Working alongside a functional medicine practitioner, I am often asked by potential clients who are inquiring about our clinic what exactly is functional medicine. And while there is alot of information online about specific conditions and how functional medicine can help, many people wonder whether functional medicine is right for them. The answer is yes! Before I even know what you are going through, the fact you are searching for answers beyond what your Dr or specialist is recommending means you are wanting to investigate and seek out more answers for what you are currently going through.
So, what is functional medicine and how does it differ from conventional treatment.
Functional medicine can be defined as a patient centered, science-based approach that looks to address the root cause of the disease and promote overall wellness. It takes a holistic approach to diagnose and treat disease with a focus on nutrition and lifestyle at the core of addressing your health condition.
In conventional medicine the aim is to diagnose a condition so that treatment can be prescribed to target the disease.
Functional medicine is patient focused not disease focused. There is no one size fits all approach and we put our detective hat on during each consultation. Everyone is assessed through taking a detailed health history and digging deep to gain an understanding of your current health while addressing the underlying imbalances in your body.
Testing is often required (or suggested) when undertaking the detective work which may include pathology, stool, food intolerance, hormonal, environmental toxin and cortisol (stress) testing. This gives you the most accurate results when figuring out what maybe causing your symptoms.
Functional medicine is about focusing on getting you well, rather than just treating the symptoms. At Wellness Vision, the letters WE from the word wellness is our approach. We work with you to uncover your underlying health issues, we empower you to make positive changes to your diet and lifestyle, we provide expertise, education and recommendations on how to improve your health. There’s no quick fixes or magic bullet!
Breaking long term habits is hard and takes time and you need to be open minded to making positive changes, but we are here to support you through your wellness journey to help you build long term resilience.
What conditions does Functional Medicine treat?
Functional Medicine can help those clients who are suffering from chronic conditions such as autoimmunity disease, hormonal imbalances, digestive issues, skin disorders, thyroid conditions and stress & anxiety.
All these conditions have one common factor that links them together- the gut and inflammation. We each have a mini eco system living inside our digestive system which is made up of billions of good and bad bacteria which should normally co-exist peacefully. However, for many reasons many peoples gut health is out of balance which can lead to or be the cause of seemly unrelated health conditions.
And that is where functional medicine is at its best- connecting the dots between what is going wrong with your body or mind and putting the pieces of the puzzle back together starting from the ground up or inside out!
