What is Functional Medicine?
The label “Functional Medicine” can seem rather obscure. Although the field has become more widely recognized due to advocates such as Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, functional medicine is still mostly unknown to the public.
In order to grasp the the true definition of functional medicine, it helps to differentiate it from traditional medicine…
Conventional medicine uses drugs as the primary therapy to address a disease or certain symptoms. Regardless of the condition or the specialist, this model stays the same. The medical school curriculum focuses on selection of a diagnostic label and matching the label with a drug.
This is an excellent system for emergencies, trauma, or acute disease like infection or heart attacks.
Unfortunately, it does not come close to addressing the care needs of the over 130 million Americans with chronic symptoms and disease.
This leaves patients with conditions like digestive issues, neurologic symptoms, metabolic dysfunction, hormone imbalance, and allergies searching for solutions on their own.
Conventional medicine asks: What do I call this disease and what medication can I use to treat it?
Functional medicine asks: Why do you have this symptom in the first place and how can we restore function?
Address the root cause.
I want to know your story.
I approach each case with a thorough history taking, an examination of past treatments, an assessment of lifestyle factors, and a review of functional lab data. This is the basis for identifying the underlying causes of gut and hormone imbalances. Ultimately, my goal is to empower you with lifelong resiliency and an innate ability to heal.
Transform with Rise
Fatigued, loss of endurance, burned out
Energized, strong, vibrant, resilient
Clarity, resilience, rested, refreshed
Anxiety, insomnia, brain fog, memory loss
Regular, smooth, & effective digestion
Bloated, unpredictable bowel movements
Areas of Emphasis
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Neuroinflammation can initially manifest as anxiety, depression, brain fog, and insomnia. These symptoms can present decades before cognitive decline. Fortunately, the brain is resilient and receptive to proactive treatment.
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In today’s world, stress management is a survival skill. The hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis can be modulated to improve fatigue, weight gain, and autoimmune symptoms. Stress management is the foundation of your functional medicine plan.
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Microbiome balance is essential to immunity, brain and metabolic health. Food intolerance can contribute to chronic inflammatory symptoms.
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Thyroid or sex hormone imbalance can often be at the root cause of brain fog, irritability, anxiety, and insomnia. Gut and liver health are critical for proper hormone metabolism. As we age, hormones decline and hormone replacement can be a powerful tool if indicated. Testosterone therapy is currently available to Washington, D.C. and Florida patients only.
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Unlike conventional medicine, which is medication-centric, our cardiometabolic health program incorporates precision medicine and preventative measures that focus on the root causes of disease. We do not dismiss the importance of some pharmacological interventions; however, we believe holistic cardiovascular health can’t be achieved by only taking a pill.
Functional Medicine Testing
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The most comprehensive nutritional analysis available by measuring functional deficiencies at the cellular level.
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Stool testing detects imbalances in gut flora, parasitic or fungal infection, inflammation, and even causes of hormone imbalance. Breath testing can detect bacterial overgrowth.
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Get an accurate picture of your stress, thyroid and sex hormones to understand how they affect a multitude of symptoms.
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Take a prevention-focused approach to cardiometabolic disease. We offer testing with Quest Cardiometabolic Center of Excellence™ at Cleveland HeartLab®.
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Measure your IgG sensitivity to a list of the most commonly consumed foods.
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Consists of the most functional values for your thyroid, including TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3 and Thyroid Antibodies.
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Provides a metabolic snapshot of what is going on in the body, including mitochondrial function, toxin exposure, dysbiosis, and nutrient deficiency.
