Have you ever gone to the doctor with an issue to have them tell you they don’t know what’s wrong with you? They ran the normal tests and labs, but nothing came back.

Since they don’t see anything with their normal results, they chalk it up to stress or diet. How frustrating is it to have someone tell you they don’t see medical proof of your pain?

Very frustrating. Functional care is different. Instead of giving up, they run more tests and do a more in-depth analysis. They want to get to the root of your problem, not get to their next patient.

We’re not against traditional medical care, but we want it to be more thorough. Check out how functional healthcare can help you below.

What is Functional Care?

Let’s go back to that situation above. Let’s say you’re having some digestive issues, your doctor ran tests and didn’t find a cause.

They tell you it might be stress and move on with their day. You’re left without an answer or a solution to your pain.

At a functional care facility, they wouldn’t give up that quickly. If the labs and tests came back negative, they’d look deeper. What other tests can we run?

They’d look at diet, potential herbal remedies, and anything else that could cause your symptoms. That’s what functional care is, a more holistic view of medicine.

It blends the medical expertise of the western world with healing ancient techniques and beliefs.

Why is Functional Care Better?

In our opinion, functional medicine is better for patients because it gets them more answers. We don’t want someone to come in with an issue and leave without an explanation.

Here are some other reasons to think about transitioning to functional medicine.

They Run More Labs

Like we talked about in the example above, a functional clinic will run more labs. If the common tests come back negative, they’ll find other tests to look for the issue.

Along with running other tests, functional care providers look at the numbers more closely. Are you in a healthy range but close to the high end? How can they get you back to the mid-range of normal level?

What happens if you keep going towards the too-high or too-low range? What’s causing the increase or decrease in homeostasis?

These are the things they’re interested in. Just because you didn’t come back as gluten intolerant doesn’t mean bread isn’t the issue. Maybe you’re allergic to the soy or another ingredient in it?

A functional provider will help you find out.

More One on One Time

If you’ve been to a modern doctor’s office lately, you know you barely see the doctor. A nurse checks you in and leads you back, another nurse takes your vitals, and then you wait for the doctor.

The doctor may spend ten minutes with you; then it’s off to their next patient. That’s not long enough to explain the depths of your symptoms or workshop potential solutions.

That doctor may assume their normal one-size-fits-all treatment will work for you. How can it when no human is the same?

With functional care, you get more one on one time with your practitioner. They’ll help come up with a solution to treat your symptoms and stop them from happening again.

That’s a big part of functional medicine: finding the cause instead of just treating symptoms.

They Use Natural Treatments

With the rise of modern medical technology and science, people are shunning natural treatments. While we’re not suggesting a tea will cure your diabetes, why wouldn’t you try it?

Trying natural remedies first is a good choice for patients who don’t want to shove another pill down their throat. You can try these options first or in tandem with medical treatments.

A functional practitioner believes we can hold both modern medicine and natural medicine as true. One’s existence doesn’t cancel out the other.

When deciding your treatment route, a practitioner will look at the potential side effects of conventional medicines. Are they worth it? How will it affect your quality of life?

Is there something natural you can try first? If you need to take the medicine, how can they help you find solutions for the side effects?

They’ll stay in contact with you as you try different options. You won’t have to wait months for another appointment, then an hour to spend five minutes with the doc.

Staying in contact about natural remedies assures they change your treatment plan if something isn’t working.

What are the Drawbacks?

There are a lot of people who don’t trust anything homeopathic or naturalistic. They’ve grown up in a medical, pill-fix society, and that’s not their fault.

The major drawback to functional care is that people resist change. Not everyone would be willing to skip an antibiotic to see if changing something in their lifestyle helps first.

The only way to combat this is with education. Education for patients, but especially education for current doctors.

How can the doctors help their patients address their ailments more holistically? How do you get them to open up to the idea of natural treatments? Ask them to check it out!

That’s something the medical community has to address. There’s nothing you can do as a patient but talk to your doctor about other options than the first one they suggest.

Where to Find Functional Care

If you’re fed up with going to a doctors office and not getting the answers you need, seek out functional care. It’s still a growing industry, but you can search for something in your area.

If you don’t have any, find a local apothecary. Let them know what your current medical treatments are and ask them for things they can suggest ALONG with your prescribed medication.

We don’t want you to stop all your meds all together, that’s dangerous! We hope that you’ll be more open to unexplored options.

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