Skip to main content

How Functional and Conventional Medicine Differ

More people are gaining an interest in functional medicine, which is gradually increasing in popularity because of a more health-conscious population.

We live in an era where information is more readily accessible than ever. Moreover, people are taking more ownership and responsibility for their health.

Consequently, functional medicine has increasingly become mainstream as an evidence-based and scientific substitute for the approach to disease and symptoms. Here are the differences between conventional and functional medicine.

Conventional versus Functional Medicine

Conventional medicine mainly recognizes the symptoms you're experiencing and uses the same symptoms to identify an illness and develop a treatment plan. This plan often entails finding the appropriate pharmaceuticals that will decrease the symptoms.

On the other hand, functional medicine centers on establishing the root cause of the symptoms. In this case, the symptoms function as clues for establishing the underlying issues that are generating the symptoms.

At the Osteopathic Center for Healing, we examine the underlying sources, not merely the symptoms. With the use of superior diagnostic testing, scientific principles, and various forms of treatments, we seek to restore balance in our patients' physiological processes, resulting in optimal health.   

Treating the person versus symptoms

Today's health care model uses medication to eliminate symptoms. Therefore, if you discontinue the medication, the symptoms usually return.

At our center, we approach medical issues differently. Rather than mask the issue, we seek to restore the natural functioning of our patients’ bodies. Although we might prescribe pharmaceuticals, they seek to nudge our patients' physiology in a positive way so they won't need them any longer.

It's important to keep in mind that treatment for comparable symptoms might vary considerably for various patients according to their laboratory tests and medical history. Factors that contribute to similar symptoms include pathogenic bacteria, parasites, and toxic chemicals.

Doctor collaboration

Functional medicine allows patients to collaborate with the physician to develop a treatment plan that will eliminate or decrease the patient's present health issues and help prevent the development of new ones in the future.

At the Osteopathic Center for Healing, we don't mask the problem or treat a single part of the problem. Instead, we treat the issue as a whole and develop an action plan. Some of the functional therapies we offer include hormone balancing and acupuncture.

Establishing the source of the problem

Conventional medicine merely examines individual symptoms and presumes that they're related to various body parts. Functional medicine permits you and the physician to examine the symptoms to establish the affected systems in your body.

Since holistic medicine won't assign medications for every individual symptom, we'll be in a position to examine your symptoms as a whole to unearth the root source of the problem. By getting to the root source, we can eliminate or decrease numerous symptoms.

The principles of functional medicine

Functional medicine may differ from patient to patient, but it seeks to focus on these basic principles.

Personalization

Functional medicine perceives people as unique individuals with their physiological and genetic makeup. Everyone has different stressors, toxic, and environmental exposures as well as numerous underlying factors that affect our health status.

Functional medicine is a one-on-one partnership between the practitioner and patient. Moreover, it seeks to attain a lasting path to wellness.

It's science-based

This form of medicine is deeply rooted in science. Therefore, it uses a new framework for evaluating predisposition, hormone variations, and metabolic functions, allowing for a more tailored therapy.

Functional medicine redefines disease treatment by focusing on the mechanism and cause rather than merely the illness label.

If you're seeking a facility that adopts a holistic treatment approach, just contact the Osteopathic Center for Healing and schedule an appointment.

You Might Also Enjoy...

 I Have Deep Nasolabial Folds. Can You Help?

I Have Deep Nasolabial Folds. Can You Help?

Nearly everyone has some part of their appearance they consider flawed. What you may not realize is that we can correct some such flaws fairly easily. Here, we consider marionette lines, or nasolabial folds.
Relieve Osteoarthritis with Prolotherapy

Relieve Osteoarthritis with Prolotherapy

Prolotherapy is a minimally invasive alternative treatment for soft tissue damage, including the kind of damage you experience when you have osteoarthritis. The treatment has few side effects and is very effective for some people.
3 Innovative Treatments to Restore Thinning Hair

3 Innovative Treatments to Restore Thinning Hair

Almost no one looks forward to or enjoys seeing their hair become thinner and less lustrous. We offer three innovative treatments that can help restore your hair, and you may be surprised by what they are.
How to Get Rid of Varicose Veins for Good

How to Get Rid of Varicose Veins for Good

Varicose veins don’t usually represent a health threat, but that doesn’t mean you have to like them or live with them. We can help you get rid of those ropey veins for good.