How is Functional Medicine different?įunctional medicine involves understanding the origins, prevention, and treatment of complex, chronic disease. Most physicians are not adequately trained to assess the underlying causes of complex, chronic disease and to apply strategies such as nutrition, diet, and exercise to both treat and prevent these illnesses in their patients. The gap between emerging research in basic sciences and integration into medical practice is enormous-as long as 50 years- particularly in the area of complex, chronic illness. There’s a huge gap between research and the way doctors practice. Unfortunately, the acute-care approach to medicine lacks the proper methodology and tools for preventing and treating complex, chronic disease. The system of medicine practiced by most physicians is oriented toward acute care, the diagnosis and treatment of trauma or illness that is of short duration and in need of urgent care, such as appendicitis or a broken leg. Our society is experiencing a sharp increase in the number of people who suffer from complex, chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, mental illness, and autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis. ( text provided by the Institute for Function Medicine) It is grounded in scientific principles and information widely available in medicine today, combining research from various disciplines into highly detailed yet clinically relevant models of disease pathogenesis and effective clinical management. Function Medicine is not a unique and separate body of knowledge. Function Medicine seeks to identify and address the root causes of disease, and views the body as one integrated system, not a collection of independent organs to be divided up into medical specialties. It is dedicated to improving the management of complex, chronic disease by intervening at multiple levels to address these imbalances and to restore each patient’s functionality and health.
Functional Medicine seeks to shift the traditional disease-centered approach to a more patient-centered approach. Some of the tools used to uncover these imbalances include lab work, family history, lifestyle assessment, and physical exam. Functional Medicine is a science-based field of healthcare that examines the core clinical imbalances that underlie various disease conditions, imbalances that could be a precursor to the disease.
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