Functional Medicine Practitioners Near Me

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FAQs:

What is a Functional Medicine Practitioner?

A functional medicine practitioner is a practitioner that practices Functional Medicine. A functional medicine practitioner will have often undergone training at the Institute of Functional Medicine - the institute credited as the origin of functional medicine. Some practitioners combine the principles of Functional Medicine with the practice of orthodox medicine.

What is Functional Medicine?

Functional medicine is a form of alternative medicine that encompasses several unproven and disproven methods and treatments. Its proponents claim that it focuses on the "root causes" of diseases based on interactions between the environment and the gastrointestinal, endocrine, and immune systems to develop "individualized treatment plans. It has been described as pseudoscience, quackery, and at its essence a rebranding of complementary and alternative medicine.

In the United States, functional medicine practices have been ruled ineligible for course credits by the American Academy of Family Physicians because of concerns they may be harmful.

Functional medicine was created by Jeffrey Bland, who founded The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) in the early 1990s as part of one of his companies, HealthComm. IFM, which promotes functional medicine, became a registered non-profit in 2001. Later, Mark Hyman became a leading proponent.

What is the Difference Between Integrative Medicine and Functional Medicine?

Integrative medicine is the combination of traditional treatments and alternative therapies to treat the body with a holistic approach. Integrative medicine does not focus on just one physical health problem a patient has – it works to correct the mind, body, and spirit so the entire body heals. This broad approach to healing the entire person rather than just a single condition aims to make patients healthier and happier overall.

Integrative medicine addresses different aspects of a patient’s life such as physical, mental, social, emotional, and environmental influences that work together. When there are issues in one or more of these areas, health problems begin to happen. By approaching a person’s health problems through this lens, integrative medicine heals the whole body rather than just symptoms associated with a single health problem.

Examples of integrative medicine include detoxification therapies, medication reduction therapy, nutritional therapy (supplements, herbal medicines, naturopathic medicines), and regenerative medicine. These treatments work together with some traditional treatments to effectively treat a patient in a faster, more effective way.

Functional medicine is an approach that focuses on the optimal function of the body. This means helping the body function in the best way possible by focusing on efficiency in each organ of the body. Functional medicine understands that every individual is different – from genetics to biochemical makeup. Because of this, functional medicine has a personalized approach for each patient – with both diagnostics and treatment. This approach relies heavily on science-based research and testing to understand a patient’s unique needs.

Functional medicine works to correct problems in organs and the rest of the body using natural supplements wherever possible. While it does incorporate traditional medicine when necessary, functional medicine strives to use natural ways to fix health problems.

Functional medicine also heavily emphasizes lifestyle changes to fix health problems, such as diet, exercise, sleep patterns, stress levels, and other aspects of life. Examples of functional medicine include acupuncture, naturopathy, massage, chiropractic medicine, osteopathic medicine, body movement therapies, tai chi, and yoga.

Can Functional Medicine Treat Anxiety?

A Functional Medicine approach to anxiety seeks to identify imbalances in your biology, utilizing functional lab tests in conjunction with a comprehensive history to construct an effective individualized treatment plan. Whether in combination with conventional care or alone, Functional Medicine offers a targeted approach to treating anxiety by addressing an individual's nutritional status, physical movement, and stress management to overcome this condition.

If you struggle with anxiety, considering a Functional Medicine approach, in conjunction with any conventional treatments you're already using, is a wonderful way to move forward on your healing journey with a targeted and individualized plan.

Is Functional Medicine Science-Based?

Yes! Functional medicine treatments follow the same scientific guidelines as conventional medical treatments while taking a more patient-centered approach and offering science-backed alternative treatments.

These alternative practices are meant to help patients manage chronic conditions and improve their overall health. However, these alternative practices must be used appropriately and in a way that will facilitate the healing process. 

It’s important to remember that functional medicine practitioners do not accept alternative medicine unquestioningly or without scientific evidence. Functional medicine practices are rooted in science and supported by research.

When Should I See a Functional Medicine Practitioner?

