The main goal of functional medicine is to help patients find and treat the root cause of their symptoms. This is achieved through a variety of approaches that differ from conventional healthcare treatment. Let’s discuss what that might mean for you and your symptoms.

In medical school, doctors are taught to identify diseases based on a set of symptoms to determine WHAT the diagnosis is. When a diagnosis is made, you will be treated with medications or surgery. And if you don’t fit into a diagnosis, medications are prescribed to eliminate symptoms. A functional medicine approach asks WHY the patient has these specific symptoms as to correct the underlying imbalance. Functional medicine healthcare providers want to know why your symptoms have appeared and how we can not only manage them but eliminate them altogether by restoring balance to the system. Your functional medicine provider will work with you to identify and treat the root cause.

Functional medicine takes a holistic approach to medical symptoms. That’s because every system in the body is connected. In conventional medicine, there is a specialist for every system of the body, but rarely does anyone look at the body as a whole. Our bodies are made of many systems that depend on one another to function properly. When you describe your medical symptoms, a functional medicine provider will not consider them in isolation. They will look at the connections between them to find the root cause of the issue. A functional medicine provider will examine your diet, lab testing, health and family history, the way you sleep, environmental exposures, and more to identify the cause of your health issues.

In the pursuit of optimal health, functional medicine views illness and disease as imbalances within the system. Instead of relying on a conventional diagnosis, your treatment might include targeting and restoring imbalances within multiple areas of the body such as inflammation, gut health, removing exposures, improving detoxification pathways, and correcting nutritional deficiencies. With this approach, we eliminate symptoms by finding and treating the root cause of the issue. Your doctor might recommend supplements, changes to your diet, a new exercise routine, or other alternative care to correct the imbalances.

One way to manage your medical symptoms is to prevent them from happening in the first place. Conventional healthcare providers often only see patients when they are experiencing health issues. They wait until symptoms occur, then give treatments that only mask the symptoms. In functional medicine, we strive to create health, not wait for disease to occur. We also work towards identifying an imbalance before it becomes an illness or disease by tracking biomarkers. We also take the extra steps to discuss lifestyle changes that you can make to prevent an issue from happening in the first place.

Conversely, functional medicine emphasizes preventative care. Practices that take a functional medicine approach want patients to live their healthiest for as long as they can. One of the best ways to do that is to establish healthy habits that will benefit you in the long run. Your functional healthcare provider will work alongside you to determine areas of your health that can be improved, so you can prevent disease and chronic illnesses to get the most out of your life.

A functional medicine practice is a patient-first practice. While your average conventional doctor’s visit is typically about 15 minutes, a functional medicine visit is usually around 45-60 minutes. Long appointments allow the doctor to gather a deeper understanding of your medical symptoms and more time to formulate a comprehensive plan to treat you. With a patient-centered approach, you can work side-by-side to determine the best treatment plan that will help move you toward a healthier, happier life.

At Robinson MD, we practice functional medicine with a concierge approach. We believe everyone deserves to have access to the healthcare they need. That’s why we ensure our patients receive more time and access to their doctor, so they can have peace of mind and better health. You can experience better health too. We want to help you overcome your medical symptoms and live a long and healthy life. If you want to determine if our approach is right for you, take our Wellness Questionnaire.