What Does a Functional Medicine Doctor Do?

Functional medicine doctors specialize in functional medicine after finishing their medical training. They use modern diagnostic testing methods and treatments to find the main causes of complex and multi-faceted health disorders such as Celiac disease, inflammatory disease, arthritis, etc.

Functional medicine practitioners take numerous factors into account that cause symptoms like genetics, hormonal changes, diet, etc. These specialists take the complete picture of emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual health.

Functional medicine doctors are beneficial for individuals struggling with chronic illnesses which are not managed easily by traditional methods. Even if you do not have any chronic disorder, you can still get in touch with a functional medicine doctor or naturopath near you.

Reasons to See a Functional Medicine Doctor

Here is why you should visit a functional medicine doctor:

1. Long Appointments

Functional medicine doctors take into account the in-depth medical history of the patients. They may ask for:

• Nutrition
• Emotional Health
• Personal bonds
• Sleep patterns
• Stressors, etc.

It means they will usually spend more time with you.

2. You Can Even Get Alternative Treatments

These specialists also suggest alternative treatments like meditation, acupuncture, and natural remedies.

3. Manages Chronic Illnesses

A functional medicine doctor effectively treats different chronic disorders by determining the symptoms. As you know, chronic illnesses can have multiple causes.

The specialist first tries to identify why the body is not functioning well. The expert does this via advanced lab testing, determining the patient history, and diving into the overall lifestyle.

Chronic illness treatment usually involves counseling, natural remedies like homeopathic herbs, medicines, supplements, and lifestyle and nutritional changes. After that, functional medicine doctors also track the progress of the treatment and do the required changes to get a successful outcome.

4. Provides a Tailored Experience

Everyone individual is different, both biochemically and genetically. The functional medicine doctors consider each patient individually so that the expert can figure out the right treatment. It offers all patients a pleasant personalized experience.

What Can You Expect?

Functional medicine is the clinic application of the biology of the system of an individual. Functional medicine doctors find why the illness in a person occurs.

Functional medicine practitioners know that each symptom may be a contributing factor to the illness of an individual. By identifying the root cause of the disease, they completely restore their health. These doctors prevent different diseases using the following methods:

• Advanced diagnosing methods and lab tests.
• Botanical medicines and prescribed drugs.
• Diet, nutrition, and exercise tips.
• Using stress management and detoxification programs, therapeutic diets, and supplements.

Rather than treating particular health disorders, the main duty of a functional medicine doctor is to restore normal body functioning and physiology by preventing the occurrence of diseases in the future.

When the essential bodily functions are restored properly, it optimizes the health of an individual. Most functional medicine practitioners mix their real medical training with functional medicine.

Functional medicine doctors stick to the same procedure as followed by other physicians. Firstly, they conduct an initial consultation of a new patient. It usually stays for one hour or more.

Then, they consider the complete history of the patients. It is not only their medical history but also the history of struggles, stress factors in their lives, etc. This session helps the specialist find out the causes of the health issues that they are facing.

After that, a functional medicine practitioner will perform some tests and get the results from the laboratories. Most of these tests are related to functional medicine, while few are useful in traditional medicine.

These tests can be GI assessments for finding the levels of immune acids, liver detoxification pathways, measurement of nutrient levels, etc. Then, functional medicine doctors do genetic/SNP testing, allergy testing, and hormonal assessments. If you have eye issues, get in touch with an iridologist near you.

Contact Functional Medicine Doctor Near You

Did you know 6 in 10 adults in the United States suffer from a chronic disease? Functional medicine physicians near you motivate patients to take their overall health seriously. They educate patients about their body organs and their functioning. It helps patients get treated successfully and live happy and healthy life.

A functional medicine certificate is also open to other medical practitioners such as a naturopath, nurses, dentists, acupuncturists, etc. To live a healthier life, stay in touch with a naturopathic doctor near you.