What is functional medicine?

Functional Medicine is a science-based medical practice that is patient-centered not disease-centered.

Functional Medicine incorporates the best diagnostic tools and technologies from conventional medicine, as well as emerging tests and tools that help us look deeper into the illness and addressing the underlying root of the illness or disease.

By shifting to a more patient-centered approach, functional medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms.

At the Functional Medical Institute, we spend time with our patients, listening to their story, understanding their specific needs and goals and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and chronic disease.

Why is functional medicine important?

The number of people who suffer from complex, chronic diseases is on the rise, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and mental illness. Conventional medicine practiced by most physicians is focused on the symptoms, who apply specific, prescribed treatments such as drugs or surgery that aim to treat the immediate problem or symptom.

Most physicians are not adequately trained to assess the underlying causes of chronic disease and to apply patient-focused strategies such as nutrition, diet, and exercise to both treat and prevent these health issues.

Functional medicine involves understanding the causes, prevention, and treatment of chronic illness and disease.

Functional medicine is:

• Patient-centered care. The focus of functional medicine is on patient-centered care. By listening to the patient and their story, we help the patient into the discovery process, thereby taking ownership and control of their health and we provide treatments based on their unique needs.
• An integrative, science-based healthcare approach. We consider all factors and 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 and external factors that affect total wellness and health.
• Integrating best medical practices. Functional medicine integrates traditional conventional medical practices with “integrative” medicine, creating a focus on prevention through nutrition, diet, and exercise, while utilizing the latest testing and diagnostic techniques.