Functional Medicine. Whats That?
Functional Medicine is the practice of medicine that better addresses the healthcare of the 21st century by focusing on whole system health. We humans have 15 important interconnected systems working daily to keep us alive and breathing: Respiratory, nervous, musculoskeletal, skeletal, immune, renal, digestive, reproductive, lymphatic, urinary, excretory, endocrine, integumentary, cardiovascular, and circulatory. All of these biology-based systems are working together as one, so shouldn’t they be treated as such?
This may come at a surprise, but most physicians are not adequately trained to assess the underlying causes of complex, chronic diseases and to apply strategies such as nutrition, diet, and exercise to both treat and prevent these illnesses in their patients. We go through the medical system for health and healing but come out a poly-pharmaceutical mess because of the medical school curriculum.
The Western healthcare model certainly is amazing but there are some major flaws in the system. We pride specialists on their way to zoom in and find the issue. The only issue is that these specialists don’t communicate with others in the way we hope they will. They target a precise point in your entire system to focus on. Then, they send you to another specialist to target another issue, and the list goes on. Many of these Doctors have so many patients that it’s almost impossible to communicate with the multiple specialists the patient has caring for them. We have medical charts, but those can be extensive, 100+ pages for some. We can’t expect our doctors to read every page for every patient they treat, can we?
Our society is experiencing a sharp increase in the number of people who suffer from complex, chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, mental illness, and autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis.
The system of medicine practiced by most physicians is oriented toward acute care, the diagnosis and treatment of trauma or illness that is of short duration and in need of urgent care, such as appendicitis or a broken leg.
Unfortunately, the acute-care approach to medicine lacks the proper methodology and tools for preventing and treating complex, chronic disease.
There’s a huge gap between research and the way doctors practice. The gap between emerging research in basic sciences and integration into medical practice is enormous—as long as 50 years—particularly in the area of complex, chronic illness.
We have come to the point in our society where most patients want a quick fix, so what do we do? We implement medications that act as that “quick fix” but may open up a whole avenue of issues that the longer road of regular exercise, sleep, and nutrition can balance. This is where functional medicine comes in. It is a holistic biology systems-based approach that focuses on the unique individual.
What makes Functional Medicine Different? It involves the understanding of the origins, prevention, and treatment of complex diseases. Functional medicine is a patient-centered care promoting health and positive vitality, beyond just the absence of disease. Functional Medicine practitioners look “upstream”
to consider the complex web of interactions in the patient’s history, physiology, and lifestyle that can lead to illness. The unique genetic makeup of each patient is considered, along with both internal (mind, body, and spirit) and external (physical and social environment) factors that affect total functioning.
Integrating best medical practices. Functional Medicine integrates traditional Western medical practices with what are sometimes considered “alternative” or “integrative” medicine, creating a focus on prevention through nutrition, diet, and exercise; use of the latest laboratory testing and other diagnostic techniques; and prescribed combinations of drugs and/or botanical medicines, supplements, therapeutic diets, detoxification programs, or stress-management techniques.
Partnering up with a Coach can extend your doctor’s reach of care by allowing them to guide you through the everyday routine and implement tools, techniques and healthy lifestyle choices that help you reach your goals for optimal health and wellness. Let’s say your doctor would like you to walk 1 mile every day for cardiovascular health, but you work the standard 40+ hr week with commuting to and from work. Where do you fit in time to walk a mile every day? Working with a coach lets a fresh perspective enter your life. We break things down, ask questions, and get to the bottom of it. For example: You have to walk a mile a day? What do you think of that? What would be more feasible for your schedule right now that can assist with this goal? How ready are you to commit to this? We ask you the important questions that pivot your focus onto you, your body, your health, what you want to control, and how to get you here. My goal as a coach is to provide the right tools and mindset for healthier living. Whether I work with you for 2 months, 6 months, or a whole year, that is up to you. My prerogative is to not have you rely on me weekly or monthly for the rest of your life. See me as training wheels. The wheels come off when you’re ready. I’ll always be here for you, but I want you to thrive!