During a functional medicine consultation, the practitioner will take a detailed medical history, including information about your lifestyle, diet, stress levels, genetics, and environmental exposures. They may also order specialized lab tests to gain a deeper understanding of your body’s function. The goal is to develop a personalized treatment plan that addresses the root causes of your health concerns.

Functional medicine can be used to treat a wide range of chronic conditions, including autoimmune diseases, digestive disorders (such as irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease), hormonal imbalances, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, thyroid disorders, and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

Unlike conventional medicine, which often focuses on diagnosing and treating specific diseases or symptoms, functional medicine seeks to understand the underlying causes of illness by considering the complex interactions between genetics, environment, and lifestyle factors. Functional medicine practitioners use a systems-oriented approach, aiming to treat the whole person rather than just the disease.