How is Functional Medicine Different?

Functional medicine is holistic rather than specialized.  It approaches the body as a whole, rather than compartmentalizing the body into parts.  In Functional Medicine all systems are linked and patterns between them are explored.

Many people today have health issues that don’t fit into simple categories.  Often they have complex health problems involving digestive complaints, energy, immune, nervous, inflammatory responses and more.  These individuals greatly benefit from a functional approach.  Typical patients often present with auto-immune problems, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, endocrine embalances, as well as those interested in preventative healthcare.

Functional Medicine is patient centered focusing on the root causes of symptoms and restoration of function, balance and vitality.

“Functional Medicine practitioners spend time with their patients and listen to their histories because they are looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease.” Jeffrey Bland, PhD

How Your Lab Tests Can Be “Normal,” But You Still Feel Sick:

Functional Lab Ranges have been determined by healthcare professionals and researchers, who embrace the principles of preventative medicine, such as those who practice diet, nutrition and lifestyle changes. Research regarding functional ranges has been established by well-respected organizations, such as the American Association of Clinical Chemists (AACC).  The AACC has many divisions, two of which are preventative medicine and nutrition. Over time, the functional ranges are established by taking a less-broad reference range of biomarkers.

Traditional medical training teaches healthcare professionals to evaluate blood chemistry in comparison to ranges of pathology (disease/illness).  If pathology is not present, the patient is considered “healthy.”  The basic difference between healthcare professionals who embrace or reject functional ranges boils down to their definition of “health.”

Some healthcare professionals define “health” as the absence of disease.  If not diseased, then you must be “healthy.”

Other professionals define health as being free of disease, but also having adequate energy level, healthy digestion, ideal physiological function, etc.  It is those who feel that prevention and “health” are more than just being disease-free who will embrace the importance of the functional range. Those who view “health” as only being free of disease will only accept pathological ranges as valid.

Functional Medicine a Science Whose Time has Come (article)

“Today’s conventional focus, says Dr. Mark Hyman, is on identifying the disease, naming it, making a diagnosis, then applying drugs and procedures to reduce the symptom profile.  Functional medicine turns this entire way of thinking on its head.  Instead of seeing patients through the lens of a disease, says Hyman, ‘functional medicine teaches practitioners how to connect the dots.’ “