The achievements of Western medicine are nothing short of miraculous. Many diseases that would have been terminal 100 years ago are now treatable during a single hospital visit. If you’re ever injured or ill, thank goodness you live in the 21st century.
But Western medicine does have its blind spots. As a science that focuses so heavily on developing treatments, it often overlooks the reasons why those treatments are needed in the first place. Why do people suffer from chronic diseases, exactly?
That’s the question functional medicine (FM) was created to answer. To be sure, FM isn’t concerned with spiritual or otherwise non-physical theories of disease. An FM practitioner seeks potential explanations as to why their patient’s body isn’t functioning correctly; i.e. root causes of their patient’s condition, such as allergens, genetics, toxins, stress, incorrect nutrition, and microbiome imbalance.
Once an FM practitioner identifies their patient’s triggers, they develop a custom, holistic treatment plan. It may address multiple aspects of the patient’s life, and include physical therapy, exercise, improved sleep and diet, and assistance coping with mental, emotional and physical stressors.
If FM sounds vague, that’s only because its scope is so expansive. It can be used to treat virtually any chronic condition. Here are a few examples to give you a better sense of the breadth of FM’s focus.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a common rheumatologic disorder affecting approximately 1 in 50 Americans. Despite this, its complexity can make it difficult to diagnose – let alone treat. That is why a great many fibromyalgia patients utilize FM in addition to other alternative and complementary forms of medicine.
Each patient is totally unique. Few (if any) share an identical FM treatment plan. That said, FM may identify fibromyalgia triggers such as the patient’s emotional trauma, neurotransmitter imbalance, heightened sensitivity to pain, and genetic history.
Once the underlying factors contributing to fibromyalgia symptoms are discovered, individual treatments are devised to address each one. All together, these treatments constitute a holistic approach to fibromyalgia therapy.
Autoimmune Disorders
Autoimmune disorders (IDs) are up to five times more prevalent in the U.S. population than fibromyalgia, yet they too are difficult to diagnose (largely because they share the same symptoms with many other diseases). Doctors often fail to prescribe optimal medication for specific IDs, which is why many patients seek added relief from the health insights FM can uniquely provide.
FM identifies several effective lifestyle changes for reducing symptoms of IDs. A Mediterranean diet, which is rich in anti-inflammatory compounds, is one of them. So too are acupuncture and mindfulness medication, which can both help patients attenuate their perception of pain. Physical therapy, which reduces pain by improving flexibility and mobility, is also effective at minimizing ID symptoms.
Arthritis
There are several known risk factors for arthritis, which is one of the more common IDs. People who have experienced serious work or sports injuries are more likely to get arthritis in affected joints, which is why physical therapy can factor prominently into an FM treatment plan.
Arthritis also frequently stems from inflammation – especially that which arises as a result of abnormal autoimmune response in the gut. FM practitioners often treat arthritis patients by helping them improve their gut health. That may include advising stress reduction techniques, quitting smoking, avoiding certain foods that exacerbate symptoms, and increasing antioxidant intake.
Women’s Health Disorders
Women’s health is an expansive field of medical study. It encompasses many health conditions which have virtually zero relation to one another save for the gender they affect. FM’s versatile approach to treatment means it may address virtually any women’s health disorder, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), menopause, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
Despite their apparent dissimilarities, many women’s health issues share something in common: a fundamental hormone imbalance. That’s why hormonal therapy factors into many individualized FM treatment plans. Getting hormones back on the right track may also be achieved through nutrition, dietary supplementation, physical exercise, and stress reduction techniques.
Get ready to elevate your health journey! Functional wellness is coming soon to Acucare Physical Therapy. Stay tuned for a holistic approach to healing and wellness. Contact us today to learn more and be the first to experience our new offerings!
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