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What is functional medicine?

The functional medicine healthcare model focuses on using a systemic approach in assessing and managing patients as a whole rather than treating a group of isolated symptoms which is the common practice in conventional medicine.  As a result, functional medicine care plans are individualized to each patient whereas conventional treatments are more likely to appear as one size fits all.

 

The Institute of Functional Medicine depicts the functional healthcare model as a tree (Figure 1).  A healthy foundation helps the tree thrive.  When its health is compromised, the foundation of roots should be the first area of investigation.

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Figure 1.  Functional medicine tree.  Concept by the Institute of Functional Medicine.  Graphic created by KwokEats.

This perspective can also be applied to the management of our health.  The roots and soil contain lifestyle factors that are influenced by predisposing factors (antecedents), certain life events (triggers), and ongoing physiological processes (mediators), which result in imbalances within the body.  When the degree of imbalance is enough to override the system's ability to maintain order, it manifests itself as a constellation of signs and symptoms which can be grouped together to diagnose disease.

The conventional model typically looks at the branches and leaves first.  Treatment is designed to target symptoms and these treatments are applied to patients exhibiting the same group of symptoms.  This approach neglects to assess other factors that are included in the trunk, which are a reflection of the inherent differences between individuals.

 

Functional medicine provides us an opportunity to climb down from the tree tops and explore closer to the ground.  This is not to say that the conventional model should be ignored.  Rather, a combination of the two may help in finding the answers to help maintain optimal health and well being.

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