What is Functional Medicine Anyway?

Many people have heard the term integrative or holistic when referring to health approaches, but is Functional Medicine the same thing?

I’ll be the first to say I was a skeptic! As I progressed in my own medicine career and health journey these exposures to holistic medicine continued to happen by chance. I saw through my patients and myself that these holistic and alternative therapies had merit. It was quite by accident that I stumbled upon functional medicine, and when I did everything changed! With the help of a functional medicine provider, changing my lifestyle, diet, and the personalized lab testing and protocols I was able to get to the root cause of my medical problems. I was forever changed and knew as a healthcare professional I had a calling to share this with others!  I’ll share more about my personal experience in another post, but for now let’s talk about functional medicine. 

Functional Medicine

Functional medicine is getting to the root cause of conditions/diseases and not just looking at symptoms. We address all aspects of health such as diet, lifestyle, genetics, nutrient deficiencies, stress and cortisol levels, hormonal imbalances, and so much more. 

In functional medicine we focus on what is causing the diseases rather than covering up symptoms. The focus shifts from illness to wellness! Functional medicine is individualized, patient centered, and science based. We are required to have a detailed understanding of each patient's genetic, biochemical and lifestyle factors to implement personalized roadmap to wellness. It allows for a partnership between clients and providers to work together to address the underlying cause of disease and promote optimal health and wellness.

For example, let's look at a patient with hormonal imbalance. In traditional medicine the typical response to common hormonal complaints (pms, heavy periods, acne, irregular cycles…) is to start on a medication, birth control. Well that is all and good and can help alleviate the symptoms in some women, it does not address the underlying cause of this hormonal imbalance. If not addressed these underlying causes will seep into other areas of your body and health as well. Not to mention birth control can cause nutrient depletion, microbiome disturbance, and a host of unwanted side effects. In functional medicine we work to understand why you are having these symptoms. We work to rebalance hormones through dietary and lifestyle interventions, supplements if needed. It is unique and individual to you. Improving sleep, removing xenobiotics and environmental hormone disruptors can go a long way in balancing hormones, but these aren’t the options or advice you’re typically given at your doctor's office. 

Getting to the Root

By addressing these underlying causes, rather than treating symptoms, we often uncover a complicated web. Most diseases do not stem from one single root cause, and require us to untangle this web. What I love most is that when we do, we find an improvement not only in the chief complaint, but in many areas of the body and health!

When I worked in conventional medicine patients were quickly pushed through, and I felt they were seen as numbers to my employer and to insurance companies. In Functional medicine I am allotted the time to spend with clients to really get to know them, their health goals and really take a deep dive into their health. Functional medicine truly is a partnership where I am able to offer guidance to help clients achieve goals faster and get on the road to optional quality of life!