Functional Medicine
The term ‘functional medicine’ is no longer alien to us. Many of us have heard of this new approach that is revolutionising the way lifestyle diseases are treated and cured for life. But before trying it for ourselves, we’d need a little more knowledge of what functional medicine is, what it does, and how is it different from the conventional approach.
What is functional medicine?
To put it in the simple terms, functional medicine does not treat just the symptoms of the disease. Instead, it focuses on the root cause. It is based on the scientific tenet that a disease or its symptoms develop in the body due to certain underlying imbalances. It’s seeks to identify those imbalances through scientific and evidence-based testing, correct them, and restore overall health and wellness.
Principles of functional medicine
The functional medicine approach is basically about keeping things simple. It involves a thorough and holistic understanding of the origin of complex chronic diseases, and also its prevention or treatment. Instead of asking ‘what drug to use to treat the symptom’, functional medicine asks ‘what has led to the symptom’ and ‘where do the imbalances lie’. In other words, it searches for what is truly causing the imbalance or inflammation in the first place.
Once the root cause has been established, the next question it is – what does the body and its system need to regain its balance? Based on this, a treatment plan is drawn.
Some of the salient features of this approach are as follows:
- Patient-centric: Unlike the conventional approach, functional medicine does not believe in a ‘one-size fits all.’ It understands that each individual is physically and biologically unique and has a different lifestyle. Therefore listening to the patient at each and every step is of utmost importance. Understanding the patient enables a functional medicine practitioner to devise a custom or tailor-made treatment plan which is best suited to the patient’s individual needs.
- Holistic, integrated, science-based approach: While the conventional method focuses only on treatment of the diseased organ or body part, functional medicine has a broader perspective. In order to get to the root cause of the disease or symptom, it looks at the body as a whole and observes the inter-connection between the individual patient’s history, physiology and lifestyle. Along with the patient’s unique gene expression, it considers his internal environment (mind, body and spirit), and his external environment (physical and social).
- Inter-disciplinary science and medical practice: Functional medicine integrates the best practices of various streams of medical practices; be that conventional, alternative or science-based ancient wisdom. It uses the latest diagnostic techniques for investigation. And for prevention/treatment, it uses combinations of precision supplements, therapeutic diets, detoxification programs, stress management techniques etc. It uses as much cutting edge and evidence backed science as any other medicine, if not more. However, it also goes further in the sense that it embraces almost every and any medical approaches and age old scientifically proven wisdom to get the patient cured for life, without relying on medications for life.
- True Health and Wellness: Functional medicine believes that the human body is designed for good health. It has a very effective self-regulating and self-healing characteristic, provided there are no subsisting imbalances in the body. True health and wellness are not achieved merely by elimination of disease. Vitality, a good appetite, optimum weight, a settled emotional state, a stable disposition are all indicators of general wellness that functional medicine aims to achieve.
The Functional Medicine Model
The functional medicine model recognizes the disease as the endpoint and the function as a process. It is less concerned with what we call ‘dysfunction’ or disease. It is more about the dynamic process that results in the dysfunction.
The stages of the model have been elaborated in the exhibit below:
- Assess
- Evaluate
- Personalized Plan
- Follow-up
- Continuous loop back
The functional medicine model is the new age clinical operating system that is designed to be very clinical and methodological in its approach and at the same time is highly individualized and patient-centric. It empowers the patients and practitioners to work together to address the underlying causes of disease(s) and promote optimal wellness for the longest run.
Difference between functional and traditional medicine
Conventional Medicine Approach:
Conventional medicine is mainly concerned with identifying the symptoms of the disease, and then treating the symptoms with the use of drugs. Thus, it starts only after the symptoms or disease has manifested. It is a reactive approach.
The treatment is often restricted to the part of the body that is showing the symptoms. Thus, it can be said that this approach divides the body into a dozen or more unconnected systems and treats each system individually. Moreover, the treatment is generalised – meaning, all patients suffering from the same condition are treated using the same method and set protocols.
Conventional medicine lacks a long-term perspective that addresses overall health and wellness. It only keeps the symptoms in check with the belief that most chronic diseases are ‘incurable’ and must be ‘managed’ for life.
Functional Medicine Approach:
The philosophy of the functional medicine approach is that healing is a natural ability of every cell present in our bodies, provided that all the conditions are optimal for healing to occur. The focus therefore, is on keeping those conditions optimal. Thus, it’s a preventive approach wherein treatment is started before the disease actually manifests.
