What is Functional Medicine?
Walking from dysfunction to function...
The hope of any physician should be that our patients are so healthy that we don't need to be doctors anymore. I would love that, and I would probably try to make a living playing in a band... but, sadly, I can't quite my day job.
Our medical system is designed primarily to respond to problems quickly. That is why it can be equally frustrating to the patient and the provider when there isn't a clear answer - particularly one that can be resolved with a prescription or a procedure. Not all doctors are pill pushers even though it can feel that way since there are so many medications available these days.
Some problems require lifestyle change, while others require a deeper understanding into hormonal, metabolic or gastrointestinal processes. Functional Medicine looks for the root causes of body dysfunction and symptoms in order to correct these over time - ideally (but not always) without prescription medication.
Here's another view:
Salutogenesis: the origins of health
There is a growing movement in healthcare looking at the human body in terms of what it can and should do. This movement is from several different angles, but they have one common theme: improving the origins of the health in all of us.
Pathogenesis: the origins of disease
Pathogenesis is what I was taught in medical school. We worked hard memorizing and connecting dots to understand disease. This is really important when someone is truly and completely sick! But, what if you aren't there yet? Or your symptoms or lab markers aren't good, but they are not bad enough to warrant immediate action? What next?
Functional Medicine: on the edge of human physiology
As dramatic as it sounds, Functional Medicine seeks to understand individuals, not just averages. This makes the evaluation, testing, and treatment process much more complex, and much more effective. Individuals wanting to find the next steps to improve their health, find the reasons for unexplained symptoms, or make an even bigger difference in their diseases, can work with a certified Functional Medicine practitioner to create a personalized approach to their situation.