Functional Medicine
“A healthy life is not defined by the absence of disease, but rather by the presence of vitality with a balanced physical and mental well-being.”“
Functional medicine is a personalized and integrative approach to healthcare that addresses the root causes of chronic conditions. This approach is different from the existing conventional model that merely treats the symptoms with chronic prescriptions. According to the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM, USA), which is considered the gold standard of training in the field, functional medicine is defined as “a personalised, patient-centered, science-based approach that empowers patients and practitioners to work together to address the root causes of disease.
Functional medicine does not reject conventional (standard) medicine; instead, it uses conventional medicine as a foundation on which to add new elements in the assessment, management, and prevention of chronic conditions, always finding and treating the root cause.
Why Is Functional Medicine Needed?
Society is experiencing a dramatic rise in the number of people suffering from complex, chronic conditions that affect their everyday lives, functioning, and well-being. The conventional approach implies that the patient’s problems are permanent and that their symptoms must be controlled with a lifetime of ever-increasing prescriptions. However, in today’s society, people need a new approach that embraces their healing by addressing the root cause of the problems rather than perpetually treating only their symptoms. Functional medicine provides that approach. This evolution in the medical approach better addresses 21st-century healthcare needs.
Integrative, Personalised, And Patient-Centered Approach
- Functional medicine is not only helping to reverse the health issue, but it helps the patient attain proper prevention of any health concern. We achieve that by understanding that any function in our body results from the interaction of our genetics and the environment. We use this information to identify the root cause of the health concern, including triggers such as poor diet, stress, toxins, and allergens and contributing factors such as sleep disturbance, personal relationships, emotional well-being, exercise habits, etc.
- In a patient-cantered approach, functional medicine addresses the whole person – not just their symptom, unlike the conventional medicine, which is a disease- cantered model. The functional medicine doctor and patient become active partners, allowing the patient to be in control of improving their health by understanding the root cause of their health issue.
- Functional medicine analyses each individual’s genetic predispositions and lifestyle circumstances, finding what each individual should change to reverse the health issue. We call this method Personalised Functional Medicine. It expands doctors’ “toolbox” beyond pharmaceuticals and surgery. Functional medicine interventions include botanicals, supplements, nutritional interventions, exercise plans, detoxification programs, and stress management techniques- all supported by research.
Reasons to See a Functional Medicine Doctor
You have a chronic health issue and want to reverse it
Functional medicine is well competent in treating chronic illnesses. Functional medicine doctors will find the root causes of chronic health problems instead of treating the symptoms and use functional medicine interventions.
You want a personalized experience
Functional medicine addresses each person individually. Using different methods than a conventional medical doctor (“one size fits all”), a functional medicine doctor will help you figure out which specific treatments are right specifically for you. It involves genetic testing and taking the history of your lifestyle circumstances, psychological, emotional influences, etc.
You are seeking a more natural approach
Unlike conventional medicine, which uses chronic prescriptions, functional medicine doctors prescribe functional interventions like botanicals, supplements, nutritional interventions, exercise plans, detoxification programs, stress management techniques, meditation, etc.
You want to prevent health problems and achieve an optimal health
If you do not have a chronic health condition, you can still request functional medicine to balance your health and prevent any health issues in a personalized way. This approach can be done for the whole family, including children, as prevention is better than cure in the long run.
Find Dr. Sly Nedic – A certified Functional Medicine practitioner, on: