A drastic surge in various chronic illnesses has contributed to a considerable paradigm shift in health treatments. One significant change in medicine is the rise of functional medicine, a medical treatment focusing on the idea that healing should be personalized and comprehensive. It utilizes a detailed approach to understanding patients and unearthing an illness’s root causes.
Compared to traditional treatment focusing on specific symptoms or illnesses, functional medicine integrates aspects of conventional medicine, nutritional supplements, behavioral therapy, and alternative medicine, among other disciplines. That means that doctors who apply this type of medicine always carry out various diagnostic tests and treatments to help patients attain their ideal level of health. Here are facts about functional medicine:
1. Its Focus Is the Root Cause of Disease
Since functional medicine utilizes a comprehensive approach to treating disease, it can quickly determine the root cause of an illness. For instance, if you suffer from fatigue or insomnia, your symptoms may be due to fundamental issues such as adrenal dysfunction or low thyroid function. Instead of diagnosing the symptoms, functional medicine will focus on the root cause of that problem and provide appropriate treatments.
2. Emphasize Prevention and Health Promotion
In addition to treating underlying conditions, functional medicine also focuses on combating disease and enhancing good health through diet, exercise, stress management techniques, and other lifestyle changes. By emphasizing these preventive measures, you can minimize your risk of developing conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
3. It Is an Individualized Healthcare
Functional medicine recognizes that every individual is distinct, both genetically and biochemically. It means a wide range of symptoms or even a diagnosed illness in one individual will not primarily similarly respond to a given drug when it comes to another person.
Therefore, using one medicine or giving a single diagnosis is not enough. It emphasizes the entire body more than specific symptoms, harnessing the intrinsic healing mechanisms of the body. Functional medicine doctors discuss with the patients to highlight the primary cause of the disease to enhance integrative health and wellness.
Therefore, you will spend significant time with your doctor talking about your symptoms and health history instead of conducting some tests and giving you a diagnosis.
4. Applies Diverse Treatment Modalities
Functional medicine doctors apply diverse treatment modalities to help you attain your desired health goals. These may entail nutritional counseling, stress management techniques, and exercise programs.
Today, functional medicine has become increasingly popular, and it is yielding exceptional results. The modalities have enhanced an individual’s health, wellness, and vitality.
5. Takes a Longer-Term View of Care
When partnering with functional medicine practitioners, you can anticipate a long-term association. It means they will continuously offer you guidance and support on making rather holistic lifestyle changes instead of treating your symptoms in the short term.
6. Science-Based Medicine
The most advanced genetic science research takes place in functional medicine to develop a wellness plan, particularly for the patient. With this method, it is easier for the practitioner to identify why particular symptoms manifest in the individual in the first place. Different factors can significantly contribute to the development and advancement of some chronic illnesses. The primary aim of functional medicine is to develop a contrary effect using inherent methods to diagnose the particular exhibitions of the disease within each individual.
7. Re-Balance of Body Systems
The human body operates in an inherent way of balancing and self-regulating all of its internal systems. External factors such as illnesses, medication, environmental, or lifestyle factors can destabilize this balance. Functional medicine can rectify an imbalance within the body.
8. It’s Affordable
Functional medicine is quite affordable as it helps save some dimes in the end. By focusing on your lifestyle, you enhance your health, minimizing future doctor appointments and medical expenses. Additionally, numerous functional medicine practices do not entail incisions and are considerably less expensive than conventional practices.
Functional medicine can treat various illnesses, including arthritis, autoimmune diseases, depression, diabetes, obesity, and other chronic diseases. Therefore, individuals who haven’t found a remedy with the conventional treatment method, people with fatigue with fibromyalgia, and strange autoimmune issues can all benefit from functional medicine.
