The functional doctor's systematic approach uses a rational, detailed, and evolved way of reasoning about your body and understanding your condition. It's like having a doctor of the future but available now. The functional medicine doctor in Los Angeles strives to improve your body's level of optimal function in a step-by-step process.
Functional Medicine is not the "wait and medicate" model used in today's standard drug-based practice—where suppressing symptoms with branded chemicals is the primary focus. The old-school, conventional model of chemical medicine (hiding your symptoms by forcing reactions in your body with chemical agents called pharmaceuticals) would become the medicine of the past if more people learned about functional medicine. Optimizing your level of health (biohacking, if you will) is our goal.
Functional medicine doctors, start by spending enough time with you. By listening to you, and learning your story, we bring you into the discovery and better recovery process. We tailor your care to your body's individual, unique needs. We look at the interactions among environment, epigenetic, and lifestyle factors that can influence your long-term wellness, or contribute to (trigger) chronic disease. This is our specialty in an environment like Los Angeles.
Why Do We Need Functional Medicine?
There has been a sharp increase of people with chronic illness. But to prevent chronic disease in the first place, we need the right help; not more drugs.
The current system of medicine practiced by most physicians is an acute care model. It suits diagnosis and treatment of trauma, or illness of short duration which needs immediate care.
Most physicians are not adequately trained to assess the potential underlying causes of complex, chronic illness, and apply clinical nutrition strategies, with daily routines such as diet and supplementation, to prevent or treat illness. Surgery or drug therapy training do not include these crucial, functional medicine tools.
There's a huge gap between current research and the way most doctors practice. It takes many years for a drug to establish a safety record, but a functional medicine doctor can use current research about safe, natural remedies today. Current research can be usable now!
How Does The Acute-Care Approach Work?
The common acute-care approach to medicine lacks the proper methodology and tools for preventing and treating complex, chronic conditions. Acute care methods usually do not assess the unique background of each individual. The symptoms become the sole focus; suppressing the symptoms is the goal
What's done for Eczema? Topical steroid treatment. Heartburn symptoms? Just block stomach acid, disregarding what may cause the heartburn in the first place, like diet, epigenetics, environmental exposures to toxins, or nutrient deficiencies. Irritable bowel/IBS? They treat it with anti-inflammatory drugs but never investigate why the inflammation is there in the first place.
How Else is a Functional Medicine Doctor Different?
A top functional medicine doctor must understand the underlying multiple origins or causes of disease. He applies this knowledge instead of just managing or masking chronic symptoms.
● Patient-centered care: the primary focus in your care is IMPROVING YOUR UNDERLYING CONDITION. Patient-centered focus is very different than fitting you into a disease category, an unchanging diagnosis, and processing you through a high-volume industrialized system of insurance, the hospital, the pharmacy, the surgery center, or the rehab center. Our focus is on you, not your prescriptions!
● An integrative, science-based healing approach: A functional medicine doctor looks at the roots of your condition to reveal your natural remedies based on current nutrition science. Your level of health is based on a complex web of interactions between physiology (including spinal physiology) and lifestyle. We address the factors that affect your optimal functioning level.
● Integrating traditional diagnostic methods with what are sometimes considered "integrative medicine." systems, you get a focus on prevention through natural medicine, nutritional cofactors, diet, and lifestyle.
How Do You Implement Integrative Medicine?
We use leading-edge in-office chiropractic neurology, kinesiology, and the latest lab testing like Cyrex Labs when further tests are indicated. Your recommendations will include combinations of functional herbal therapy (FHT) whole plant medicines, whole food supplements, modified eating, weight loss programs, integrative chiropractic, or stress-management techniques.