It may be helpful to see a functional medicine practitioner when you:

- are experiencing symptoms of a chronic condition, or receive a diagnosis for a chronic condition, and want to get to the root cause of your condition 

- want to incorporate science-based alternative medicine into your life to help you manage the disease 

- want guidance from a healthcare professional in making lifestyle changes that will help you live a healthy life

Does Functional Medicine Work?

Put simply, Functional Medicine does work. However, it does not have a 100% success rate - just like many other modalities. The effectiveness of Functional Medicine treatment is dependent on factors such as:

The comprehensiveness of patient information: Functional medicine is a patient-centered approach. Available patient information before treatment, therefore, significantly affects the results of the treatment. The more comprehensive the patient history is, the better-crafted treatment regimens are.

The willingness of the patient to change: The degree to which the patient is willing to adhere to treatment plans - basic or advanced - is another factor that influences treatment outcome.

Relationship between patient and practitioner: There must be the right fit between the practitioner and the client. In other words, both sides must have the right degree of trust and sense of responsibility.

The patients’ condition: How we define “work” is important. Though not all conditions are amenable to cure or full resolution, most patients find that their health,  well-being, and quality of life have great scope for improvement. 

In conclusion, functional medicine's patient-centered approach seeks to answer the question "why", in addition to "what" and "how". This makes all the difference for many clients in their pursuit of good health and causes better patient outcomes. It also lessens the strain from spiking treatment costs for chronic diseases.

Who Will Benefit from Functional Medicine?

This approach to modern medicine is ideal for anyone seeking a holistic, body-centric approach to healthcare. It’s the perfect option for families and individuals seeking to improve their general wellness without an excess of medication. It’s also a powerful tool for those living with chronic illnesses who have been unable to achieve sustainable results with traditional medicine.

Finally, this approach is an excellent way to identify and work on preventing future health issues; you can share your personal or family health history and, in addition, your doctor can run labs which can provide you with even more information and ensure that your day-to-day routine is the best possible lifestyle for your body and health.

How Much Does Functional Medicine Cost?

As with every discipline, the cost of functional medicine treatments varies. The cost per appointment varies between an average of $150-$500.

Practitioners generally charge more in larger cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York and less in places with less of a demand for alternative medicine.

However, when compared to the long-term costs of illness, functional medicine may be a bargain. Instead of struggling to pay yearly deductibles and prescription costs for the rest of your life, seeing a functional medicine provider over a year and treating the root of your illness can reduce your dependence on prescriptions and procedures and can save you money in the long term as well as add healthy years to your life.

Does Insurance Cover Functional Medicine?

In most cases, no, functional medicine is not covered by insurance. However, some functional practitioners work with practitioners who can bill insurance companies for some tests.

Health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts are tax-free options to help pay for alternative treatments such as functional medicine. Many functional medicine practitioners offer payment and wellness plans to help make appointments more easily accessible.

The History of Functional Medicine

In the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, people began looking for alternatives to conventional medicine. “Natural medicine” entered the American lexicon, and the focus turned to a more holistic approach.

In 1971, however, Jeffrey Bland, an assistant professor of chemistry and environmental science at the University of Puget Sound, studied vitamin E and discovered that it protects the body’s red blood cells from the effects of aging.

Bland probably didn’t know at the time that he was about to change the trajectory of modern medicine forever.

By the 1980s, medical providers were using Dr. Bland’s studies to further test amino acid levels, fatty acids, toxic metals, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and hormones to spot disease progression.

With this information, they could personalize treatments with nutrition, supplements, and exercise, and they were getting outstanding results.

5 Basic Principles that Define Functional Medicine

1. Functional Medicine views us all as being different; genetically and biochemically unique. This personalized health care treats the individual, not the disease. It supports the normal healing mechanisms of the body, naturally, rather than attacking disease directly.

2. Functional Medicine is deeply science-based. The latest research shows us that what happens within us is connected in a complicated network or web of relationships. Understanding those relationships allows us to see deep into the functioning of the body.

3. Your body is intelligent and has the capacity for self-regulation, which expresses itself through a dynamic balance of all your body systems.

