Functional medicine is a constantly growing field of medicine which aims to provide a fully comprehensive and uniquely personalised approach to healthcare.
Functional medicine simply recognises that each person is unique, with their own genetic makeup and individual exposure to various environmental factors.
By taking this holistic approach to health, a functional medicine practitioner aims to identify the underlying root causes of health issues rather than simple treating symptoms as conventional medicine does.
A key feature of functional medicine is the importance of the partnership between practitioner and patient. The approach involves the patient spending time with the practitioner, expressing their concerns and working together to develop a uniquely personalised treatment plan.
By working together, the aim is for the practitioner to identify the root cause or causes of the patient’s health issues and help them make the necessary lifestyle alterations to improve their health.
Prevention is always better than cure and functional medicine recognises the importance of this. Practitioners work alongside their patients to try and identify risk factors for chronic diseases and health problems and develop strategies to help prevent them from occurring. These may include changes in diet, stress management techniques, exercise along with various other lifestyle modifications.
Through the clinical assessment and management of patients, the functional medicine model focuses on six core physiological processes:
- 1Assimilation (digestion, absorption, microbiota)
- 2Defense and Repair (immune, inflammation, cellular renewal)
- 3Bioenergetics (mitochondrial function, cellular energy transport, tissue specific energetics)
- 4Transport (cardiovascular, hematological, respiratory and lymphatic functions)
- 5Communications (endocrine, neurotransmitters, signal transduction processes)
- 6Structural Integrity (subcellular membrane barriers to musculoskeletal function)
Functional medicine utilises advanced diagnostic testing which may include comprehensive blood and stool analysis and genetic testing along with other, various specialised testing. Taking these tests along with an extensive and in-depth patient history allows the practitioners to gain a deeper understanding of each patient’s unique health picture.
Functional medicine is renowned for its integrative approach to healthcare. Numerous complementary therapies such as chiropractic care, acupuncture and massage may be incorporated in to a patient’s treatment plan. By addressing the unique health needs of the whole person functional medicine offers a much more comprehensive and effective approach to healthcare.
The positive approach offered by functional medicine to healthcare is preventative, holistic and uniquely patient centred. Due to this approach, functional medicine has been continually proven to offer huge benefits in the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases and conditions.
