Many practitioners who specialize in 417 INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE have started their careers in conventional medicine. Often, they found themselves disillusioned by the current healthcare model—which centers on diagnosing and naming diseases, then suppressing symptoms with drugs and surgery. This approach frequently leads to secondary, unforeseen symptoms and conditions.
Functional Medicine practitioners view chronic disease as an imbalance of the body’s biochemistry, which may have been influenced by genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors. They work to restore the body’s natural state of health by providing individualized treatment plans. These may include therapeutic diets, nutritional supplements and botanical medicines, exercise programs, stress-management techniques, detoxification protocols and, in some cases, the limited use of pharmaceutical medications.
The Core Principles of Integrative Medicine: A Holistic Approach to Health and Wellness
During your first appointment, your practitioner will gather a thorough health history and conduct comprehensive testing (blood, urine, stool and breath tests; saliva DNA; possibly even a genotype test). They then develop a personalized health plan to address the root cause of your symptoms, often integrating traditional, alternative and cutting-edge therapies.
Evans explains that most people gravitate toward Functional Medicine because they have a “cobbled-together set of symptoms” that their primary care doctor can’t seem to piece together into a diagnosis—or because they want a solution without prescription medication and its residual side effects. In fact, a growing number of patients who are taking control of their own health are working with Functional Medicine physicians to treat long-standing chronic illnesses like high blood pressure and arthritis, often getting off their medication entirely.
417 Integrative Medicine & Housecalls
1335 E Republic Rd D, Springfield, MO 65804, United States
Phone: +14173633900