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Conventional medicine separates the body into different parts-and each part has its own specialist: heart doctors, brain doctors, reproductive health doctors, and the list goes on. Functional medicine, on the other hand, approaches the patient as a total package and explores the connections between all of the various organ systems. A doctor who practices functional medicine utilizes cutting-edge modern science as well as nutritional medicine, the ancient traditions of various healing systems such as herbal medicine, homeopathy and mind-body techniques to name a few.  

Functional Versus Conventional Medicine

Contemporary medicine talks about "prevention." But pap smears, cholesterol testing, measuring blood pressure, and screening for cancer are all designed for the early detection of disease, not its prevention. Functional medicine is concerned with real prevention of disease. Its goal is optimum wellness. Because functional practitioners treat the person, not the disease and deal with the core systems of the body, we can address any condition, either from a curative standpoint or a supportive one.

Functional medicine looks at the root cause of symptoms, not just the symptoms themselves. For example, pain is the body's way of telling us that something is wrong and we need to investigate. Rather than taking an aspirin every time we get a headache or backache, it might be wiser to ask why we are experiencing the pain in the first place.

Unlike conventional medicine, functional medicine looks to see if you are missing something you may need-perhaps you have special needs for certain vitamins, minerals, probiotics or amino acids. It also looks to see if you are being exposed to something you don't need such as environmental contaminants, heavy metals, bacteria, fungus, and/or parasites. Obviously this approach takes more time and effort than simply writing a prescription, but it gives a much more complete and effective answer.

Patient Centered Medical Care

Many patients today want medical care that compliments their own lifestyle and values. Many people are turning to complimentary medicine because they feel listened to, cared for, and are treated as a whole person. Functional medicine is personalized to each patient, dealing with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of symptoms of serious chronic disease.

Functional Medicine looks at how you are "doing" and "feeling." You won't be told that "it's all in your head." Functional Medicine is interested in you-your life, your well-being, what you eat, your work environment, your relationships and communication with others, how you relax and play, your hobbies, what medications you've taken, how well your digestive system functions, and what chemicals you've been exposed to.

Often people have complex health problems that don't fit into simple categories. These can involve their inflammatory response; immune, nervous, digestive, and/or cardiovascular system; and energy levels. These people are best helped by a functional approach.

Typical patients include people with chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmune illness, fibromyalgia, fatigue of unknown origin, and digestive complaints. Often these people have been to countless doctors without results or relief. Functional medicine is also for people who are interested in true preventive health care. They want to take an active role in their own well-being and that of their family. These people seek out functional medicine practitioners to act as guides for their continued good health.

Who Can Benefit From Functional Medicine?

Everyone-however, certain health concerns, like those listed below, readily respond to functional medicine:

What To Expect During Your First Appointment

Functional medicine is a radically new way of thinking about health and disease-and so your appointment won't be like a traditional doctor's visit. Unlike the limited amount of time conventional doctors spend with a patient, your functional medicine provider wants to spend time getting to know you. This can take up to two hours. You will be asked to fill out a detailed medical and lifestyle history that includes your medical history, an account of your work and hobbies, and the type of environment you live and work in. The doctor will also want to know what you eat, whether or not you exercise, how stressed you are, and a complete list of any supplements you take. Your functional medicine practitioner may even ask you about your beliefs and attitudes.

You will be given a physical examination and your practitioner may also want to run special lab tests, including genomic testing. This is particularly true if your illness is complex and hard to identify. These tests compliment the usual testing that physicians use and can detect problems long before more traditional tests find anything amiss. Tests may examine blood, hair, stool, urine, breath, and/or saliva. Common tests check for your nutritional status, digestive function, food and environmental allergies, amino acid balance, energy metabolism function, hormones balance, and more. These tests might include saliva testing of hormone levels, hair analysis for mineral imbalances, intestinal permeability testing, and oxidative stress testing.

Armed with a complete picture of your current health and lifestyle, along with any test results, your functional medicine practitioner will develop a health program specifically designed for you and your individual needs and lifestyle.

Remember, function medicine treats the person who has the disease, not the disease the person has! For more information on functional medicine, please visit www.functionalmedicine.org or make an appointment with Dr. Blyweiss today.