Integrative, Alternative and Functional Medicine

Functional medicine integrates traditional Western medical practices with what is sometimes considered “alternative” or “integrative” medicine, creating a focus on prevention through nutrition, diet, and exercise. In our practice of functional medicine, we use the latest laboratory testing and other diagnostic techniques and prescribed combinations of medications, botanical medicines, supplements, therapeutic diets, detoxification programs, and stress-management techniques.

Principles that characterize Functional Medicine

Medical practitioners prioritize quality over quantity with their patients.

  • A doctor will only make a medical diagnosis after listening carefully to a patient’s history, documenting their personal choices and medicinal interactions.
  • Assessment and prevention are prioritized over wait-and-see treatment approaches
  • A prioritization is placed on utilizing the most modern and advanced medical equipment that is available. Instead of using antiquated equipment for outdated treatments, newer devices that can treat the complex network of interconnected systems that make up the body.
  • Patients are not to feel that they have taken on a passive role in their own health. Instead, they are to be armed with information and are encouraged to take an active role in improving how they feel.

 

Why Do We Need Functional Medicine?

Our society is experiencing a sharp increase in the number of people who suffer from complex, chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, mental illness, and autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis.

The system of medicine practiced by most physicians is oriented toward acute care, the diagnosis and treatment of trauma or illness that is of short duration and in need of urgent care, such as appendicitis or a broken leg. Physicians apply specific, prescribed treatments such as drugs or surgery that aim to treat the immediate problem or symptom.

Unfortunately, the acute-care approach to medicine lacks the proper methodology and tools for preventing and treating complex, chronic disease. In most cases it does not take into account the unique genetic makeup of each individual or factors such as environmental exposures to toxins and the aspects of today’s lifestyle that have a direct influence on the rise in chronic disease in modern Western society.

Most physicians are not adequately trained to assess the underlying causes of complex, chronic disease and to apply strategies such as nutrition, diet, and exercise to both treat and prevent these illnesses in their patients.

How is Functional Medicine Different?

Patients who have been searching for solutions to their problems for years can finally have hope. Instead of relying on being prescribed medications again and again for temporary relief, Dr. Luetmer and her team at Flourish Health diagnose problems holistically in order to find permanent cures.

Since the founding of her practice, Dr. Luetmer and her team have helped patients heal from life-altering conditions such as environmental illnesses, brain fog, fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis, migraines, and more.

Functional medicine addresses the underlying causes of disease, using a systems-oriented approach and engages both patient and practitioner in a therapeutic partnership. It is an evolution in the practice of medicine that better addresses the healthcare needs of the 21st century. By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered approach, functional medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms.

Functional medicine practitioners spend time with their patients, listening to their histories and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease. In this way, functional medicine supports the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual.”

The Hallmarks of a Functional Medicine Approach

Functional medicine involves understanding the origins, prevention, and treatment of complex, chronic disease.

Patient-centered care. The focus of functional medicine is on patient-centered care, promoting health as a positive vitality, beyond just the absence of disease. By listening to the patient and learning his or her story, the practitioner brings the patient into the discovery process and tailors treatments that address the individual’s unique needs.

An integrative, science-based healthcare approach. Functional medicine practitioners look “upstream” to consider the complex web of interactions in the patient’s history, physiology, and lifestyle that can lead to illness. The unique genetic makeup of each patient is considered, along with both internal (mind, body, and spirit) and external (physical and social environment) factors that affect total functioning.”