08/07/2022
Conventional medicine is the medicine of WHAT — what disease, what pill. Functional medicine is the medicine of WHY — why is this symptom occurring now and in this way.
Functional medicine views the body as one integrated system, not a collection of independent organs divided up by medical specialties. It treats the whole system, not just the symptoms. Functional medicine is also patient-centered; it promotes health as a positive vitality, beyond just the absence of disease.
Functional medicine also considers the unique genetic makeup of each patient, along with both internal and external factors that affect total functioning. It also 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.
In a recent episode of The Doctor’s Farmacy, I spoke with Dr. Elizabeth Boham, Dr. Todd LePine, and Dr. George Papanicolaou about how patients miss out on true healing when the root cause of their symptoms is not addressed.
Listen here: https://bit.ly/3vowUQg
