SPECIAL HEALTH & WELLNESS
What is Functional Medicine? Is it an Alternative for You? BY KATHERINE BAYLISS, MD
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eri was in her late 40s when she first came to my functional medicine practice. For years she has struggled with fatigue, insomnia, weight gain, anxiety and joint pain. Because of recurrent indigestion, Teri generally felt better when she didn’t eat. She tried many types of diets: paleo, vegetarian, low carb—with
little success and found the information available contradictory and confusing. She had been seen by several physicians. In addition to her primary care doctor, she was evaluated by a gastroenterologist, gynecologist and rheumatologist, but did not receive any specific answers. She rejected the antidepressant medication that was offered. She was frustrated. How might functional medicine be different? Can it help Teri?
ATTENTION TO PREVENTION Conventional medicine tends to be disease and symptom focused most often using pharmaceuticals and procedures. Different body systems (head/neck, digestive, reproductive, etc.) are treated by specialists. Practicing in conventional medicine for 25 years, I saw the advantage of deep expertise that comes with specialization. But I also witnessed the disadvantages that stemmed from fragmentation. Conventional medicine is great at addressing many types of illness. For example, with trauma, acute cardiac events or even some types of cancer, our high-tech 64 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS
health care can be amazing. However, there is minimal attention to prevention and when patients have more vague chronic symptoms that don’t fit neatly into our “diagnostic paradigms,” conventional medicine falters. Functional medicine uses a patient-centered holistic approach recognizing that everything is interconnected. It more often employs natural modalities that support the body’s innate ability to heal. Beyond seeking ways to minimize symptoms, there is a focus on uncovering root causes. Functional medicine proactively seeks ways to help individuals reach their greatest health potential and wellbeing. We take time to go broad and deep to learn our patient’s story. With Teri, testing disclosed systemic inflammation and some nutrient gaps. Her gut microbiome (bacteria and yeast that live in our intestines) was imbalanced with overgrowth of certain bacteria that can be inflammatory. She was entering into menopause and had hormonal imbalances.
Illustration by Ali Bachmann.