4. Your body can heal and prevent diseases related to aging.

5. Health is not just the absence of disease, but a state of immense vitality.

The Four Pillars to Functional Medicine

These four pillars represent the basics of our philosophy and expertise. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics provides information on the distinguishing characteristics of our practice.

NUTRITION 

Optimal health and well-being are achieved through sensible, wholesome nutrition.  Your eating style affects your genetic, cellular, and functional capabilities.  Without dieting, shifts in your diet can stimulate weight control while reducing disease risk and your need for medications. Decades of success stories and scientific reasoning support our principles of what, when, and how much to eat. We partner with you to design your personalized eating plan, targeting your priorities and medical concerns. It is paced to fit your abilities and changes as you do.  Our objective is to use food, nutrition, and physiological transformation to support inherent change.

FITNESS

To maximize your health, longevity, and weight control potential, activity is crucial.  How it's done determines its impact. Transformation of metabolism, body composition, and physiology are essential for lasting changes.  Together, we design a comfortable, practical fitness program that starts where you're comfortably capable and advances so you're ready to elevate your results.  Vitality, disease prevention, fitness, weight management, quality of life, and self-esteem are all bolstered. 

BEHAVIOR

Diets don't work. Behavioral transformations do.  We help you cultivate the new mindsets, skill sets, choices, and health-based habits that are essential for long-term success.  Learning the merits and practice of mindfulness helps you discern emotional from physical hunger and fullness. Self-understanding, self-compassion, self-trust, self-confidence, and positive self-perceptions are traits you'll adopt along the way, liberating you from the struggles that once ruled your world.  The approach that we personalize for you becomes who you are.  Set for life.

LIFESTYLE 

"Self-care" is not "selfish".  Lifestyle factors should be shaped to support your goals.  This entails incorporating "self-care" principles into your daily routines to assure greater success with enhanced health, weight, fitness, and longevity.  It is incumbent upon you to be discerning and deliberate in how your lifestyle is fashioned: how you use your time, energy, attention, finances, and with whom you spend your time. We help you rework your lifestyle to create the positive changes you crave.

Conditions that Functional Medicine Treats

Functional medicine can help people with chronic health conditions, including autoimmunity, neurological conditions, hormonal disorders, cardiovascular conditions, digestive issues, and skin disorders. It can also be used in acute settings such as viral infections like COVID-19.

Some health concerns elude diagnosis, yet an in-depth understanding of human biology and pathophysiology can be helped by following signs, and symptoms and using clinical tools like functional testing to pinpoint and address potential root causes of dysfunction.​

The many chronic diseases or health challenges that functional medicine can help with include:

- Anxiety

- Asthma and allergies

- Autoimmunity - diagnosed and undiagnosed

- Brain and mood disorders

- Cardiovascular disease

- Children’s Health

- Chronic fatigue

- Chronic pain

- Compromised immunity

- Diabetes

- Digestive disorders - diagnosed and undiagnosed

- Graves’ Disease

- Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

- Hormonal imbalance

- Hypertension

- Infertility

- Insomnia

- Long COVID

- Menopause

- Metabolic dysfunction

- Obesity

- Recurrent infections e.g. Chronic UTIs, thrush

- Skin conditions: eg Psoriasis, acne, eczema

- Thyroid disorders

- Viral infections e.g. COVID-19, Shingles, Epstein Barr virus

- Women’s health e.g. PMS, PCOS, period pain, and irregular periods

People with seemingly unrelated symptoms that don’t fit neatly into a specific category or condition can also benefit from the functional medicine approach. A perfect example is Izabella, who had bloating and diarrhea, as well as thyroid and autoimmune issues, which we often see in our clinic.

Many people in this situation are confused about which practitioner or specialist they need to see. With the functional medicine approach, practitioners can help by taking a 360° view of their health to determine what’s going on in their bodies, and why. In many cases, while symptoms can seem disparate and unconnected, often the same causes or contributing factors are at play, and through a thorough understanding of the interconnectedness of systems in the human body, symptoms that seem disconnected suddenly make sense.

Other people who benefit from functional medicine are those in good health who want to prevent disease, extend their lives, or optimize their health now, such as elite athletes, biohackers, high-performance seekers, and optimal health enthusiasts.

