What is Integrative and Functional Medicine?

Integrative medicine blends traditional western medicine with science based and evidence based functional medicine to discover and treat the underlying causes of disease and chronic illness.  Functional medicine involves a careful assessment of the patient’s history, including environmental, lifestyle, and genetic factors, in addition to the laboratory and diagnostic testing of modern mainstream medicine.

Functional medicine seeks to not simply suppress symptoms with a medication, but asks why a person is having these symptoms. For example, a patient may be diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes, an auto-immune disorder, or even hormone imbalances. Instead of simply prescribing a medication to lower the blood pressure or raise the testosterone or estrogen levels, the integrative medicine practitioner will identify the drivers of the disease. By addressing the root causes of the disease, the symptoms are alleviated and the person is restored to health.  Oftentimes this can  be accomplished with diet and lifestyle modifications or specialized nutritional supplementation.