotional, and sometimes even spiritual health. They consider factors like diet, genetics, hormonal changes, prescription and over-the-counter medications, and other lifestyle components. Functional medicine is well-suited to treating chronic illnesses. Anyone facing a chronic condition can benefit from functional medicine, including those with adrenal disorders, Alzheimer's disease and dementia, arthritis, asthma, autoimmune diseases, cancer prevention, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, digestive disorders, fibromyalgia, PMS, and more. Here are some of the most common conditions that can benefit from functional medicine:
1. Chronic fatigue syndrome
2. Autoimmune disorders
3. Adrenal disorders
4. Alzheimer's disease and dementia
5. Arthritis
6. Asthma
7. Cancer prevention
8. Cardiovascular disease
9. Diabetes
10. Digestive disorders
11. Fibromyalgia
12. PMS
13. Depression
14. Insomnia
Functional medicine doctors use a variety of tools, including the functional medicine matrix, which assists the clinician in organizing and prioritizing each patient's health issues as elicited by a thorough personal, family, social, and medical history. Treatment is personalized to the individual situation and may include dietary changes, lifestyle modifications, or alternative therapies. The goal of functional medicine is to educate and empower the patient to help improve their health and quality of life.
Citations:
[1] https://get2theroot.com/what-top-3-conditions-does-functional-medicine-treat/
[2] https://epmlife.com/functional-medicine-blog/top-6-reasons-to-see-a-functional-medicine-practitioner/
[3] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/departments/functional-medicine/about
[4] https://www.mainlinehealth.org/specialties/functional-medicine
[5] https://www.familychiroplus.com/7-common-conditions-that-can-benefit-from-functional-medicine
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_medicine