Functional medicine aims to find the root cause of sickness so that medical professionals can treat it with the goal of permanent relief from symptoms and illness. It’s focus on the root cause is different from traditional medicine that spends considerable time and energy treating symptoms without working to alleviate the true source of those symptoms. Functional medicine achieves this by incorporating a wide variety of treatment methods and modalities, and could be the right choice for you if traditional medicine is failing you.
Precursor for functional medicine
The father of functional medicine is widely considered to be Dr. Jeffery Bland who in the 1990s floated the concept of marrying the practices of accepted regular medical practices with progressive treatment modalities to address chronic health issues. The concept promoted the utilization of tools to address emotional, nutritional, physical, environmental, and lifestyle needs in order to achieve greater health and well being. The idea spread and developed into the many practitioners of functional medicine that exist today.
So what kind of treatments are utilized?
A functional medicine doctor will examine a patient much like a regular medical doctor will, checking vital signs and such. They will also ask lots of questions to find out everything they can about chronic medical conditions that their patients are facing. Depending on their diagnosis and treatment plan, care by a chiropractor, massage, yoga, meditation, and even acupuncture might be considered to treat the root cause of the problem.
The purported benefits of functional medicine
Functional medicine delivers several benefits including having a health care plan that is specifically customized for your physical experience right now. Patients feel heard and as if their medical provider is really listening and genuinely cares about their suffering and path to good health. Patients also receive treatment for root cause issues that might be causing overall poor health which leads to less pain and many more better days ahead.
Finding a doctor of functional medicine
If this sounds like the kind of care you’re looking for, you might wonder how to go about finding a functional medicine doctor. You can try a quick Google search that will return results based on your geographic location. If you already practice yoga or incorporate massage into your self care routine, you might ask your teacher or massage therapist if they know anyone in town with a solid reputation.
