People are turning to functional Medicine for a variety of reasons. They may have a constellation of symptoms their doctor can’t seem to piece together with a diagnosis, or they may want to find healthier ways to deal with their health issues.
Functional doctors focus on the whole picture and identifying what’s happening beneath the surface that could make you sick. They can work with the entire person and often employ many healing tools.
It Addresses the Root Cause of Disease
Rather than treating symptoms once the disease has begun, functional medicine Colorado focuses on identifying and correcting core imbalances often present well before the onset of illness. As a result, it is more effective at preventing and managing chronic disease.
To understand how root cause analysis differs from conventional Medicine, imagine three women suffering from heavy, painful menstrual cycles. These women may be prescribed oral birth control pills to alleviate their symptoms. However, this is not a solution that will last.
A functional medicine practitioner would take time with each patient, carry out detailed blood tests, and learn their lifestyle behaviors. This allows them to identify the root cause of their condition and provide patients with tools like nutritional supplements, therapeutic diets, detoxification programs, and stress-management techniques. As a result, the practitioner can restore the body’s ability to heal itself. This approach is much more difficult than simply prescribing a pill but is far more likely to yield long-lasting results.
It Addresses the Whole Person
In contrast to conventional Medicine, which typically looks at one symptom or condition and tries to treat it with an expensive drug or procedure, functional Medicine is patient-centered. Practitioners focus on the whole person and examine their unique genetics, environment, and lifestyle factors.
For example, they may test for nutrient deficiencies, toxins (such as heavy metals), infections and other biomarkers that indicate the body’s response to stress. They also consider how a person’s diet and lifestyle choices impact their health.
They look at how these factors interact to create a person’s unique response to their environment and life experiences. This leads to a personalized care plan that may include natural supplements, dietary changes, stress reduction techniques, and traditional medications. This is why more and more clinicians who started in conventional medicine are finding their way to functional medicine—they’re burned out from the current system and want to provide their patients with a different solution.
It Addresses Stress
Most people turn to functional Medicine out of frustration with symptoms that their doctors can’t seem to diagnose properly. They want to find a way to relieve those symptoms and heal their illness.
This is because, unlike conventional treatment approaches focusing on diagnosing and prescribing medication, functional medicine practitioners are more concerned with the underlying dysfunctions or imbalances that cause your disease. Those underlying factors may include lifestyle choices like diet, exercise, genetics, environmental toxins, and stealth infections.
The goal is to understand what’s creating those imbalances and then correct them through natural means such as nutrition, supplements, herbal remedies, and exercise — while incorporating a limited use of pharmaceutical medications in specific cases. This approach is more holistic than traditional Western medicine and, as a result, can offer patients better outcomes and lower healthcare costs over time.
It Addresses the Environment
Rather than treating symptoms with medication, functional medicine works to identify and eliminate the root cause of the disease. This includes looking at environmental factors such as toxins, allergens and chemicals. It also addresses diet and lifestyle and how they interact with genes to influence the body’s seven core physiological systems.
Functional medicine is an operating system and clinical model for managing chronic disease, and it offers a new path to true healthcare that promotes wellness and prevents disease before it starts. It’s an approach that can change everything for patients and practitioners alike.
If you’re interested in exploring the possibilities of functional medicine, look for a practitioner with extensive training in this paradigm-shifting practice. Make sure to check their medical background and license, too. Look for a course that understands that dietary and behavior changes are essential to lasting success and will provide you with health coaches and dietitians. This will support you to change your lifestyle and get the desired results.
