Functional Medicine
Functional Medicine is not a “new” medicine. It is combining conventional western testing and more advanced functional testing together with proper interpretation to implement a custom wellness plan. After finishing a 40-hour course in 2007, Dr. Donna dove deeper into a 2-year fellowship to clinically apply the principles of functional medicine to optimize the health of her patients. Functional Medicine is a science-based healthcare approach that assesses and treats the underlying causes of illness through personalized and customized therapies to restore health and improve function.
Functional medicine is grounded in the following principles:
Biochemical individuality
Patient-centered care
Dynamic balance of internal and external factors
Web-like interconnections of physiological factors
Health as a positive vitality
Promotion of organ reserve
Erik L
“Following the functional medicine approach and micronutrients as well as organic acids testing I repleted many nutrient deficiencies that could only be discovered with specialized testing and felt such a difference!! Most importantly I regained my energy, mood, and MYSELF to live again, and that I am forever grateful for.”
Why Choose Functional Medicine?
Functional Medicine is a targeted healthcare system that targets the underlying causes of many health conditions through the results of science-based testing. These tests are not standard blood tests but often are an investigation into identifying the biochemical and metabolic imbalances that are the cause or the result of a disease process. These tests are considered functional tests and not necessarily diagnostic tests. Based on these test results practitioners can develop personalized “patient-specific” treatment protocols designed to reverse, stop, or prevent the disease and its symptoms.
Currently, the western medicine model is an acute care model directed at suppressing the expression of symptoms. This acute care model while invaluable when needed for trauma and emergency care can be problematic for chronic disorders. Suppressing symptoms long-term can lead to negative changes in many physiological systems that later will lead to other organ system diseases. Examining the clinical imbalances that underlie a disease or condition and looking beyond signs and symptoms to get a deeper understanding of functionality offers the opportunity to correct it.
Such imbalances include:
digestive, absorptive, and microbiological imbalances
detoxification and biotransformation imbalances
oxidation-reduction imbalances and mitochondropathies
hormonal and neurotransmitter imbalances
immune imbalances and inflammatory imbalances
structural imbalances, from cellular membrane function to musculoskeletal systems
Much like Traditional Chinese Medicine, functional medicine looks at two people with the same diagnosis as an individual in their care. We liken functional medicine’s approach to Chinese medicine in that both look at the chief complaint, take a step back and look at the whole organism (the patient), and then differentiate the disorder and develop a unique treatment protocol. We know that you are unique and should be treated as such.
A.D
“I had been to traditional doctors, as well as a naturalist, and no one could figure out what was wrong. Donna's questions and eventual diet program were thoughtful, easy to follow, and right on track to find a solution. Which she did!… I can't thank Donna enough, her thoughtful care has given me back my life.”
How Do Nutrigenomics and Functional Medicine Work Together?
The integration of Nutrigenomics with Functional Medicine takes your healthcare to another level.
Nutrigenomics - the science of how nutrition impacts gene expression. It opens a window to better see where there are likely challenges to your health. By utilizing your personal genetic code, we can fully personalize your treatment plan by pinpointing how your genes may be impacting the functionality within your body. By combining functional and traditional testing with your unique gene expression, we can get a larger picture of how your genes are behaving (or misbehaving), more specifically where in the metabolic pathways there is a “glitch”.
While often used in the management of disease, Nutrigenomic and Functional Medicine together truly shine in the prevention of disease. They are a fully proactive approach to optimal health and wellness.