I think of Functional Medicine as a revolution in health because it doesn’t focus only on symptoms but instead looks for what is causing the symptoms, or the root cause. Instead of leaving a doctor’s office with a prescription for, say, acid reflux, a Functional Medicine physician will try to determine what is causing the reflux and will work to eliminate the cause.
Disease is complex and can have many causes. For example, depression may be caused by conditions such as inflammation, thyroid dysfunction, or Vitamin D deficiency. Functional Medicine aims to find the cause and not solely treat the presentation.
Functional Medicine incorporates conventional Western medicine practices and Integrative medicine, so your Functional Medicine physician may prescribe medication but will also likely prescribe diet modifications, stress relief techniques, exercise recommendations and supplements.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that six in ten adults have a chronic disease and four in ten adults have two or more chronic diseases (https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/about/index.htm). This is staggering, especially when we know that many causes of chronic disease are due to modifiable behaviors like nutrition and lifestyle.
I chose to become a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach because I believe in the approach of conventional and Integrative medicine that focuses on the body andlifestyle factors.
The body has an innate wisdom to heal itself when given the opportunity. It is constantly trying to find its way back to balance and Functional Medicine focuses on helping the body find its way there. If you would like to learn more about Functional Medicine, I encourage you to spend some time on the Institute for Functional Medicine’s website at IFM.org.
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