Functional Medicine

Would you benefit from functional medicine in Elkhorn NE? While functional medicine has recently gained increased attention, it is actually a system of healing that has been in the making for hundreds of years.

What Is Functional Medicine In Elkhorn NE?

Functional medicine draws from traditional Chinese medicine, Western healthcare, and cutting-edge health research, combining the best of each into a comprehensive healing approach. This method focuses on addressing the root causes of disease rather than merely treating symptoms. Our healthcare system, with its emphasis on symptom management, has evolved into a disease care system. Functional medicine offers a promising way to reverse this trend by considering the body as a whole and taking into account nutritional, environmental, and genetic factors. Through active doctor-patient communication, functional medicine practitioners embody the true meaning of "doctor," derived from the Latin word for teacher, empowering you to take control of your health.

Unfortunately, as the state of health has changed throughout our nation, our health care system has remained fairly stagnant in its approach to healing. While our country’s traditional approach to treatment was successful for the types of diseases present in 1920, it has grown less effective at treating the current epidemics of heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and diabetes. While the diseases of days gone by were typical of short duration and responded well to quick fixes such as surgery and medication, it has become increasingly evident that today's chronic conditions require a different approach.

The complexity of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis far outweigh that of conditions previously treated by our health care system. Increased complexity of diseases requires an equally comprehensive approach to treatment. Where traditional medicine has focused on the condition, functional medicine is aimed at treating the individual. Through this approach, functional medicine practitioners consider the unique genetic, environmental, and occupational factors that may be contributing to a person's sickness. By doing so, these health care providers can focus on individualizing nutritional, supplementation, and exercise plans as a means to address a person’s health status.

What Makes Functional Medicine Unique?

With chronic diseases spiraling out of control, it’s clear that a different healthcare approach is needed. Instead of treating diseases once they appear, wouldn’t it make more sense to focus on preventing conditions in the first place? Functional medicine is unique in its approach, often concentrating on variations in metabolism to identify a predisposition to developing conditions and to uncover the underlying causes if they are already present.

Functional medicine practitioners emphasize education, acting as your healthcare teachers. Can you recall a time when your doctor truly educated you about your condition? This educational approach empowers you to take control of your health. After all, you are the one experiencing the condition, so shouldn't your treatment be personalized and focused on you, rather than on others with similar problems?

Functional medicine is also one of the few healthcare choices that views the body as a whole. Every system in your body is interdependent, and this holistic approach considers all variables, including your personal history, genetic makeup, occupational, nutritional, and social factors. All of these play a role in the expression of health and disease.

Finally, once the cause of your condition is discovered, functional medicine practitioners draw from the best practices of multiple healthcare disciplines to treat the root cause effectively. For example, after a careful diagnosis using various imaging and laboratory tests, many practitioners utilize a combination of dietary changes, supplements, and exercise programs.

If you are interested in learning more about the functional medicine services we offer at Unity Wellness in Elkhorn NE please call our team today.