What is Functional Medicine?

I have often referred to, Dr. Cynthia Costa D.C. who is a chiropractor and functional medicine doctor.  Most people know about chiropractic medicine but the term functional medicine has only recently begun to be used in reference to medical care. Just yesterday, my husband, who has be seeing Dr. Costa for 4 ½ years, asked me what a Functional Medicine doctor was.  As I researched a complete explanation, I found pages upon pages of complicated definitions. I am attempting to put those explanations into simpler terms.  For a thorough explanation please go to The Institute For Functional Medical website.

What is Functional Medicine?

"Functional Medicine involves understanding the origins, prevention, and the treatment of complex, chronic disease." (Institute)

The terms Functional medicine, alternative medicine,and/or integrative

medicine are interchangeable. They all address the "whole person" rather than just the symptoms being presented. Each and every one of us is as individual as a snowflake. None of us has the same generic background or the identical make-up.  None of us have the same background story and history. Who are we, where and how did we grow up, what kinds of physical events shaped our lives up until now, what symptoms do we have, what medical and emotional issues have affected our lives, how do we respond to stress, what are our sleep patterns -just a few of the many questions functional medicine doctors address while figuring out the best approach for “you” to begin healing.

"By taking in account the patient's medical history, environment, and lifestyle and combing this information with bio chemistry tests the doctor can consider the long-term health goals of the patient as well as the current chronic medical issues." (Institute)

'The focus of Functional Medicine is "prevention through nutrition, diet, and exercise; use of the latest laboratory testing and other diagnostic techniques; and prescribed combinations of drugs and/or botanical medicines, supplements, therapeutic diets, detoxification programs, or stress-management techniques."' (Institute)

Dr. Mark Hyman: Chairman of The Institute for Functional Medicine:

DR. Mark Hyman

     After 15 years of practicing functional medicine and witnessing the extraordinary clinical results from applying this new operating system to chronic disease, I am clear this must be the model for medicine going forward...(Hyman)

... I believe that functional medicine is one of the most important ideas of our time- an idea that can help relieve the unnecessary suffering of millions." (Hyman)
     From heart disease to diabetes, from depression to dementia, from attention deficit disorder to autism, from asthma to autoimmune disease, from digestive disorders to cancer, we must change not only how we do medicine, but the medicine we do...(Hyman)

Note:

Please note chiropractors do not prescribe prescription drugs.

References: 
Dr. Mark Hyman, Why Functional Medicine? (October 18, 2014) Retrieved from http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/12/10/why-functional-medicine/

The American Chiropractic Association, What is Chiropractic ( 2015)  Retrieved from  https://www.acatoday.org/ level2_css.cfm?T1ID=13&T2ID=61

The Institute of Functional Medicine. What is Functional Medicine?(2015) Retrieved from

https://www.functionalmedicine.org/about/whatisfm/