The main principles of functional medicine
The phrase "functional medicine" isn't well-known among the general population. It is a relatively new medical specialty that began in the United States in 1993 and has recently grown into a mainstream approach to healthcare. Nevertheless, it has received three Nobel Prizes in medicine.
In addition, it's different from conventional medicine. In the conventional, doctors first need to identify the illness to start the right treatment soon after its diagnosis. So, it works effectively for treating intense healthcare conditions such as:
- heart attack
- infection
- trauma (spinal cord damage).
Whereas, the functional medicine approach offers a comprehensive approach to healing and treats each person as an individual. It not only focuses on the process of treating the specific disease. But also, it emphasizes the health condition development through variables such as food, genetics, and lifestyle choices, etc.
What is functional medicine?
Functional medicine is a systems biology-based approach to disease that focuses on finding and treating the underlying causes of illness.
As per the functional medicine physician, health is not simply the absence of sickness, but also a condition of enormous energy. Thus, they find out the answer to "why" a person has adopted a certain ailment? They look around their lifestyle and nutrition, as well as their family history to study in depth. And the recommended answers to their study lead them to take certain actions such as switching to a different diet, that might help the patient's condition. Click for more information.
Moreover, Functional medicine believes that each symptom or differential diagnosis might be one of several factors causing a person's disease. Some of the findings of the functional approach are to understand the cause, prevention, treatment of complex chronic illness such as:
- allergy
- digestive
- hormonal
- metabolic
- neurological disorders.
And according to the studies, such chronic diseases are very common in Americans who face them daily.
Cores and principals of functional medicine
An individual is a person, not an ailment:
We are all distinct genetically and biochemically, according to functional medicine. This individualised health care focuses on the person rather than the condition. Rather than addressing disease directly, it promotes the body's healing systems.
Evidence-based approach:
Functional medicine is firmly rooted in evidence. It looks for the answer to the question, "Why?"
It seeks to identify the underlying reason or process of any dysfunction, revealing why a collection of symptoms exists. Or why a patient has a certain illness designation. The only way to fully eradicate sickness and achieve maximum health is to do so.
Self-healing ability:
The human body smart and competent and has a remarkable self-regulating capacity
Thus, it manifests itself as a dynamic equilibrium (between the body, mind, and spirit on the inside and out) of all of the organ functions.
Moreover, functional medicine has a lot of evidence that it can benefit people with important public health concerns like type 2 diabetes by altering their lifestyle and nutrition.
Ability to fix illnesses relating to ageing:
Every individual's body is naturally programmed to heal and prevent the illnesses associated with aging. As such, this type of medicine believes that if treated under the appropriate conditions our bodies can heal and avoid many chronic illnesses like high blood pressure and obesity.
Health is more than absence of illness:
It is a human psyche that if one is not suffering from a specific disease, we call ourselves healthy. It is not true though. Functional medicine believes that health is not just the absence of sickness. But it is a state of positive vitality, a balanced appetite, a healthy weight, and a calm emotional condition.
Conclusion
We do not focus on all such conditions and often avoid our good health. But functional medicine has a keen eye over every essential matter to our wellbeing. Thus, it gives the best solution to other everyday health problems.
