What is Functional Medicine? How does it differ from a Conventional Medicine approach?
A Conventional Medicine approach typically treats the symptoms once a diagnosis of outright disease has been made. Often medications will be used to temper the symptoms, but the causes of the conditions often are not directly addressed. Traditional medical training does not typically focus on nutrition, but dramatic improvements using nutritional therapies to strengthen the very foundation of our physiology result when we bring our nutritional status back into balance. Because most physicians do not have the extensive amount of time it takes to educate, motivate and empower patients to make the nutrition and lifestyle changes necessary to restore their health, Optimal Health Solutions unique services can offer you a new beginning.
Functional Medicine is not disease-focused. In other words, it is not about what the disease/condition is, it is about finding out why the person has that disease or health issues. A functional medicine approach looks at the whole person. It embraces the fact that we each have our own unique biochemical individuality. This approach assesses how your genetics, history, individual physiology, environmental factors, and your lifestyle choices have worked together to trigger the "causes" of your symptoms. A functional medicine clinician has advanced training in the science of systems biology and bringing the body back into balance so that it can heal itself.
Functional Medicine offers unique methodologies and tools to help treat the complex web of chronic disease states such as diabetes, heart disease and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. It assesses the interaction of the imbalances between body systems, identifies the root causes, and works to correct them through functional nutritional therapies. Optimal nutritional status forms the foundation of health, and whole-body wellness is supported through integrative lifestyle change.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability in the U.S. These illnesses are responsible for 7 of every 10 deaths, affect the quality of life of 90 million Americans, and consume 78% of all health care expenditures. Because a wide variety of these conditions are caused by unhealthy lifestyle habits, national clinical guidelines for their management advocate a multifactorial lifestyle approach designated “therapeutic lifestyle changes” or “TLC.”
How Do We Help You?
Functional Medicine is ALL about YOU! We use an individualized medicine model when creating your program. No other person has had the same combination of factors as you affecting them throughout their lifetime. We spend a significant amount of time putting the pieces of your puzzle together... and then we treat the "causes" and not just the symptoms.
If you want to turn back the hands of time and feel like the person you were meant to be again, you owe it to yourself to let us partner with you in the journey back!
Feeling sick and tired day in and day out is no way to live. Restoring balance and vitality will affect every aspect of your being. Wouldn't it be wonderful to wake up in the morning feeling energetic and full of passion for life again?
We identify: the WHAT – what is happening in your body; the WHY – uncovering the root causes and triggers; the HOW – of what needs to be done to support your healing and the steps you need to take to get there...all put together in your personalized plan.
Whether you are being proactive, or have outright disease, this system optimizes your health. Using your unique story (history) and the foundations of Functional and Lifestyle medicine, we partner with you to optimize your health! LIVE the life you truly want to live..... healthy, happy and strong!
"The privilege of a life time is being who you are." Joseph Campbell
I had major gas pains which were all the way up into my chest. Sometimes it was unbearable to even move. I have been so miserable and having a hard time existing and living my everyday life.
Then I found Nancy. She has given me my life back. I am happy! So happy! I am calm and not so easy to fly off the handle. I can live in the moment. I started running again. I lost 10 lbs. No stomach ache, no gas or diarrhea. I feel great! I had no idea how food could have related so much to all of these issues or had so much control over my body.”
Nancy’s Wellness Blog