Benefits of Functional Medicine

Functional medicine is a relatively new practice that uses a different approach and model for preventing and managing complex and chronic illnesses. This practice finds the hidden causes of disease through patient-practitioner engagement, which allows the practitioner to find the most effective treatment method for your illness. The following is just a snapshot of the interesting benefits that you can expect from this new method of medicine.

1. Personalized Focus

Functional medicine is a health approach in which the patient and the practitioner work together to find out the causes of the disease. In this practice, the healthcare provider examines your unique history, environment, lifestyle, and underlying factors to develop a health-enhancing plan to restore you to good health.

2. Broad-Based

This form of medicine combines traditional medicine with multiple alternative treatment approaches. While this approach acknowledges the strengths of conventional medicine for severe illnesses, it also recognizes that this practice doesn’t have the tools to manage chronic conditions. Unlike conventional physicians, functional medicine practitioners tap into all the tools of healing to assist their patients’ recovery from chronic diseases. By combining multiple approaches and paying special attention to diet, exercise, nutrition, and the workings of the mind, this approach can provide you with the tools needed to attain sustainable wellness and vitality.

3. True Healthcare

Unlike the disease care model of conventional medicine, the functional approach provides with you a better approach to healthcare. Practitioners using this approach incorporate multiple factors, such as lifestyle, supplements, diet, stress reduction, exercise, and nutrition, to improve the functioning of your organs as a means of preventing illness and creating vibrant, sustainable health.

4. Focuses on the Underlying Causes

In the conventional treatment approach, healthcare practitioners try to make a diagnosis and then apply medicine for that specific diagnosis. However, in this new approach, practitioners are less concerned with making a diagnosis and are more focused on the underlying dysfunctions or imbalances. The underlying causes are the mechanisms of a disease, which are often overlooked by the conventional treatment approach. Practitioners using the functional approach aim to address those underlying disease-causing mechanisms and ultimately offer you a long-lasting solution to your illness.

What to Expect Before, During, and After Functional Therapy Appointment

A functional medicine visit is a valuable opportunity to explore and understand your health and develop a plan that contributes to optimum well-being. However, you may be wondering what to expect in this appointment. Here is a before, during, and after a guide to help you prepare for, navigate, and maximize your first functional medicine visit.

Before Your Visit

Before your first functional medicine visit, it’s important to take some steps to prepare. This will help ensure that your appointment goes as smoothly as possible and you get the most out of it.

Here are some things you can do in advance:

1. Research The Practitioner

There are many functional medicine practitioners today, but it’s ideal to choose one who’s certified in this field or a certified clinic like the Center For Functional Medicine. Read reviews online and ask for recommendations from friends or family who have experience with functional medicine.

2. Gather Information

Before your first functional medicine visit, you should gather as much relevant information as possible. This will help you have a productive appointment and provide your healthcare provider with the information they need to make an accurate diagnosis.

One of the most vital pieces of information to bring to your visit is your medical history. This should include a list of medications you’re currently taking and had previously taken, and any past or present medical conditions or illnesses. It should also include information about any allergies or sensitivities, as well as your family’s medical history.

It’s a good idea to write down all the symptoms you’re experiencing and any concerns about your health. This will help you remember everything you want to discuss with your functional medicine practitioner and ensure that you remember everything noteworthy. If you have any information from previous medical tests or visits, bring these to the appointment. They include laboratory results and imaging studies, among others.

3. Prepare Questions

Preparing a list of questions you can ask your healthcare provider is also essential. This will ensure anything unclear to you will be answered.

- Consider asking these questions:

- What’s the root cause of my condition?

- What tests do I need to undergo?

- What lifestyle changes do you recommend to help improve my health? What side effects should I expect from them?

- Are there aspects of my diet that I need to change?

- What treatment options are available?  Do they have any side effects?

- You can ask anything that concerns your present health condition.

4. Consider Keeping A Food Journal

Functional medicine practitioners often focus on the role of diet and nutrition in your overall health. Keeping a food journal for a week or two before your visit can give your doctor valuable insights into your eating habits and help them identify any potential dietary imbalances.

