How is Functional Medicine Different?
Quite simply, the goal is to create health.
Most medical therapies are geared towards treating the symptoms, typically with a prescription drug that frequently upsets other vital body chemistry balances [known as “side effects”].
No two people are alike....
One of the key things in helping you restore health is understanding how you arrived at your current state of health. This includes what you’ve been through-mind, body and spirit, what treatments you have had and how you responded, the experience of your life- literally the story of how you got from healthy to wherever your health is now. That is where our conversation begins. Then a detailed functional medicine focused physical examination often reveals clues about your nutritional status, hormonal imbalances, and your body’s toxic load.
Additionally, there are many functional medicine-based tests [read more] that allow us to understand your current state of nutritional biochemistry, metabolism, hormone balance, immune stress, etc. These three elements -your health story, physical exam, and functional testing-allow us to create a health restoration plan that is specific for you to restore health.
What is Functional Medicine?
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It’s personalized: “genetic” and “inherited” are not the same. How you care for yourself actually chooses the genes to be “turned on”. Therefore knowing your unique [nutrient-hormone-diet-exercise-rest] requirements allows you to maximize your genetic potential.
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It’s patient-centered: the philosophy is to care for the patient, not just treat the disease. We need your participation for success!
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It’s dealing with the big picture of health: the approach is to understand how all of the elements of your health are interconnected, so we can make one specific plan that will address everything.
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It’s preventive: the goal is to maintain or improve your health and focus on “health as a positive vitality-not merely the absence of disease”. The goal is a longer health-span not just lifespan.
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It’s a process: that helps you develop a new set of skills to care for yourself and be a true steward of your health.