What is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine is becoming more and more popular, but what does the term “functional medicine” actually mean? The Institute for Functional Medicine’s description says, “As a catalyst in the transformation of healthcare, functional medicine treats root causes of disease and restores healthy function through a personalized patient experience.” Instead of simply focusing on individual symptoms, functional medicine is about digging deeper and going upstream to address the underlying causes of health issues.
It is abundantly clear that our American healthcare system is failing when it comes to treating and preventing chronic disease. Almost 60% of Americans have at least one chronic disease, and 90% of the $3.8 trillion per year healthcare costs are spent on chronic diseases and mental health conditions. Something clearly isn’t working. Many people are fed up with the current care model, which usually involves short appointments with the doctor and a list of prescriptions to take home. While conventional medical care certainly has its place and is great for many acute conditions, a growing number of patients with chronic health issues are struggling to find answers. Reasons like this are why more people are turning to functional medicine.
So how is a functional medicine appointment different than conventional medical care? For starters, the initial consultation with a functional medicine practitioner will usually be a 1-2 hour appointment. It will be much more in-depth than a typical doctor visit and the practitioner will get a thorough history where they listen to the patient’s complete story. They may recommend lab testing, which could involve blood work or more advanced testing through stool, urine, or saliva. These assessments are used to look at digestive health, hormones, infections, environmental toxins, nutrient deficiencies, genetics, etc.
Once the practitioner has gotten a better idea of what is causing the patient’s condition (through history taking and lab tests), a treatment plan will begin. It is often believed that functional medicine doctors simply recommend a bunch of nutritional supplements, as a conventional doctor would prescribe medications. While supplements may be a part of the treatment, a good plan will have a holistic focus on the patient’s lifestyle, including diet, sleep, stress levels, exercise, relationships, etc.
Functional medicine is truly patient-centered healthcare. By taking the time to get a patient’s full history and story, the practitioner can get a better picture of how the patient’s genetics, environment, and lifestyle are combining to affect their health. Treatment is a partnership between the practitioner and patient, utilizing practitioner experience, research evidence, and patient preference.
This type of care is often very effective in addressing complex chronic illness and frustrating health issues. But another key aspect of functional medicine is a focus on preventing and reversing health issues before they become full-blown disease. For example, many physicians will wait to treat high glucose levels until they pass the threshold to be diagnosed as diabetes. Why not go ahead and use diet and lifestyle to lower the glucose level before it gets to that point? As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
If this approach resonates with you and you’re ready to get started on your functional medicine journey, schedule your initial consultation with us today! Still not sure if functional medicine is right for you? Schedule a free discovery call to talk to the doctor about any questions you have and whether functional medicine is a good fit for you.
References
https://www.ifm.org/functional-medicine/
https://chronicdisease.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/FS_ChronicDiseaseCommentary2022FINAL.pdf