Functional Medicine

At HML  we offer our patients Functional Medicine care as part of a Functional Care Program!

What is Functional Medicine?

Our society has been experiencing a sharp increase in the number of people who suffer from complex, chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, hormone problems, Autism, etc. with little to no improvement in curative and preventative care.

Traditional (Western) medicine is aimed toward acute care, the diagnosis and treatment of trauma and disease that is of short duration and in need of urgent care, such as a broken bone or appendicitis. And these physicians apply specific, prescribed treatments such as drugs or surgery that aim to treat the immediate problem or symptom.

Unfortunately, traditional medicine lacks the proper methodology and tools for preventing and treating complex, chronic disease. In most cases it does not take into account the unique genetic makeup of each individual or factors such as environmental exposures to toxins and the aspects of today’s lifestyle that have a direct influence on the rise in chronic disease in modern Western society.

Functional medicine addresses the underlying causes of disease, using a systems-oriented approach that engages both patient and practitioner in a therapeutic partnership. It is an expansion in the practice of medicine that better addresses the healthcare needs of the 21st century.

By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more individual-centered approach, functional medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms. We spend time with our patients, listening to their histories and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease. With this, we support the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual!

A COMMON misconception most people have is that they think of their body as separate systems functioning independently of each other. An example of this is eczema. Traditional medicine typically gives a steroid crème to treat the skin, however, eczema, most of the time is actually a “gut” issue, and also a “brain or neurological” issue. For instance, with advanced testing, we often find that the GI tract is not metabolizing proteins and fats properly and they have an imbalance of “good” and “bad” bacteria in the gut. As for how the brain is involved… The immune system is controlled by the brain, one side of the brain turns on the immune system and one side turns it off, often times we find an imbalance of left and right sided function of the brain as well.

The human body is like a Swiss Watch, as our colleague Dr Patrick Flynn DC, ND says. It is very complex and composed of  many parts. What happens if the smallest gear stops turning for just one moment? That it would affect the whole watch right? And would it keep time properly? No, of course not.

Have you, or someone you know ever taken a medication for heart issues and later found out that the medication damaged their liver, kidneys, or caused acid reflux? The human body is like a Swiss Watch – a lot of gears all working together in harmony! You cannot treat one system (gear) without affecting them all!

For example, detoxification is a very important system (gear), but it is only one of the gears. There are other gears such as the gear of proper nutrition, the gear of chiropractic care, the gear of proper mental health (such as the proper handling of stress), and the gear of proper hormone function. If all gears are not working properly, you cannot be healthy!

To sum it all up, Functional Medicine looks at the each individual as unique. It looks at the whole “watch” not just a part of it. It addresses the cause (or causes) of disease.  Conditions that may be helped include but not limited to severe headache disorders, hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, digestive problems such as acid reflux, IBS, Chron’s, Celiac disease, Ulcertive colitis, eczema, RA, Psoriasis.

At HML, our whole philosophy of health care is built on a well rounded holistic model backed by the latest understanding in research and clinical protocols.

FAQ SECTION:

A common question we get, is do you food sensitivity testing? Yes, we use the absolute best, from the people that invented this type of testing. Look into Array1090 and Array10 to learn more. The only type of sensitivity testing that looks at cooked, uncooked, and modified versions of foods. Array 10-90 looks at 90 foods, Array 10 looks at 180 foods. These tests tell you foods your immune system reacts to – this does not tell you foods you are allergic to, that is another form of testing.