How a Functional Approach to Medicine Could Change Your Life

Advances in technology over the years have made Western Medicine the customary route when it comes to medical needs. Long gone are the days of practitioners misdiagnosing patients due to lack of technology and experience. However, technology and advancements are not always fail proof. While scientists and physicians can better understand diseases, we as human beings are all still unique – we are not cookie-cutter cases. Sadly, people still are misdiagnosed and mistreated daily because of not seeing the bigger picture. If you are someone who has personally experienced the frustrations of running into dead ends like this, you may want to consider Functional Medicine.

You might be wondering what Functional Medicine is. In short – it is an approach that gives doctors and practitioners the opportunity to truly understand each individual patient for exactly what they are – an individual. It focuses on the root cause of the disease and all the factors that may be contributing to the patient’s overall health. For example, when one doctor might diagnose a patient with depression, Functional Medicine gives us the opportunity to understand that depression may only be a symptom of a bigger issue. In some cases, depression does not always stem from hereditary mental health issues; in fact, inflammation can be a cause of depression. In this example, it is important to understand if the inflammation is causing the depression, or if the depression is causing the inflammation.

The concept of Functional Medicine was created in 1990 by Dr. Jeffery Bland. It was conceived as a “systems-biology” approach to not only preventing but also managing chronic diseases. There are six steps to practicing functional medicine that assists physicians in properly diagnosing and treating patients.

1.       Gather – This is the stage for your doctor to gather as much information about you as possible. This should consist of typical intake and health history forms, but at this point, it will also be important to give a timeline and story of symptoms.

2.       Organize – Your doctor will take all the information that was provided and organize the present signs and symptoms as well as medical history and timeline.

3.       Tell – This is the chance for doctor and patient to be on the same page about the story. Your doctor should acknowledge your goals, predisposing factors, triggers,  lifestyle effects and identify clinical imbalances. This is the “ironing out” stage of it all.

4.       Order – Understanding, order, and prioritization will be clear from the previous (Tell) step. This is important in understanding what the “next steps” for the patient and doctor are going to be.

5.       Initiate – Once your doctor has a better understanding of what might be going on, they can perform more tests and assessments to get to the bottom of it all.

6.       Track – Your physician should track the assessments, effectiveness of the approach, and identify the outcomes at each visit.

Throughout these 6 steps, your physician will take into consideration a few personal factors such as:

-          Environment: exposure to different allergens and toxins, light levels, other stressors

-          Lifestyle: work life, hobbies, diet, activity, and other lifestyle factors

-          Genetics: family history of mental health, cardiovascular health, and other health conditions

In providing accurate information for your physician, and the steps that they take, you can receive the best care for YOU. By utilizing a direct approach to you as an individual, you can get help for your distinct needs that can bring recovery and healing. Ultimately, it can give you the chance to be more in control of your own health. If this is something that you might be interested in learning more about, feel free to contact us today. We would love to tell you more about our holistic approach coupled with functional medicine, and help you get started on your own healing process!