The concept of “Naturopathic and Functional Medicine” springs from the idea that medical care is an act of integration, not separation. Instead of simply addressing different symptoms across separate areas, Naturopathic and Functional Medicine seeks to treat the issues that altogether affect the unified system of your body.

Functional Medicine practitioners spend time with their patients, listening to their histories and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease. In this way, Naturopathic and Functional Medicine supports the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual.

It is an evolution in the practice of medicine that better addresses the healthcare needs of the 21st century.  Our society is experiencing a sharp increase in the number of people who suffer from complex, chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer, mental illness, and autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis.

By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered approach, Naturopathic and Functional Medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of diagnoses or symptoms.

Functional Medicine and the  Difference

Functional medicine involves understanding the origins, prevention, and treatment of complex, chronic disease. Hallmarks of a functional medicine approach include:

• 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. By listening to the patient and learning his or her story, the practitioner brings the patient into the discovery process and tailors treatments that address the individual’s unique needs.

• An integrative, science-based healthcare approach. Functional Medicine practitioners look “upstream” to consider the complex web of interactions in the patient’s history, physiology, and lifestyle that can lead to illness. The unique genetic makeup of each patient is considered, along with both internal (mind, body, and spirit) and external (physical and social environment) factors that affect total functioning.

• Integrating best medical practices.  Functional Medicine integrates traditional Western medical practices with what is sometimes considered “alternative” or “integrative” medicine, creating a focus on prevention through nutrition, diet, and exercise; use of 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.