Much like Western Medicine, Functional Medicine is founded on the application of scientific medical technologies for the early detection, prevention, treatment, and whenever possible reversal of dysfunction, disorders, and diseases. This innovative Functional approach, although based on principles of sound and responsible medical care, is focused on addressing the cause of the problem, preventative treatments, and personalized, patient-focussed advanced biomedical technologies focused on early detection and prevention, as well as high-quality metabolic-specific medical care.
Scientifically based and well-documented in leading medical journals, functional medicine is among the fastest growing medical specialties throughout the world. It employs justifiable therapies, drugs, and interventions shown to improve the quality and the duration of the human lifespan, as well as the form and function of individual metabolic health and psychology at any age. For example, a Functional Medicine provider will analyze hormone, gut, cardiovascular, and neurotransmitter health to address debilitating causes of age-related skin problems, vitamin and nutrient deficiencies, migraine headaches, anxiety, depression, brain fog, adrenal, thyroid, cardiovascular and sexual dysfunction. Unlike the traditional approach, personalized medicine employs natural treatments and food with extremely high rates of success.
What exactly did Hippocrates, the Greek founder of western medicine, really have to say about food and health? Hippocrates considered nutrition one of the main tools that a doctor can use. The dietetic and lifestyle measures are just one word in Greek, διαιτήμασί (pronounce as "deaytimasy"). You may recognize the word "diet" in there. It means as much as a lifestyle regime, with a focus on diet. Exercise is also part of it. Sometimes it is just translated as dietetic measures.
Considering the intelligence of the human body, functional medicine practitioners are often able to alleviate debilitating health conditions by simply detecting and eliminating dietary triggers and hormonal imbalances, an approach not commonly practiced in traditional medicine. Hormone health is crucial in both genders at any age, as it can potentially trigger serious health issues such as early dementia, cardiovascular disorders, bone and muscle deterioration, vision problems, sexual dysfunction, hair, skin, and nail disorders, and adrenal fatigue, just to name a few. Estrogen alone has over 400 functions in the body that are vital to both men and women. Testosterone and Growth Hormone (GH) deficiency can lead to serious bone loss, mental health issues, sexual dysfunction, and more. Simple hormonal adjustments can help patients regain their health and improve their quality of life.
The functional approach uses bio-identical hormones (meaning that these hormones have identical chemical structures as the hormones produced endogenously by the human body). Our patients' metabolic health is closely monitored to ensure proper dosage and optimal function.
And since this is Eczema National Awareness month, I would be remiss not to mention the link between gut health, oxidative stress, and skin disorders such as eczema. One might wonder, what is oxidative stress? Let me quickly explain. In response to outside factors such as exogenous hormone disruptors, hypertension, diabetes, elevated cholesterol, and insulin resistance, the human body responds to these vascular injuries and inflammation by producing very smart rusty molecules that have the ability to replicate themselves. When I say "smart" I mean smart for the purpose to biohack your system to perpetuate disease and targeted organ damage. Epidemiology underscores the etiologic role of diet and associated nutrient intake. The transition from the Paleolithic diet to our modern diet has produced an epidemic of nutritionally-related diseases. Hypertension, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease CAD), myocardial infarction (MI), congestive heart failure (CHF), cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), renal disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), metabolic syndrome, and obesity are some of the diseases associated with improper intake of nutrients, unnatural and unhealthful nutritional selection. In other words, our diet has changed more than our genetics could adapt. Nutritional, vitamin, and mineral intakes are vastly different. These macronutrient and micronutrient variations, oxidative stress (ROS) and radical nitrogen species (RNS), inflammatory mediators, adhesion molecules, a reduction in the nitric oxide supply, and auto-immune vascular dysfunction contribute to nutrient-gene interaction, resulting in a higher incidence of cardiovascular diesease. Poor nutrition coupled with obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle have resulted in an exponential increase in nutritionally-related diseases. Therefore gut health is paramount in the prevention and treatment of disease.
Lately, we are also seeing an increase in neurodegenerative disorders due to new pathogens capable to damage the human nervous system. As previously discussed, the lack of nutrients, hormonal imbalance, and sedentary lives diminish our defenses, leaving the body vulnerable to neurodegenerative attacks, and opening the door to multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's Disease, and mental illnesses.
The area of autoimmune disease is a mosaic that presents with a unique presentation for each patient, therefore the biochemical individuality is especially important to understand. In my clinical experience, I find that individual presentation of autoimmune disease varies significantly from the classical textbook classical presentation, and there is often an overlap of autoimmune conditions. There is always more than what meets the eye and two patients with the same condition respond differently to treatment. Currently over 100 autoimmune diseases have been identified, each with unique presentations. Hence a personalized approach to each autoimmune patient is of great importance. Epidemiological, genetic, and basic studies have indicated a potential role of Vitamin D in correlation with the prevalence of some autoimmune disorders. In my clinical practice, I often detect and address Vitamin D deficiency before it has a chance to cause illness.
Biotoxins such as mold and other myotoxins from water-damaged buildings, tick-born pathogens, viruses, fungal elements, and other commonly encountered bacteria are fragments of organisms that act to trigger an innate immune response. Chronic inflammation can affect virtually any organ system and if left untreated it becomes debilitating and often fatal. Proper diagnosing is often difficult, as many of the classic parameters of inflammation are generally negative upon laboratory evaluation. A good example of a chronic inflammatory response is neuroinflammation, also known as the "Brain on fire" syndrome, a common cognitive complaint that involves memory loss, mood disorders, brain fog, loss of executive function, and fatigue. Additional specialized testing and genetic testing are necessary to evaluate and properly treat these patients. The treatment often involves regulatory neuropeptides, hormones, dietary changes, and exercise.
Pain management has created the current opioid crisis that claimed many lives, although a comprehensive body of research is detailing the effects of vitamins, supplements, and bio-identical hormones in the treatment of pain syndrome. The Natural Medicine database contains significant research for treating muscle pain syndromes, such as fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome using natural non-addictive herbal compounds and supplements.
Although traditional medicine is equipped with pharmaceuticals to control the above-referenced concerns, your functional medicine provider has many additional answers to neurologic, psychiatric, metabolic, and cardiovascular problems.
