What Is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine asks "why" instead of just "what." Rather than suppressing symptoms with medications, it seeks to identify and address the underlying causes of disease. Here's what you need to know.
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Conventional vs. Functional Medicine
Conventional medicine excels at acute care — infections, emergencies, surgeries. But for chronic conditions (which now affect 60% of adults), it often falls short.
Conventional Approach
You go to a doctor with fatigue, brain fog, and weight gain:
Functional Approach
Same symptoms — different approach:
The Core Principles
Root Cause Focus
Instead of "what drug treats this symptom," functional medicine asks "why is this symptom occurring?"
Systems Thinking
The body is interconnected. Gut issues can cause brain symptoms. Hormones affect everything.
Individualized Care
No two people are the same. Treatments are personalized to your unique biology and circumstances.
Advanced Testing
Goes beyond standard labs to assess nutrients, hormones, gut health, toxins, and genetic factors.
5 Foundational Principles
Gene-Environment Interaction
Your genes load the gun, but your environment pulls the trigger. Functional medicine recognizes that lifestyle factors — diet, stress, sleep, toxins, relationships — interact with genetic predispositions to create health or disease.
Biochemical Individuality
Each person has unique nutritional needs, hormone levels, and responses to treatments. What works for one person may not work for another. Personalization is key.
Patient-Centered Partnership
You're not a passive recipient of care — you're an active partner. Functional practitioners spend time listening, educating, and empowering you to take charge of your health.
Dynamic Balance
Health is a state of balance in key physiological processes: hormones, inflammation, detoxification, digestion, and more. Disease occurs when these systems fall out of balance.
Web-Like Interconnections
Everything in the body is connected. Inflammation in the gut can cause depression. Hormone imbalances can cause fatigue. Stress can cause gut problems. Functional medicine considers these connections.
Important Note
Functional medicine complements, but doesn't replace, conventional care. For acute conditions, emergencies, and certain diseases, conventional medicine is essential. The best approach often integrates both.
What Conditions Does It Address?
Functional medicine is particularly effective for chronic, complex conditions that conventional medicine struggles with:
The Functional Medicine Process
Comprehensive History
A detailed intake covering your entire health timeline, from birth to now. Often 60-90 minutes.
Advanced Testing
Labs that go beyond standard panels: comprehensive metabolic, hormone, nutrient, and gut testing.
Root Cause Analysis
Identifying the underlying imbalances and triggers driving your symptoms.
Personalized Protocol
A customized plan addressing diet, lifestyle, supplements, and sometimes medications.
Ongoing Support
Regular follow-ups to monitor progress, adjust the plan, and ensure lasting results.
Systems Integration
Looking at how all body systems interact and affect each other.
Common Functional Medicine Interventions
Dietary changes
Often anti-inflammatory, elimination diets, or specific protocols
Gut healing
Addressing dysbiosis, SIBO, leaky gut, food sensitivities
Hormone optimization
Supporting thyroid, adrenal, and sex hormone balance
Detoxification support
Reducing toxin load and supporting liver function
Targeted supplementation
Addressing specific nutrient deficiencies
Stress management
Nervous system regulation, sleep optimization
Movement and exercise
Personalized to your current state and goals
Is Functional Medicine Right for You?
Consider functional medicine if:
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