Functional Medicine

What is functional medicine?

Functional medicine is a form of alternative medicine that uses blood testing and other diagnostic procedures to evaluate your health and provide natural solutions — such as vitamins, minerals, or supplements — to address your symptoms and medical conditions. Functional medicine is a highly personalized form of care as it relies on your own blood testing, symptom reporting, and biological functions to determine which treatments or therapies are most appropriate for you.

What types of conditions can functional medicine help?

Functional medicine can address many symptoms and biological functions that contribute to disease. Conditions that may benefit from functional medicine include:

• Fatigue and insomnia
• Chronic pain and inflammation
• Digestive issues
• Hormonal imbalance
• Thyroid disorders
• Fibromyalgia
• Arthritis
• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

To find out if functional medicine can help you, discuss your symptoms with the team at Bryant Medical Group and they can provide their recommendations.

How does functional medicine work?

Functional medicine is a multistep process that’s adaptable as your symptoms change and your health improves. Initially, the team takes samples of your blood, saliva, or urine to look for specific markers of disease. These disease markers may identify hormonal issues, thyroid issues, inflammation, or digestion-related problems.

Based on your testing, the team identifies specific strategies you can use to reduce the number of disease markers found during your initial testing. Common functional medicine strategies include taking vitamins or supplements, increasing your exercise, changing your sleep habits, or improving your diet.

What can I expect during a functional medicine visit?

During your first functional medicine visit, which can last an hour or more, the team discusses your symptoms, prior diagnoses, if any, and what treatments you’ve tried in the past to alleviate your symptoms. They also review your family history for any chronic or inherited diseases that you may be at risk of developing.

Next, your samples are collected in the office and sent to a lab for testing. At your follow-up visit, the team reviews your lab results and outlines your custom treatment plan. Treatment plans may last for several months and can be modified every 3-6 months as your condition improves.

To learn more about functional medicine, schedule a visit online or by phone at Bryant Medical Group now.