What is Functional Medicine Anyway And How Did We Get Here?
The Problem:
Do you remember studying anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, organic chemistry, and cell-biology? Do you remember learning about all of the biological systems in the human body and how they all worked together? When you first started your clinical career, were you so excited to put all of this into practice and really teach your patients how to optimize their health? Were you excited to spend time connecting with your patients?
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Modern Conventional Medicine has evolved quite a bit in the last 100 years or so. In its early development, most doctors were 'generalists'. As time moved on, there became an increasing need for some doctors to specialize in specific areas of the body. And now, specialization has become so prominent that a single patient may see several specialists, none of whom collaborate with the others. Each specialist is, of course, most concerned with their area of expertise. And sometimes treatments for one area of expertise might put another at risk.
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Also, we have become a 'fix-it-fast' type of medicine. A top down approach in which the target of treatment is the symptom or the lab value, or maybe the direct cause of the lab value; medications and surgeries are used to ameliorate the consequences of years of slow onset of dysfunction or deterioration.
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In this modern system, the average elder is on 5 or more prescription medications. Fifteen percent of hospitalizations are directly related to medication adverse events. And much of the time, the specialists who are prescribing the medications are not fully informed of the (or do not have the energy to deal with) the adverse effects of their prescriptions on body systems that are not their purview.
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And, even with our modern conventional medical system so robust, heroically saving and prolonging lives, the day to day realities of epidemics of chronic dysfunction and unnecessary debilitation worsen. Although people are living longer, they are living longer with lower quality. We are witnessing epidemics of obesity; inflammatory, autoimmune, and auto inflammatory conditions; degenerative brain and neurologic function; fatigue, brain fog, and immune dysfunction, even at young ages; mood, mental health, and processing dysfunction also starting at early ages; cancer of all kinds; and of course, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
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And, we are witnessing an explosion in the building of assisted living and nursing facilities, because this has become an increasing reality in the last 20 years of life. Need for assistance is directly related to debilitation and fragility of either mind or body.
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This is where we are. This is what modern conventional medicine can and can't offer Americans.
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What needs to change?
The Solution:
The CDC and WHO both say that most chronic illness is lifestyle related.
Two major things need to change.
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First, patients need to understand how much control they have over their current and future health. They need to know that a large part of their current and future health is within their control. Sometimes even more than their doctors'.
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Second, your patients need your help to help themselves. There is so much false information out there. Your patients need you to be their trusted resource so that they can safely and effectively work to prevent, slow, stop or reverse chronic illness and debilitating symptoms.
What is Functional (or Root-Cause) Medicine?
As conventional medicine has evolved over the past several decades into its current form, in addition to those studying treatments like pharmacy and surgery, there has been a dedicated group of scientists and clinicians who have continued to study the human body from the biochemical and systems-biology perspectives. The research has continued to understand the role of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other nutrients. The research into the role the body's systems play in self-regulation and self-healing and rebalance has continued. The research has continued into what it takes to prevent, slow, stop, or reverse chronic illness.
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These clinicians and scientists have kept the good work going. Those who have continued to pair it with convention medicine have worked under the descriptors that have included Integrative Medicine, Nutritional Medicine, Holistic Medicine, or Natural Medicine. In 1990, the brilliant Naturopathic Physician, Dr. Jeffrey Bland, coined the term Functional Medicine, to describe the evolving practice of combining conventional diagnostics and clinical medicine with a systems-biology-based root-cause approach to health and healing. In 1990, he founded The Institute for Functional Medicine, which is now an ACCP accredited educational foundation, formed to educate and support clinicians in bringing these principals into their practices.
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As an Osteopathic Physician, I can't help to acknowledge the close relationship between the principles of Osteopathic and Functional Medicine. Both are patient-centered. Both emphasize looking at the whole picture. Both emphasize that everything that happens in the body is inter-related. Both state that structure and function are inter-related. Both speak of unwinding the issues to get to the deep and intelligent health in the body.
The Advantages of Functional Medicine over Lifestyle Medicine are:
Personalization
Functional medicine takes into account each patient's unique biology and lifestyle factors to create a personalized treatment plan that is tailored to their specific needs.
Root cause identification
By identifying and addressing the root causes of disease, functional medicine can help to prevent chronic illnesses from developing in the first place.
Comprehensive approach
Functional medicine practitioners use a wide range of diagnostic tools and therapies, including nutrition, exercise, supplements, and stress management techniques, to treat the whole person, rather than just treating symptoms.
Collaboration
Functional medicine practitioners often work collaboratively with other healthcare providers, such as nutritionists, physical therapists, and mental health professionals, to ensure that patients receive comprehensive care.
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In summary, while lifestyle medicine focuses on lifestyle changes to prevent and treat chronic diseases, functional medicine takes a personalized, root-cause approach to healthcare that aims to identify and address the underlying causes of illness.
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I am thrilled to make it my mission to bring the principles and practices of Functional, or Root-Cause, Medicine, to my fellow clinicians.
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It is my hope that by adopting this expanded way of evaluating, treating, and empowering patients, we will all not only be working to change the paradigm of our current health care system; we will be helping our patients to live healthier, happier, more vitalized, more empowered lives!
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