Functional medicine places patients at the center and takes into account all aspects of bodily function rather than an isolated set of symptoms. The approach aims to find and address root causes of ill health and illness rather than simply treating symptoms.

Is Functional Medicine the Opposite of Standard medicine?

It is not. The two directions partially complement each other and are suited to different conditions. Functional medicine is most effective when dealing with chronic disease while standard medicine excels at caring for acute conditions. For a comparison between the two strategies, see the schematic below.

We believe that the most effective way to approach and correct chronic symptoms is to look for and address the root causes, and to optimise diet and lifestyle. This often results in a greatly reduced need for pharmaceutical drugs in our patients. Simultaneously, practitioners and clinics strive to be up to date with research in areas such as genetics, nutrition, systems biology and disease processes. Our practitioners take the time to carefully go through every patient’s history in order to develop an understanding of how lifestyle, genetics and environment interact in each individual’s case.

Functional medicine is characterised by:

• Longer consultations. In consultations with clients, functional medicine practitioners tend to spend much longer on each client than traditional doctor’s visits. We take our time to prepare, ask follow-up questions and do research to really understand the patient’s history, genetics, biochemistry, lifestyle etc. Interventions and follow-ups usually continue until the patient has achieved their health goals. Spending more time on each patient makes space for empathy on our part. Primary care physicians, on the other hand, are often very pressed for time and report themselves that they are not able to devote the time they desire to each patient.
• Use of genetic and functional tests. Testing is used to understand the patient’s unique physical composition and identify underlying causes. We use a variety of tools to comprehend where the issues may lie.
• Use of a combination of interventions to restore optimal health. These may include drug treatments but may also include nutritional and lifestyle changes.
• A collaborative approach between us and the patient. The patient can gain an understanding about themselves that will help them make the right choices and maintain optimal health in a way that is best for them and their physiology.

Is Functional Medicine Only for People with Chronic Illness?

No. Functional medicine can be applied in many different ways. Not only to get sick patients back to health, but also to optimise physical and mental performance and to prevent future disease. We believe that functional medicine will inevitably be an integral part of the future of healthcare – both to treat and prevent disease.

How Do I Know This is Right for Me?

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