5. Prepare For A Longer Visit

Functional medicine appointments are typically longer than traditional ones, lasting anywhere from 60-90 minutes. Make sure to clear your schedule and plan for some extra time. 

As part of your preparation, there are a few things you should avoid doing. These include:

- Diagnosing Yourself

Avoid self-diagnosing or self-prescribing any treatments or supplements. It’s critical to remember that functional medicine is an emerging field, and it is best to leave the diagnosis and treatment to your doctor.

- Doing Major Changes In Your Life

Second, avoid making any major lifestyle changes before your visit. While these can benefit your overall health, alterations made too close to your visit can interfere with the results of any tests your doctor orders.

- Idea Of Bringing Distractions

Finally, avoid bringing anything with you that could be considered a distraction. You can bring a friend or family member with you, but it’s not a good idea to bring any disruptive devices.

Steering clear of the above practices will help your functional medicine practitioner create the most suitable treatment plan for you and ensures you have a productive and successful appointment.

During Your Visit

During your first functional medicine visit, your practitioner will take the time to evaluate your health and develop a personalized treatment plan thoroughly. Here’s what to expect and do:

1. Comprehensive Evaluation

You need to expect a comprehensive health assessment. Your doctor will likely start by asking you a series of questions to get a better understanding of your medical history and current health status. Such queries will revolve around your diet, lifestyle, family medical history, and more. This assessment aims to identify any underlying causes of your current health issues, as well as potential treatment options that’d be suitable for you.
 

2.  You May Undergo Additional Testing

Depending on your specific health concerns, your practitioner may recommend additional testing. They may require you to undergo blood, urine or saliva, or other diagnostic tests. These examinations can help your practitioner identify any underlying imbalances or deficiencies contributing to your symptoms.

3. Your Practitioner Will Develop A Personalized Treatment Plan

Your doctor will develop a treatment plan based on the information gathered during your appointment and after additional testing. This plan may include recommendations for dietary and lifestyle changes, supplements, and other natural therapies to help address the root cause of your symptoms and restore balance to your body.

4. You’ll Have The Opportunity To Ask Questions

Your functional medicine practitioner will likely provide you with a lot of information during your visit. But, be bold to ask questions and have the doctor clarify anything you don’t understand. They’d be more than willing to shed light on any relevant matter.

5. Write Things Down

It can be difficult to remember all of the information discussed in a functional medicine visit. Writing down notable information and remarks throughout the assessment can help ensure you remember all the important points. So, it’s a great idea to bring a notebook to the appointment so that you can take notes.

6. Stay Involved

Functional medicine is a team effort, so it’s important to stay involved throughout the process. This means you have to actively collaborate with the practitioner to make mutual decisions about your treatment plan. You also need to keep track of your progress and let your practitioner know if you’re having any issues.

Functional medicine aims to create a personalized treatment plan that best suits your needs. Follow the tips above to make the most out of your first visit.

After Your Appointment

After your functional medicine visit, you’ll have your treatment plan ready. However, there are a few things you need to implement to ensure you get the most benefit from it. These include the following:

1.  Follow The Plan

Once you have a plan, it’s important to follow it down to the last detail. This may include changes to your diet, such as incorporating more whole, unprocessed foods and reducing your intake of processed and refined options. It may also include increasing your physical activity and incorporating stress-reduction techniques, such as meditation or yoga.

These lifestyle changes can help support your doctor’s work and your overall health. It’s crucial to remember that functional medicine isn’t a quick fix but a long-term approach to healthcare that focuses on achieving and maintaining optimal health.

2. Don’t Forget The Follow-Up Visits

Follow-up visits are an essential part of the functional medicine process. This is when your practitioner will review the results of any tests they’ve ordered and discuss any changes you need to make to improve your health.

During this visit, your practitioner will also discuss any additional tests or treatments that may be necessary. Your practitioner may also make changes to your health plan depending on your current progress.

3.  Expect Continued Support

Your functional medicine practitioner will continue to provide support and guidance throughout your treatment. They’ll be available to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Remember that your functional medicine journey doesn’t end after your first visit. It’s a continuous process that you should be willing to undergo. Don’t miss any of your follow-up visits and be in constant communication and collaboration with your doctor.

