Functional Medicine is an evolution in the way we look at health and disease combining the most cutting-edge science with the common sense whole-body philosophies that have been practiced for millennia. This model offers an entirely new way to evaluate, treat, and prevent chronic illness, replacing the outdated an ineffective acute-care models still be used throughout most of the health care world.
Functional Medicine
Create Health
Overcome Disease
The basic concept is that chronic illness is the result of imbalances in the key physiological symptoms in your body. When inflammation, hormone disruption, ineffective detoxification, and structural problems occur, the body begins to spiral out of balance. These imbalances, combined with poor nutrition, lack of vital nutrients, insufficient movement, chronic emotional stress, environmental toxins, and limited social connection eventually will cause symptoms and disease to develop.
Live Fully
Using the Functional Medicine approach, we look for and treat all those physiological imbalances as well as the contributing lifestyle factors to prevent and reverse disease.
Functional vs Conventional Medicine
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Functional Medicine
Conventional Medicine
Health Focused
Corrects body imbalances and recommends behaviors that create health.
Disease Focused
Waits for disease to develop and then tries to control it.
Holistic
Envisions the body as an interconnected whole that is in dynamic relationship to its environment, and recognizes the importance of these connections in health and disease.
Segmented
Views the body as a collection of separate parts, and treats them independent of each other, often with a different doctor for each.
Proactive
Looks for and treats root causes to prevent or reverse disease.
Reactive
Focused on managing disease and treating symptoms after a disease has manifested.
Restorative
Tests and treatments designed to promote optimal function, prevent and reverse disease, and improve quality of life
Palliative
Tests and treatments designed to prevent death and manage serious disease, without dealing with the underlying cause.
Patient-Centered
By listening to the patient and learning his or her story, the practitioner brings the patient into the discovery process and tailors treatments that address the individual’s unique needs.
Doctor-Centered
Ignores patient’s individual story and needs; just treats diagnoses per protocols.
Evidenced-Based
Based on the latest research from peer-reviewed medical journals, and uncorrupted by corporate and political interests.
Profit-Driven
Heavily influenced by profit-driven pharmaceutical and insurance companies.
Safe
Treatments have mild or no side effects, and other unrelated complaints often improve spontaneously.
Side Effects
Treatments can have side effects and complications, and actually cause new disease.
Participatory
Patient is respected, empowered, educated and encouraged to play active role in healing process.
Dictatorial
Patient’s opinion is often discounted, little time is spent on education, and patient may be discouraged from playing active role.
Personalized
Addresses the individual person, looking at interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.
One-Size-Fits All
Treats the disease, not the patient. Patients with the same disease get the same treatment, regardless of their differences, and their different causes.
Functional Medicine
Health Focused
Corrects body imbalances and recommends behaviors that create health.
Holistic
Envisions the body as an interconnected whole that is in dynamic relationship to its environment, and recognizes the importance of these connections in health and disease.
Proactive
Looks for and treats root causes to prevent or reverse disease.
Restorative
Tests and treatments designed to promote optimal function, prevent and reverse disease, and improve quality of life.
Patient-Centered
By listening to the patient and learning his or her story, the practitioner brings the patient into the discovery process and tailors treatments that address the individual’s unique needs.
Evidenced-Based
Based on the latest research from peer-reviewed medical journals, and uncorrupted by corporate and political interests.
Safe
Treatments have mild or no side effects, and other unrelated complaints often improve spontaneously.
Participatory
Patient is respected, empowered, educated and encouraged to play active role in healing process.
Personalized
Addresses the individual person, looking at interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.
Conventional Medicine
Disease Focused
Waits for disease to develop and then tries to control it.
Segmented
Views the body as a collection of separate parts, and treats them independent of each other, often with a different doctor for each.
Reactive
Focused on managing disease and treating symptoms after a disease has manifested.
Palliative
Tests and treatments designed to prevent death and manage serious disease, without dealing with the underlying cause.
Doctor-Centered
Ignores patient’s individual story and needs; just treats diagnoses per protocols.
Profit-Driven
Heavily influenced by profit-driven pharmaceutical and insurance companies.
Side Effects
Treatments can have side effects and complications, and actually cause new disease.
Dictatorial
Patient’s opinion is often discounted, little time is spent on education, and patient may be discouraged from playing active role.
One-Size-Fits All
Treats the disease, not the patient. Patients with the same disease get the same treatment, regardless of their differences, and their different causes.
