Functional Medicine: What You Need to Know to Help Find a Doctor
Learn how functional medicine can be an integral part of your
healthcare journey.
You finally have an answer. You haven't been feeling like yourself for a while. And in the midst of all the doctor’s visits and lab tests, you keep telling yourself you're not crazy.
But if you're honest, it's been so long that you’re starting to wonder if the dis-ease is all in your head.
Your lab tests keep coming back normal. The doctor is kind, but all he wants to do is give you a pill for the pain. You need relief, but there has to be a better answer. You want to know what's making you feel so horrible.
Because you feel so alone and don’t know what else to do. You know there has to be another way.
You’ve tried the pills prescribed, but the side effects were awful. You don’t know what’s worse, the pain or the side effects. You go back to your doctor and explain again how you feel. But now it seems like he isn’t listening anymore and offers a different set of pills.
There has to be something more, but what? It's the 21st century, for crying out loud!
You take to the internet and start searching Google. And in your search, you see functional medicine scattered throughout the pages.
But what is functional medicine?
Is it effective?
Is it backed by science?
And if it's not covered by insurance, is it really worth spending the money?
These are the many questions that are frequently asked by my patients at Denver Sports and Holistic Medicine.
In this week's blog, I’ll explain what functional medicine is and how to find a functional medicine doctor that’s right for you.
What Is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine looks at the body as a system using a biology-based approach. When the “system” is balanced, a person will experience optimal health. But to achieve this balance, the body must be treated holistically.
This means a functional medicine doctor will review and treat your symptoms as well as find the root cause of them.
This approach looks at your health from multiple dimensions, including:
Your environment
Your nutrition
Your lifestyle
Your genetics
A functional medicine approach looks at all the systems of the body and how they interact with one another. And what outside factors may be impacting your health.
If you're wondering whether this approach is backed by science, the simple answer is yes.
The functional medicine model utilizes research in:
Nutrition science
Genomics
Epigenetics
Most importantly, functional medicine views the patient as a human being. And not the disease that's ailing them.
Doesn’t it seem that all healthcare should be like this?
In fact, functional medicine is called “21st-century medicine” with its mission to “empower optimal wellness.” Placing a strong emphasis on lifestyle factors that impact one’s health.
Factors like:
Sleep
Exercise
Nutrition
Stress
Relationships
Behaviors(1)
These factors and more aim to provide treatment to the whole person, not just the part that is unwell.
Where Conventional Medicine Falls Short
Conventional medicine has a place. If you break your leg, you need to go to the emergency room. Does your leg need a cast, or do you need surgery to repair it?
If you've suffered an acute injury of any kind, whether it be a:
Fall
Sudden illness
Traumatic injury
Sudden onset of unexplainable symptoms
Conventional medicine is the place to start.
Functional medicine can provide a comprehensive approach to your treatment. Especially when you need to treat a chronic illness such as diabetes, autoimmune diseases, hormonal imbalances, digestive issues and other illnesses.
All too often, conventional medicine treats the symptoms of the disease and not the person itself. In healthcare, you’re often referred to as the person with diabetes or the person with hypothyroidism.
Conventional medicine often uses algorithms to help healthcare providers treat the symptoms of patients.
It also focuses on the symptoms of the disease rather than investigating further and addressing the root cause of them.
Often conventional medical doctors don’t have the time or knowledge to dive deeper. This can lead you down a rabbit hole of seeing specialist after specialist, adding to the increased cost of healthcare.
And way too often, conventional medicine is dictated by insurance coverage and pharmaceutical companies.
Often patients pursuing conventional medicine will only receive a treatment if it's covered by insurance companies. This can happen even when there’s a more effective treatment available with fewer side effects.
Conventional medicine is a reactive approach to healthcare. It's the place you go to treat the symptoms of your disease, not the place you go to optimize your health.
Functional medicine, on the other hand, provides a whole-body patient-centered approach. And provides in-depth services to identify the root cause of your symptoms.
A functional medicine doctor uses lab testing to help identify dysfunction within the body. They also take a look at your environment and lifestyle choices, such as diet, activity level, sleep, emotional and mental health and other related factors.
They’re able to approach your health by combining modern and traditional medicines, such as providing functional lab testing and offering traditional treatments, including acupuncture, manual techniques, and injection therapies.
A functional medicine doctor not only looks at treating the disease but also provides interventions to prevent further disease and dysfunction.
But how do you know if you’ve found the right doctor?
How to Find the Right Functional Medicine Doctor
There are many healthcare providers who choose to further specialize in functional and holistic medicine.
Titles you may come across in your search include:
Medical doctor, MD
Doctor of Osteopathy, DO
Nurse Practitioner, NP
Doctor of Chiropractic, DC
Naturopathic Doctor, ND(2)
Licenced Acupuncturist, LAc
Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, DACM
No matter what the title is, it's imperative you find a functional medicine doctor licensed by the state they're practicing in and credentialed by their national board of certification.
Education matters. Looking at the educational background of any healthcare provider will help you identify their area of expertise and know if they're right for you.
Like conventional medicine, functional medicine doctors often specialize in specific areas such as gastrointestinal issues, hormonal imbalances, mold exposure, and sports medicine. However, they consider the interconnectedness of the body’s systems.
They can specialize in specific interventions, including red light therapy, ozone therapy, acupuncture, prolotherapy, and more.
It's important to do your research before scheduling an appointment with a functional medicine doctor. Often they offer a free consultation to give you an idea of what it'll be like to work with them.
But what if you can't find a doctor near you?
Thanks to the recent pandemic, many functional medicine doctors now offer telemedicine visits and health coaching to help guide you in managing your pain or chronic disease and optimize your health.
Managing chronic dis-ease and pain can be overwhelming.
Looking for the right healthcare provider is often confusing as you navigate titles and abbreviations at the end of their name – and sort through unfamiliar services.
But it doesn't have to be like this. Taking small steps to improve your health, managing your chronic disease, and continuing to ask questions can be effective starting points in your health journey.
Find the Expertise You Need at Denver Sports and Holistic Medicine
In your search for a functional medicine doctor, make sure to consider Dr. Martina Sturm at Denver Sports and Holistic Medicine.
Whether you're in the Denver area or are interested in telemedicine, she’ll help guide you in pursuing your optimal health.
“Denver Sports and Holistic Medicine’s mission is to guide you in your journey of optimizing your health within a caring, supportive, and empowering environment.”(3)
Dr. Martina Sturm provides a truly integrative approach. She uses the best in functional medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Western Biomedicine to create a treatment plan completely tailored to you.
She provides an in-depth review of your medical history, your lifestyle, your environment, recent lab testing, and nutrition to get to the root cause of what's ailing you.
Sign up for a free 15-minute consultation to hear how Dr. Martina can guide you in optimizing your health. You don’t deserve band-aid fixes, it’s time to get to the root and begin your health journey.
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