Skip to content

What Is Functional Medicine?

There is a movement within allopathic medicine to adopt a holistic model within its paradigm. This has given rise to the success of functional medicine, practiced by a new generation of integrative physicians, at esteemed medical centers such as the Cleveland Clinic

Similar to traditional medicine modalities such as naturopathy and Chinese medicine, functional medicine seeks to address the root cause of illness. In turn, a thorough evaluation by an integrative physician includes a detailed case history, comprehensive lab testing, and extensive deliberation on how seemingly unrelated symptoms form a pattern. It is an exercise in interconnectedness.

CC0 Pixabay

This stands in stark contrast to the compartmentalization of allopathic medicine, where there is a specialist for every organ yet lack of an appreciation for the functional relationship between different but interconnected systems of the body. Synergy suffers as an endemic and emergent phenomenon of excessive organization.

Picture a home where items are grouped together into individual rooms. All chairs are in one room and every table in another; books are in one room and bookcases in a another. Everything is highly organized, but nothing is functional. This is the potential consequence of increasing specialization.

As a practitioner of traditional medicine, I stand in support of physicians who choose to opt out of corporate medicine and bravely wade into the waters of functional medicine. We stand, arms interlocked, under the umbrella of holistic medicine. The modalities are different, but the commitment to total wellness of the patient—to seek balance within relationships and harmony with nature—is our common ground.

Other Related Blogs

Image by DALL-E, OpenAI

Exploring Four Pillars of Meditation: A Guide to Altered States of Consciousness

Meditation has long been a cornerstone of human spirituality and self-discovery, consisting of various techniques to quiet the mind and foster inner peace. While the practices may vary widely, they share the common goal of guiding practitioners toward greater mental clarity and emotional balance. In this post, I will explore four distinct types of meditation,…

Image by DALL-E, OpenAI

Affordable Wellness: Free Self-Care Practices Available to Everyone

It’s no secret that Americans spend more on healthcare than any other developed nation. In fact, the United States’ per capita healthcare expenditure in 2022 was $12,555, nearly double the average of $6,651 in other high-income nations. Yet despite this substantial investment, Americans are often underutilizing some of the most powerful and accessible self-care practices…

Image by DALL-E, OpenAI

The Power of Showing Up: Building Healthy Habits Step by Step

If you’re attempting to establish a new habit, like getting in shape, I recently heard some simple yet profound advice: don’t focus on the specifics of exercise; focus on being the person who shows up at the gym. This may sound odd at first, but there’s a subtle wisdom in that statement. New habits need…