Moreover, the functional medicine approach doesn’t look at just the symptom, but also identifies the underlying dysfunctions such as dysbiosis, inflammation, infections, deficiencies, toxicities, etc. It manages the dysfunctional process rather than just treating the disease or the affected organ in isolation. Practitioners take into consideration the individual patient’s lifestyle and habits along with his or her lab test results in order to determine the underlying causes that might be impacting the onset of diseases. Functional medicine treats these underlying causes as opposed to the symptomatic treatment in conventional medicine. As the dysfunction gradually returns to normalcy, the symptoms reduce and the patient becomes healthy again.
Functional medicine focuses on restoring each individual’s overall health and vitality. It addresses the mind, body and spirit and how they work together, while conventional medicine struggles to admit their connection to chronic illness.
Functional medicine practitioners often treat their patients as co-equal partners in attaining holistic wellness. The patient comes first in this case, whereas the conventional approach is doctor and protocol driven.
Some of the salient differences between conventional and functional medicine are enlisted as follows:
What does a functional medicine doctor do?
A functional medicine practitioner spends a good amount of time listening to the patient. He needs to understand the patient’s medical history in order to identify what might have triggered the current imbalance. This is an important part of the functional medicine treatment as diseases don’t manifest all of a sudden. They develop in stages or layers which start at the cellular level and eventually show up as a symptom on a part of the body or an organ. It is a violation of the body’s basic requirement which has gone unheard. This violation is identified as ‘the root cause.’
At the functional medicine clinic, a thorough investigation of your biomarkers are conducted which help to corroborate the signs and symptoms. Thus, the practitioner follows an evidence-based approach to connect the dots. Once the triggers and root cause are identified, the practitioner develops a customized treatment plan to suit your individual needs. A functional medicine practitioner’s objective is not to ‘manage’ the disease, but to cure it completely.
How can I find a functional medicine doctor in my area?
The answer is simple – Google it.
However, bear in mind that functional medicine is a relatively new area of science and medicine. Therefore, you may not get the most accurate and up to date records. So you’d do good to try other similar keywords like ‘integrative medicine’ or ‘holistic medicine.’
What should I expect from my first appointment with a functional medicine doctor?
Before finalising to go for treatment with a functional practitioner, you must also ensure that he doesn’t focus on nutrition alone, but also gives equal importance to other lifestyle aspects. A doctor who prescribes natural treatments mostly and conventional procedures only when necessary should be preferred. The doctor should be willing to spend time on building a strong partnership with you as a patient.
Before visiting the functional medicine doctor, be aware of your own medical history. If possible, document as much of it as you can. It will help the doctor understand the history of your ailment better.
Also bear in mind that unlike conventional medicine that has immediate impact, functional medicine can take from a couple of weeks up to a few months to show results. However, the results achieved will be permanent and you will be disease and medication-free for life.
Why should I choose functional medicine (Benefits of Functional Medicine)?
At the moment, conventional medicine is the norm across the world. However, the biggest argument against it is that while the approach is super critical for traumas, emergency situations and cases that require immediate surgery, it does not treat lifestyle related diseases with same seriousness. As a direct consequence of this lacuna, we are witnessing an alarming increase in lifestyle diseases across the world due to which a growing number of people are rapidly adopting the functional medicine approach to treat lifestyle diseases.
Functional medicine has become a popular choice among patients suffering from a wide range of lifestyle, chronic and non-communicable diseases such as:
- Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
- Arthritis – both, Arthritis – Osteoarthritis (OA), Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
- Asthma
- Autoimmune diseases such as lupus, celiac disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.
- Cardiovascular disease such as Elevated cholesterol, Hypertension and High BP
- Chronic fatigue & pain syndrome
- Diabetes – Type 1, Type 1.5, Type 2 and Prediabetes
- Digestive disorders such as GERD (Acid Reflux), Ulcers, Heartburn, Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), IBD
- Fibromyalgia
- Environmental and food allergies
- Women’s health disorders such as PMS, menopause and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Metabolic syndrome, prediabetes and insulin resistance
- Osteoporosis
- Skin Issues such as Acne, Eczema, Psoriasis
- Thyroid & Adrenal disorders such as Hypothyroidism, Hyperthyroidism & Graves
Apart from these, functional medicine also addresses Cancer prevention and general detoxification & healing.
The growing popularity of functional medicine in India and abroad comes as no surprise. It ensures sustainable health and overall wellness. It provides patients all the necessary tools to keep them well-informed and aware, thereby helping them to maintain homeostasis for a healthy mind and body.
In summary, functional medicine is an evidence-based, holistic approach to overall health and wellness that goes beyond disease management. The focus is always on the patient and in ensuring that his or her’s causes for dysfunction and imbalances are restored to its normal functioning. This is achieved through the most natural forms and methods and also taking in consideration an interdisciplinary approach to treatment reversal. Functional medicine really works and is one of the strong answers to the pressing need of the chronic disease burden.