Functional Medicine
Functional Medicine is a systems biology–based approach that focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of disease. Each symptom or differential diagnosis may be one of many contributing to an individual’s illness. A diagnosis can be the result of more than one cause.
Functional medicine is a very individualized and personalized approach to medicine with a focus on root cause rather than symptomalogy. Functional Medicine has shifted the traditional practice of medicine from a disease-centered attitude to a more «patient-centered» approach, with a focus on the individual rather than a set of isolated symptoms.
The Functional Medicine model is an individualized, patient-centered, science-based approach that empowers patients and practitioners to work together to address the underlying causes of disease and promote optimal wellness. It requires a detailed understanding of each patient’s genetic, biochemical, and lifestyle factors and leverages that data to direct personalized intervention plans that lead to improved patient outcomes.
By addressing root cause, rather than symptoms, practitioners become oriented to identifying the complexity of disease. They may find one condition has many different causes and, likewise, one cause may result in many different conditions. As a result, Functional Medicine intervention targets the specific manifestations of disease in each individual.
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