When it comes to choosing healthcare for your family (and yourself), the number of options can feel overwhelming. There’s traditional medicine, concierge medicine, functional medicine, Eastern medicine, and the list goes on. How do you know what’s right for you?
While we might be biased, functional medicine just makes sense to us. How can you treat a health issue without taking a deep dive into the patient’s whole health? Every part of you affects the rest - so why not work on healing the entire being?
Here we’ve broken down the key differences between a functional medicine doctor and a traditional doctor.
What is a Functional Medicine Doctor?
According to renowned functional medicine practitioner Dr. Mark Hyman, functional medicine “seeks to identify and address the root causes of disease, and views the body as one integrated system, not a collection of independent organs divided up by medical specialties. It treats the whole system, not just the symptoms.”
So, a functional medicine doctor is a physician who aims to treat your entire body and well being - not just the current issue being presented.
Key Differences Between a Traditional Doctor & a Functional Medicine Doctor
A traditional doctor who is practicing conventional medicine is very good at going deep into a singular health issue. Their main objective when you walk into their office is to diagnose you as quickly as possible, provide you with a solution, and then send you on your way. This quick, in-and-out way of practicing medicine is what accounts for the fact that the average doctor’s visit was around 15.7 minutes in 2017.
In that same study, it was found that during that visit, the average patient spoke for approximately 5 minutes about the reason for their visit. While the standard model of care works well for acute diseases, trauma, infection, and emergencies, it is not conducive to helping patients with chronic illness or seemingly mysterious symptoms. For example, if you have chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, IBS, anxiety, or illnesses rooted in inflammation, functional medicine can help you find relief.
Unsure about how functional medicine could change your quality of healthcare? Here's what Brendan had to say about our functional medicine practices:
"LifeScape Premier’s...program has been a lifesaver for my family and me. Dr. Wilder keeps my family’s health in top condition with rigorous annual physical exams that address all of our medical needs. It has been an extremely beneficial investment for my family.” - Brendan R.
A functional medicine doctor strives to get to the root of a health problem and views the body as one integrative system. This is particularly important when it comes to dealing with disease or chronic illness. These types of health issues are complex, and there’s no such thing as a one-stop-shop solution.
However, the benefits of visiting a functional medicine doctor extend beyond treatment of disease or chronic illness.
3 Benefits of Choosing Functional Medicine
Some of the key benefits of choosing functional medicine for yourself and your family are:
- Functional medicine is all about YOU - It’s a health-focused, patient-centric partnership, in which doctor and patient work together to dig deep and find out the causes of illness and disease.
- You have more time with the physician - it takes time to delve into your health history, ask questions, and examine the genetic, environmental, and lifestyle patterns that affect health. Because of this, it’s not wholly uncommon for a physician to spend an hour or more with a patient.
- It’s more about your whole life than one disease - it’s about incorporating lifestyle medicine, nutrition, supplements, stress reduction and exercise to improve the functioning of your organs. This is the true means of preventing disease and creating vibrant, sustainable health.
At LifeScape Premier, we implement aspects of functional medicine into all of our services: family practice, concierge medicine, aesthetics, and fitness. We believe in doing more than just “putting a bandaid” on a health problem. Our motto is “whole health for a whole life” and we want that for each and every one of you. You’re not just a patient to us - you’re an important person.
Looking for a functional medicine practice for your entire family? Choose whole health for a whole life. Book a Consultation with Lifescape Premier today!
Resources:
https://drhyman.com/about-2/about-functional-medicine/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2254573/
https://www.bewell.com/blog/7-reasons-why-functional-medicine-rocks/
