If you’ve seen the phrase “functional medicine” and wondered how it differs from other kinds of medical care, this post is for you! Here at Family Acupuncture and Wellness, we approach your medical care from the perspective that you’re a whole person, and all of aspects of your body affect your health. Here are three amazing benefits of functional medicine of which you may not be aware.
When you have a problem and go to a conventional doctor, it’s very likely your symptoms will be treated. However, treating the symptoms isn’t always the best way to address whatever is causing those symptoms to manifest.
There are some symptoms that are common among several different conditions. For example, inflammation is one of your body’s natural responses to injury, so you may have inflammation for numerous reasons. Treating inflammation without understanding the underlying cause may ease your discomfort, but it won’t help you heal.
When you are treated by an expert in functional medicine, such as the providers at Family Acupuncture and Wellness, your appointments are likely to last longer than a normal doctor appointment. That’s because functional medicine involves investigating the cause of your symptoms, and that takes time.
Chronic disease, including conditions like arthritis, fibromyalgia, and heart disease, all create a plethora of symptoms. Conventional medicine addresses those symptoms; so you may take a pain reliever for joint pain, or a medication to help lower your blood pressure if you have heart disease. Functional medicine, on the other hand, seeks to address the cause of the symptoms.
If you have diabetes, your care team may include a podiatrist, and endocrinologist, a nutritionist, and a primary care provider, along with numerous other specialists. In theory, they work together to provide the most appropriate treatment. In practice, there may be communication issues.
Functional medicine works differently. Rather than viewing you as a series of discrete, compartmentalized systems, our practitioners see all your various systems as an integrated whole.
Your diet, exercise habits, stress levels, sleep hygiene, medical conditions, and medications all blend together to create your overall health status. Considering only your symptoms in isolation only tells part of your health story.
Regardless of your health status, what you eat matters, and so does how much and what kind of exercise you do. The amount of stress you have in your day-to-day life, and how you manage it, whether or not you sleep well or long enough, and several other factors make a difference in your overall health.
In functional medicine, your treatment plan is designed specifically for you to reach the most optimal level of health. Whether you feel pretty healthy, or you’re dealing with an illness, chronic condition, or injury, seeing a functional medicine expert will result in a unique treatment plan to meet your individual needs.
If you’re ready to begin an exercise program and you have fibromyalgia, you need a different approach than someone your age who doesn’t have fibromyalgia. No matter who you are, or what your health concerns may be, at Family Acupuncture and Wellness, we will create a treatment plan that addresses your specific needs.
If you’d like to learn more about functional medicine, book an appointment online or by phone today. Our experts are happy to answer your questions.