How is Functional Medicine Different than Conventional Medicine?

Functional medicine has a lot of overlap with conventional medicine. They are based on the same understanding of how the body works, and how bodily systems are connected and work together. Where they differ is that conventional medicine is primarily a disease-based model and functional medicine is a health-focused model. This means that to receive treatment in conventional medicine, you must have a disease process that meets set criteria and is measurable through conventional means such as lab testing and imaging. If your symptoms are not able to be assessed and explained with conventional testing, you are often told “There is nothing wrong with you, we don’t know why you feel terrible all the time.”

Functional medicine takes a different approach. It looks deeper to find the root cause of your symptoms. A functional medicine practitioner may, or may not use specialized lab testing to gather more information about your symptoms, but we also investigate environmental causes, hidden infections, nutrient deficiencies, hormone imbalances, chronic stressors, and more. Functional medicine practitioners typically spend significantly more time one-on-one with their patients, getting to know their health history and the story of how they got to be where they are. There is often a lot of patient education involved as we unravel the WHY behind your symptoms, and help you make lifestyle changes to reverse them.

Conventional medicine tends to use medication, surgery, and other invasive methods as first-line therapies. Functional Medicine considers these options only when they are necessary and aims to use natural, less invasive treatment to restore the patient’s health.

How is Functional Medicine Different?

- Patient-Centered Care. The focus of functional medicine is on patient-centered care; promoting health as a positive vitality, beyond just the absence of disease.

- An integrative, science-based health care approach. Functional medicine looks “upstream” to consider the complex web of interactions in the patient’s history, physiology, and lifestyle that can lead to illness.

- Integrating best medical practices. Functional Medicine integrates traditional Western medical practices with what are sometimes considered “alternative” or “integrative” medicine, creating a focus on prevention through nutrition, diet, and exercise. Functional Medicine also uses the latest laboratory testing and other diagnostic techniques; and prescribed combinations of drugs and/or botanical medicines, supplements, therapeutic diets, detoxification programs, or stress-management techniques.

 

Why is Functional Medicine Important?

As a society, we are experiencing a sharp increase in the number of people who suffer from complex, chronic diseases (diabetes, heart disease, cancer, mental illness, and autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis).

- The system of medicine practiced by most physicians is oriented toward acute care. Unfortunately, the acute-care approach to medicine lacks the proper methodology and tools for preventing and treating complex, chronic diseases.

- There’s a huge gap between research and the way doctors practice.

- Most physicians are not adequately trained to assess the underlying causes of complex, chronic diseases and apply strategies such as nutrition, diet, and exercise to treat and prevent these illnesses in their patients.

How to Find a Functional Medicine Practitioner

The most common and easiest way to find a functional medicine practitioner is via a Google search. Often, practitioners will update their websites to have the keywords functional medicine appear on their page, so Google can search engine optimize them when you are looking for them.

The good news is that you don't have to be in the same city as the provider to get an appointment. So if you find one during your search that treats your specific medical condition but isn't in your zip code, reach out to them to see if they offer telehealth services.

Many practitioners have telehealth privileges in multiple states and can do full intakes, lab requests, and follow-ups this way.

Things to Consider

When looking for a functional medicine practitioner, you want to ensure you are doing your homework. Make sure they are comfortable working with your condition. Feel free to call or send them a message on their website to get a general overview of who they are and how they treat them. Some practitioners are comfortable treating everything, and others will specialize. Make sure you are finding your perfect fit.

What if They Aren't Certified?

There are many routes to functional medicine. Many practitioners will get certified in Functional Medicine; some specialize in only one area and focus on continuous education training. Others will "shadow" another functional medicine practitioner and learn on the job. One is not better than the other, and all three ways ensure the provider has a comprehensive background in this field. When reaching out to them, asking about their experience, specialty, and training is ok and expected.

 

Sources:

Rupa Health

MFM

Wikipedia

Bridges Healing Centers

MBG Health

Integrative Physio

Medical Transformation Center

Health Works Collective

Ancient Fern

TLC

Eat Well Daily

 

The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete, or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 (in the United States) immediately.