What Is Functional Medicine?

At Wellspring Health in Daytona, we value our ability to address the root cause of various health issues in our clients so that we can provide the most complete health advice and solutions. In today’s post, we’ll take a look at what functional medicine is, and how it can help you achieve the health results you need. Call our office in Orange City, Daytona Beach, or Altamonte Springs to schedule an appointment and discover the benefits of functional medicine for yourself.

Functional Medicine is a form of internal medicine that looks for the underlying biochemical cause of disease. Functional medicine practitioners treat the whole person, instead of chasing symptom relief. Humans are made of complex body systems that all interact and affect one another. No one system can act on its own, which means that when there is a dysfunction with one system, it affects others. Doctors who are trained in functional medicine work to connect the dots or a person’s symptoms in order to get to the root cause and treat the whole person.

Why You Need Functional Medicine

Traditional medicine is focused on acute care and the diagnosis and treatment of trauma or illness that is more simple and short term. While this approach has its place, it doesn’t seek to prevent or treat diseases that are chronic and more complex. It’s important to take the genetic makeup of a client into account, as well as environmental factors, and lifestyle. The more complete the picture of your overall health is, the better your functional medicine doctor will be able to help you.

How Functional Medicine Is Different

Functional medicine utilizes an integrated approach to health-care. Doctors who practice functional medicine will spend time trying to better understand all of the factors that comprise your current health. From your medical history and physiology to your lifestyle and genetics, there are a number of items that can impact your health. By trying to ascertain the root cause of your illness or disease, rather than focusing on the symptoms, functional medicine could provide the solution by simply eliminating the problem.
 

Treat The Problem, Not The Symptoms

Modern medicine teaches us that a patient who has heartburn should seek symptom relief through antacid medication. While this will provide relief from your heartburn, it will only be temporary relief from the symptoms, and not a solution to the heartburn itself. If you are truly suffering from having too much stomach acid, then it would be beneficial to know how to treat that health condition rather than continually trying to get rid of the symptoms.

Negative Effects Of Treating Symptoms

What are the long-term effects of using an antacid medication? Your stomach produces acid for a reason — it is extremely important for the proper digestion and absorption of protein and other nutrients. Stomach acid is also important for killing bacteria and preventing infections. Long term use of antacid medications can lead to a variety of health problems and nutrient deficiencies. There are a number of different things which can cause the symptoms of heartburn, and only one of those is too much stomach acid. Wouldn’t it make more sense to find out the cause of your heartburn before taking a drug that’s potentially harmful?

Doctors of functional medicine utilize advanced diagnostic testing to find the true cause of dysfunction. Once the underlying cause has been discovered, patients receive a personalized treatment plan to address it and bring the body back to homeostasis — stable internal environment. Treatments for heartburn may include: diet, stress management, exercise, nutraceuticals, herbal medicine, and temporary use of prescription medication.

If you are suffering from chronic internal health conditions or are just feeling unwell, the Functional Medicine Providers of Wellspring Health may be able to help. Call our office in Orange City, Daytona Beach, or Altamonte Springs to schedule your appointment today.

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