What is Functional Medicine?
Before I get too deep into this topic, I would like to thank you for popping into this blog post and being open to learning something new.
Why do I care about Functional Medicine, and why should you? It is through this method of care that I was able to resolve my rheumatoid arthritis after 12 years of suffering. If you or someone you know suffers from a chronic health condition, often Functional Medicine can help!
Functional Medicine is an individualized, patient-centered, science-based approach to healthcare that looks beyond symptom resolution to identify why illness occurs and addresses root causes to restore health.
While conventional medicine focuses on using medication to reduce symptoms, Functional Medicine empowers patients and doctors to work together to resolve the complex underlying causes of disease and promote optimal wellness through diet and lifestyle change.
Functional Medicine Health Coaches use Functional Medicine principles & positive psychology coaching techniques to:
Educate clients and help them understand their doctor’s plan of care
Offer tools and accountability when clients implement new lifestyle changes
Motivate clients using positive psychology techniques
Guide clients through dietary changes, food plans, and physical activity protocols
Lead clients through group coaching sessions on specific topics
Work directly with the client’s practitioner when appropriate
Celebrate successes and encourage progress
Functional Medicine is a new way to think about medicine. It’s a GPS for the new science about the WHY, not the WHAT. If you want to resolve illness, you need to understand the root cause of disease to achieve your goals.
In traditional medicine, we are trying to apply a chronic disease into a system that was designed for acute situations.
How to find an FM doctor in your area? The IFM website will be a great start. Check here.