What is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine is an approach that finds the root cause of the interconnectedness of your health symptoms that you are experiencing instead of putting band aids on the symptoms.
Functional medicine looks at your unique symptoms and health history in order to create a sustainable holistic action plan that works for your lifestyle to get well AND stay well.
The plan typically includes lifestyle changes through movement, nutrition, and regeneration habits.
Did you know...?
In 2011–2012, more than one-quarter (27.9%) of adults age 40 and over reported using a prescription cholesterol-lowering medication in the past 30 days.*
In 2014, over 12.7% Americans age 12 and over are using an SSRIs (antidepressant medication)**
In 2017, 55% of Americans take prescription medication, and more than four on average***
In 2013, nearly 70% of Americans are on at least one prescription drug, and more than half take two
20% of patients are on five or more prescription medications, according to the findings, published online in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.****
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db177.pdf*
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db283.htm**
“Medicine is the science of disease. Functional medicine is the science of health.” - Dr. Jeffrey Bland
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A diagnosis is a label that includes a whole bunch of symptoms. Functional medicine principles allow us to really reach what is at play. The body being an interconnectedness system is GREAT news because it allows us to peel the onion back, layer-by-layer and restore function without the reliance of pharmaceuticals. Functional medicine steps back to look at an individual as whole; different dynamics, situations, needs, and wants of each person in order to reach optimal wellness.
The body is like a symphony, and if one instrument is missing, then it will all fall apart. If one part of your body, like your gut, can start to fail your whole body will too.
I get it, sometimes it is hard to look in the mirror. In the short term, it takes more time to make lifestyle changes than it is to just take a pill to make it all “better”. However, in the long run, a whole host of downstream effects can take place. Do you know how your body is going to react to the various medications overtime? I am not trying to knock the pharmaceutical industry, it has saved many lives. However, it is time to start asking questions and take charge of your health in order to feel optimal. The band-aid or pill, I should say, can only work for so long until you need another medication to help the next symptom. Dr. Jeffrey Bland goes into this concept in The Disease Delusion (highly recommend).
With the prescription medications on the rise, we have to ask “why”, we need to look at the symptoms to find the underlying cause. Using functional medicine principles we can guide clients to the path of unlocking the body’s ability to heal itself. The body is a very intelligent system and just wants to survive. It will adapt to almost anything you put it through.
Take weight lifting for example, at a VERY basic level, you lift weights and you get stronger. Or cardio, you do a lot of cardio and your heart health will get better. This is an example of your body adapting to what you are doing to it. So, let’s begin to ask “why” is my body not functioning as optimal as it could be?
I want to clearly state again, I am not against medications. However, I believe that a deeper dive should be taken, more questions should be asked, and more knowledge should be given. Because when prescribed these medications, are you aware of the side effects? Is there a better way, so you can have happiness, energy, mood balance, drive, excitement?