Julie Naomi Have you ever gone to see your doctor only to leave you more perplexed than when you arrived? Or were you sent home with a diagnosis and a prescription you don’t understand? If this is the case, you are not alone. While our traditional medical approach treats diseases and saves lives on a daily basis, it does not always address the root causes of chronic disease. As a result, many difficult-to-identify symptoms go untreated or are dismissed. Functional and integrative medicine can help with this.
What Exactly Is Functional Medicine?
So, what is functional medicine? Functional medicine is sometimes known as “root-cause” medicine in some circles. This is because functional medicine focuses on identifying the underlying cause of a patient’s symptoms.
To identify and treat the underlying causes of disease, the functional medicine approach integrates our understanding of the human body, genetics, and environmental variables. Functional medicine, as opposed to suppressing and controlling symptoms, delves deeper. Practitioners of functional medicine strive to identify the “upstream” condition that is generating the “downstream” symptoms.
What Is the Role of a Functional Medicine Physician?
A functional medicine doctor examines the intricate relationships between human biology, genetics, lifestyle, and environmental variables using a science-based approach. Each of these factors has an influence on your long-term health and your risk of getting a chronic disease. A functional medicine practitioner may personalise their approach to each unique individual by taking all of these characteristics into account.
They try to comprehend each patient on an individual basis by doing the following:
- Specific tests that offer a clinical picture of you as an individual are ordered.
- Understanding each patient in context requires a thorough examination of your medical history and prior health.
- Examining lifestyle, behaviours, and other important variables
- Using a patient-centred and guided strategy
Once the fundamental reason is discovered, functional medicine specialists adopt a comprehensive approach to treat any imbalances or irregularities, hence eradicating the problem at its source. Treatment frequently includes a variety of methods, such as:
- Medications
- Nutritional supplements and treatments to rectify imbalances and decrease inflammation
- Changes in lifestyle to enhance nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress
- Methods of detoxification to assist your body in eliminating toxins
What Exactly Is Integrative Medicine?
The integrated medicine paradigm aims to treat persons holistically. This includes assessing each patient’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Integrative medicine seeks to treat and enhance your health by “integrating” all aspects of your well-being.
Integrative medicine generally includes a variety of various techniques to cure each individual as a whole since it tries to address health on such a multidimensional level.
What Is the Role of an Integrative Medicine Physician?
Following a thorough examination, an integrative medicine practitioner collaborates with you to develop a specific treatment plan. This approach will use a range of techniques to promote healing and restore balance in all areas of your life. An integrated medicine therapeutic strategy could include:
- Making changes to your nutrition, supplements, exercise, and sleep habits
- Incorporating complementary and alternative therapeutic modalities such as acupuncture, chiropractic care, and/or massage
- Integrating emotional and spiritual well-being methods such as meditation, energy work, and/or behavioural therapy
Integrative medicine may restore and enhance health in a more meaningful and long-term approach by treating not just the body but also the mind and spirit.
Differences and similarities between functional medicine and integrative medicine
Because there are significant similarities between functional medicine and integrated medicine, the two concepts are frequently used interchangeably. These two medical models:
- Investigate the underlying causes of illnesses and symptoms.
- Rather than just suppressing or hiding the “downstream” symptoms, treat the “upstream” issues directly.
- Consider taking a patient-centred and patient-driven strategy.
- Believe that lifestyle behaviours have a significant role in illness development and are critical to recovery.
There are numerous parallels between these two medical paradigms; they merely approach healing in somewhat different ways. Integrative medicine strives to cure the mind-body-spirit whereas functional medicine seeks to identify and address the biological core cause.
Choosing Between Functional and Integrative Medicine
The good news is that you don’t have to pick between functional and integrative medicine. Both of these medical paradigms arose from the belief that effective healing needs tailored remedies that address the underlying cause of imbalance and sickness.
Many doctors and practitioners use both functional and integrative medicine in their practice to assist each of their patients to reach the vibrant health and longevity that we all deserve. So, whether you’re dealing with a chronic ailment, experiencing unexplained symptoms, or simply trying to improve your well-being, I highly advise you to engage with a practitioner that combines the frameworks of functional and integrative medicine. This makes it more important to understand the differences when choosing an integrative or functional medicine doctor.