What Is Functional Medicine?

Considered by many to be a big step forward in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of chronic health conditions, functional medicine is a personalized approach to healthcare that deals with the underlying causes of illness and disease rather than simply just treating the symptoms.
Through functional medicine, providers can get to the root cause of chronic conditions by focusing on each person's unique needs, biochemical makeup and metabolic functions. No two people are the same, so by considering the genetic and environmental differences in all people, functional medicine practitioners are better equipped to determine what's wrong and then fix it.
A Hidden Diagnosis
Healthcare providers typically interpret symptoms as indicators of a specific illness and use diagnostic testing to confirm that condition. While this can validate a suspected disease, it doesn't identify the real cause of the condition. Most treatments based on this approach rely heavily on prescription drugs to ease symptoms. But many medications have toxic side effects that can cover up symptoms, making diagnosis even less reliable.
A Breakdown Within the Body
Functional medicine practitioners view disease as a manifestation of the breakdown of the mechanisms in the body that maintain balance. It is believed that these systems need an integrated approach of therapeutic intervention instead of a disease-specific approach. Functional medicine combines disease-specific treatments with practices considered to be "alternative" or "complementary." It focuses on the whole person--physical, mental, emotional and spiritual--while promoting health and vitality. Treatments may include any combination of nutritional supplements, dietary changes, therapeutic diets and detoxification programs, as well as counseling on lifestyle, exercise, stress management and other mind/body techniques. Development of strong social support networks and meaningful purpose for living is also emphasized.
Characteristics of Functional Medicine
--Patient-centered
--Based on each person's unique needs
--Balances an individual's biochemistry
--Integrates physical, mental and emotional well-being
--Science-based, using diagnostic tests
--Anchored in an examination of imbalances in the body's major systems
--Encourages taking an active role in one's own health
--Outcomes are key, rather than controlling symptoms
--Optimal health the ultimate goal
A Real Chance at Prevention
Traditional health professionals talk about "prevention." Pap smears, mammograms, cholesterol and blood pressure screenings, and other tests, however, are all geared toward early detection of disease, not prevention. Functional medicine is concerned with prevention at the very beginning by paying attention to smaller issues before they become big problems.
A recent study from Stanford university shows that people who stopped smoking, exercised and made dietary changes in mid-life had fewer hospitalizations and surgeries, took fewer medications and lived longer than people who didn't.
Promoting Wellness and Longevity
Many serious health conditions develop unnoticed over time because they don't have any symptoms. Therefore, detection and treatment of health issues at the source has consequences reaching far beyond alleviating symptoms.
Functional medicine testing can identify risk factors for a wide variety of health problems before they become symptomatic, enabling individuals to take preventive measures to reduce risk. Testing also provides important data for the development of treatment plans a person can follow for the rest of her life.
The Future of Medicine
Functional medicine is designed to significantly improve health. It doesn't ignore specific diseases, but tailors treatment plans to each individual. People with the same diagnosis may require different tests and therapeutic interventions. Functional medicine looks at each person's unique bio-chemical makeup in order to create a plan for optimal health and well-being.
The goal of functional medicine is not necessarily to live longer, although that is often a happy by-product of the practice! It is to help patients lead healthier and happier, better quality lives.
To learn more about functional medicine, visit The Institute for Functional Medicine's website at functionalmedicine.org.