What is Functional Medicine anyway?? Alternative? Holistic? Collaborative? Complementary? It can be considered all of those things, but, at the core of Functional Medicine is how your body functions.

Think about your car for a minute. When gas doesn’t get to the engine, your car doesn’t function as you think it should. Then, you step on the accelerator, and maybe it will go a little.  Or, maybe the engine doesn’t even start! So, there are a few things that could be causing the dysfunction of the gas getting to the engine, right? Are you with me? It could be the hoses that bring the gas to the engine, maybe there is a leak, or maybe it is plugged up with residue. Could it be the fuel filter? It's so dirty that gas cannot pass through anymore. Or maybe the gas tank is completely empty! For this example, let's say the hoses are plugged.

Root Cause Found

Functional Medicine(FM) looks at your body to see where the dysfunction is actually located - known as the Root Cause.  The root cause of the car problem is one of two things: the filter is so plugged it releases gunk and plugs up the hose, or the hoses are just so old that the residue builds up, causing the plug.  It is likened to your intestines or liver getting gummed up and not working properly. When things aren't working properly, you manifest any number of symptoms. And what if the tank was empty, too?  Then, that would be like you not getting the nutrients you need to keep your body running smoothly.

The Future of Medicine, Now...

Functional Medicine the future of conventional medicine–available now. As a physician, I want to identify and address disease's root causes. I don't want to put a bandaid on the symptom.  So, symptoms start when your body starts to become dysfunctional.  In the car example where the filter or hose became plugged, the symptom you may have experienced as the driver is the car had less “zip” or “get up and go” when pressing on the accelerator.  If we press the accelerator down more, trying to compensate for the symptom of poor acceleration, this may help for some time, but in the long run, the hose and the filter will continue to clog up. All we did was address the symptoms. This is like taking a medication to take away any symptom, and the underlying problem remains.

Traditional doctors realize that medications do not solve the problem.  Since lifestyle is responsible for 70-90% of the chronic diseases that kill people in America - heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and autoimmune disorders - then lifestyle MUST be the ultimate answer.

The body is an integrated group of systems, not a collection of independent organs divided up by medical specialties.  Using FM, I will discover the underlying causes of disease, and then we will create a sensible plan for your whole body to heal.

Clients as Partners in Healing

We will have a therapeutic partnership.  Is this a radical shift from the traditional doctor-patient relationship where the doctor holds all the power? Yes, and that's why I consider it a Coach:Client relationship. However, a revolution in medicine better addresses the healthcare needs of the 21st century. By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered approach, we can address the whole person, not just your isolated set of symptoms.

As an FM practitioner, I spend time with YOU! I want to hear your story! Everyone has one, and it is therapeutic to tell it and integrate your current health concerns with your history. Because of my specialized training, I can examine the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease. In this way, functional medicine will support your unique expression of health and vitality.

So, why do we need Functional Medicine anyway?

• Our society is experiencing a sharp increase in the number of people who suffer from complex, chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, mental illness, and autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis. Who do you know?

Why doesn’t traditional medicine know this stuff?

• The system of medicine practiced by most physicians is oriented toward acute care, the diagnosis and treatment of trauma or illness that is of short duration, like an accident or infection - like pneumonia - and in need of urgent care, such as appendicitis or a broken leg. As a result, physicians apply specific, prescribed treatments such as drugs or surgery that aim to treat the immediate problem or symptom.
• Unfortunately, the acute-care approach to medicine lacks the proper methodology and tools for preventing and treating complex, chronic diseases. In most cases, it does not consider the unique genetic makeup of each individual or factors such as environmental exposures to toxins and the aspects of today’s lifestyle that directly influence the rise in chronic disease in modern Western society. It is a known fact that 70-90% of disease is lifestyle driven - what we eat, drink, how we move, sleep, think and feel.

Traditionally Trained Physicians Are Not Trained for The Treatment of Chronic Illnesses

• There’s a huge gap between research and the way traditional doctors practice. The gap between emerging research in basic sciences and integration into medical practice is enormous—as long as 50 years—particularly in the area of complex, chronic illness.
• The traditional MD has 7 hours of nutrition training in medical school!! I had more than that in my first month of chiropractic school!
• Most physicians are not adequately trained to assess the underlying causes of complex, chronic diseases and to apply strategies such as nutrition, diet, and exercise to treat and prevent these illnesses in their patients. Literally, only 25% of physicians have had any significant coursework in nutrition! I know it’s crazy, right?!?! They just don’t know anything except drugs and surgery—scripts and scalpels.

How is Functional Medicine Different?

We dig in to what is going on... functional medicine involves seeks the Root Cause

• Hallmarks of a functional medicine approach include:

1. Patient-centered care. Functional medicine focuses on patient-centered care, promoting health as a positive vitality beyond just the absence of disease. This is about vitality! Feeling amazing every day! By listening to the patient and learning your story, FM coaching can bring you into the discovery process and tailor treatments that address your unique needs.
2. FM is an integrative, science-based healthcare approach. We look “upstream” to consider the complex web of interactions in your history, physiology, and lifestyle that can lead to your illness. Your unique genetic makeup is considered, along with internal (mind, body, and spirit) and external (physical and social environment) factors affecting your body’s ability to function efficiently.
3. I integrate best medical practices. Functional medicine does integrate some traditional Western medical practices with what you may consider “alternative” or “integrative” medicine. The focus will ultimately be on not only prevention but treatment through nutrition, diet, and exercise; use of the latest laboratory testing and other diagnostic techniques; and prescribed combinations of drugs and/or botanical medicines, supplements, therapeutic diets, detoxification programs, or stress-management techniques. We will find what combination suits YOU!