The modern and sedentary lifestyle is affecting people’s health worldwide, and traditional medicine isn’t doing enough to keep their health on track. While conventional medicine temporarily relieves symptoms, it doesn’t work on the root cause of the problem. As a result, the health challenges may reappear in people’s lives, causing repeated distress and hardships.

Hence, people are turning to functional medicine as it focuses on holistic health and healing for lasting improvement. This blog dives deeper into this emerging medicine field so you can make an informed decision about proceeding with it.

What is Functional Medicine?

If you’re new to this field of medicine, it refers to a patient-centered approach that addresses the disease’s root cause rather than simply treating the symptoms. Unlike traditional medicine, it views the patient’s body as an interconnected system where environmental, emotional, and physical factors collectively influence overall health.

It identifies and understands the complex interactions between environmental exposures, genetics, and lifestyle that contribute to an individual’s health issues. This holistic approach helps doctors create personalized treatment plans that facilitate long-term wellness and prevent diseases.

Core Principles of Functional Medicine

Functional medicine works on an entirely different approach than traditional medicine. It generally works on the following principles:

• Root Cause Analysis

  One of the most notable principles of functional medicine is that it effortlessly addresses the underlying causes of existing and potential diseases instead of only managing the symptoms. Since practitioners use a detailed approach to identify the underlying root cause, such as genetic disposition, stress, toxins, etc., the treatment works on a deeper level to restore your health.

• Integrative Approach

  Functional medicine is designed to integrate various treatment modalities for a more comprehensive treatment approach. Practitioners generally use a combination of conventional medical practices, complementary therapies, and alternative methods for personalized mind-body interventions.

• Prevention and Wellness

  Functional medicine practitioners prioritize prevention and proactive wellness. Instead of waiting for symptoms to manifest or diseases to develop, they work with patients to identify risk factors early, suggesting appropriate lifestyle changes to support lasting health. This principle revolves around holistic healing strategies, such as optimizing nutrition, stress management, regular physical activities, etc.

• Personalized Treatment Plans

  Personalization is at the center of all functional medicine treatment plans. Practitioners only create a treatment plan after thoroughly understanding the patient’s unique needs and health profile. Most start with comprehensive testing to gain a real-time understanding of the patient’s health, including any existing hormonal imbalance, nutrient deficiency, gut health, etc. The test results are used to design personalized treatment plans that deliver better, long-lasting results.

What Makes Functional Medicine Better than Traditional Medicine?

While traditional medicine has been around for ages, functional medicine isn’t entirely new. It’s gaining immense popularity among the global population for the following reasons:

• Better Health Outcomes

  Since functional medicine focuses on identifying and working on the disease’s root cause through personalized treatment plans, the results are often better and long-lasting. Unlike traditional medicine, it doesn’t only provide relief from symptoms but also enhances the patient’s overall well-being, reducing the risk of chronic diseases.

• Improved Quality of Life

  One of the best parts of functional medicine is that it embraces a holistic approach to health, eventually improving the patient’s quality of life. Besides focusing on the disease, practitioners also work on the patient’s diet, stress management, and overall wellness. This approach makes people feel more energetic, empowered, healthy, and resilient, giving them better control of their lives.

• Disease Prevention

  While functional medicine helps people tame their disease symptoms, its holistic treatment and increased focus on prevention and wellness also contribute to long-term health benefits. It allows practitioners to detect potential risk factors that could develop into a chronic disease early if left unaddressed. This reduces the risk of developing any chronic condition, improving the patient’s chances of living a healthier, longer, and more fulfilling life.

Ideal Candidates for Functional Medicine

There’s a misconception among some individuals that functional medicine is only for treating chronic illnesses. In reality, anyone wanting to improve their overall health can benefit from functional medicine. Those interested in effective stress management, balanced nutrition, and disease prevention can also approach practitioners for personalized treatments.

Besides contributing to overall wellness, it’s commonly used to treat chronic illnesses, such as arthritis, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, thyroid disorders, asthma, food allergies, digestive disorders, dementia, adrenal disorders, etc.

Women can also consider this treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), menopause symptoms, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), etc. For best results, we recommend patients disclose their entire medical history, current health condition, ongoing prescription medicines, etc., for accurate diagnosis and treatment plans.

Restore Your Health with Functional Medicine

If you’ve been diagnosed with any health challenge that traditional medicine fails to control or doesn’t provide the desired results, then you must explore alternative treatment options, such as functional medicine. This non-invasive, holistic, and personalized approach to treatment is designed to improve the patient’s overall well-being, not just taming the symptoms.

When working with patients, functional medicine practitioners evaluate their physical, mental, and environmental conditions to identify the root cause of diseases or existing health challenges. It helps them create personalized plans that improve health challenges at deep, cellular levels so they don’t reappear in the future. You must explore functional medicine if you prefer lasting health results that benefit you holistically.

Curious if functional medicine is right for you? We’re here to help you feel your best with the care that fits you. Book a consultation with us; we’d love to help you get started.