I have come to understand that functional medicine has many advantages over normal, medicine. Functional medicine is about healing being tailored to the individual in a holistic manner, and this is part of the draw for me. People could share a diagnosis but have multiple things going.
Functional medicine asks the question: What are the patient’s triggers, what helps them diffuse the triggers, and what makes their health situation worse or better? I find that functional medicine may hold some answers although having to be gluten free is difficult since I like gluten, soy, and dairy.
The Cons of Functional Medicine
Functional medicine advocates a gluten-free existence for some while steak is okay, and butter is better than margarine. Today, I have learned that functional medicine looks at a person’s interactions with specific types of nutritional needs, their genes, anatomy and biochemistry.
Holistic medical environments are different from traditional medicine in that holistic doctors view the many different aspects of what influences someone’s health problems. Functional medicine has many benefits for women in their 30s, however.
The Root Cause
Functional medicine tries to find a root cause to all health problems. For example, a patient may be exhibiting signs of stress from being low income, so functional medicine would address that aspect of a patient’s life, and then would be telling them to get a job.
Conventional doctors are not good at effective treatment although traditional medicine has its uses in fixing broken bones. Chronically ill people exhaust all treatment options sometimes. I find that functional medicine may hold answers for me.
Patients go to see functional medicine doctors with their medical records. Some of them have certain health problems that run in their families, because they want to avoid this particular health problem which functional medicine can fix.
Non-Traditional Answers to “Why?”
Functional medicine offers non-traditional answers to type 2 diabetes, and asthma along with other recurring health problems. I have read that functional medicine asks why a certain health problem is reoccurring, not treat with a pill and leave it alone. Functional medicine uses nutritional supplements, meditation and acupuncture. I have experienced acupuncture, which works.
Traditional medicine has a heavy reliance on lab tests, medicines for everything with the answer being throw more medication at it, without looking at the big picture of what is really going on.
Questionnaire: The Matrix
There is a type of questionnaire functional medicine uses called a matrix, used to examine different body systems such as the digestive system. In Chinese medicine, meridians run all over the body and must be balanced in order for an individual to feel healthy. To Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners, a big benefit of functional medicine is that even the energy system is taken into account.
Functional medicine relies on long-term solutions, not just the red pill or the blue pill as the only viable solution to a health problem. I think functional medicine strives to be as helpful as possible. Functional medicine helps empower patients into helping themselves heal whatever is going on.
Functional Medicine and the Nutritional Link
Functional medicine relies on nutritional guidelines for the patient that does not eat too many fried foods anymore. The approach to lowering cholesterol is to change the dietary habits one finds themselves in. I go to bed at 8 or 9, which is helpful to me according to functional medicine. Conventional medicine is great for broken bones.
There are quite a few theories behind functional medicine that are about the solid science behind it. Functional medicine is great for treating autoimmune disorders, depression, diabetes and more. Functional medicine helps individuals recapture their health. Functional medicine is about disease prevention.
It believes that nutritional supplements have their place, another benefit of functional medicine, although this would make it a similarity with conventional medicine, which believes a pill could be used for anything. The third benefit of functional medicine is using diet to support healing initiatives in the body. I feel that functional medicine asks you directly, “what are your goals with regard to your health?”
Using a Health Coach
Centers for functional medicine use a health coach who helps install the doctor’s recommendations in ordinary existence. Healing takes time when the doctor is trying to heal the whole patient. It takes actual motivation to make any realistic, serious change in your life. Functional medicine works against traditional surgery, or other traditional medicine techniques that doctors demand their patient undergo, such as invasive medical tests. I feel that functional medicine asks the right questions.
Functional medicine is similar to Western medicine with relying on lab tests, but not too many. More conventional doctors are looking into being well-trained with functional medicine techniques. Functional medicine benefits from the tendency to ask specific questions as to why a certain health problem is happening so frequently.
Functional medicine supports me as a whole person, including finding the root cause of autoimmune disease. Functional medicine makes a difference in people’s lives when the root cause to a health problem is found and fixed. Patients need a doctor who can deliver a tailored solution to their health problems. I feel that wellness comes from making an effort to change bad habits, and live a better life, because of the functional medicine benefits that a patient can get.
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