What is Functional Diagnostic Medicine?

Functional Diagnostic Medicine is a growing field of modern medicine. It offers a giant step forward in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of many of society's chronic diseases.

Doctors practicing functional diagnostic medicine are able to identify the real causes of many health conditions by combining the results of scientifically documented tests.  These are not your standard medical tests but go the next level investigating the biochemical and metabolic glitches likely to cause a specific disease process.

Based on the results of these tests, physicians are then able to develop personalized, patient specific treatment protocols designed to reverse, stop or prevent the disease and its related symptoms.

Unlike the disease specific approach which is geared to suppress the expression of symptoms, physicians practicing functional diagnostic medicine are delighted to discover that many diseases have a real underlying cause which when found and corrected, can have a dramatic impact on the health of their patients.

Twenty-First Century Health Care
By identifying the underlying causes of chronic health conditions, reducing the risk of degenerative disease, and addressing an individual's unique bio-chemical composition, Functional Medicine has been considered the future of medicine.

Why is Functional Medicine called the Future of Medicine'

Functional Medicine approach is designed to significantly improve health. While the specific disease a person may have is not ignored, the focus of therapy is to improve health through optimizing biological, biochemistry and psychological function.

This is a highly individualized process. Two people with the same symptoms may require different diagnostic tests and therapeutic interventions to promote health and well-being.

When successful, many of the symptoms that are the primary concern of the individual will diminish in severity and the individual will begin to experience a renewed sense of well-being and a significant increase in health and vitality.

When was the last time you really felt healthy?
The reason you may not feel your best is because you've developed an unhealthy lifestyle. As we get older we tend to develop bad habits and take our health for granted.  Poor eating, stress, environmental and chemical toxins and lack of exercise all take a toll on your natural defenses. For a while your body was able to cope.

But now, you may have noticed some changes: You probably don't get enough sleep and when you do sleep you may catch yourself having to get up two, three or more times during the night. The food you eat simply does not satisfy you. Losing weight has never been more difficult.

You may exercise, but something still does not feel right inside. You can't seem to put your finger on it. You simply don't feel well, but you don't have any obvious symptoms that would make you want to see your doctor.

Do not ignore this feeling, these puzzling non-specific symptoms may be an early warning that one or more of your body's systems are malfunctioning.

Symptoms are Warnings
Just like the red warning light in your car that flashes when there is a problem with your engine, a physical symptom is a signal telling you that an underlying health problem needs to be corrected.

Treating a symptom without uncovering the real cause is like placing a piece of black tape over the blinking red warning light. The consequences of this action are  an obvious and expensive engine overhaul.

Unfortunately our bodies can't be overhauled and ignoring these chronic symptoms could eventually lead to a serious illness.

Through functional diagnostic medicine, physicians are able to help their patients restore normal body function, thereby relieving symptoms that may result in life-threatening diseases (such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, diabetes, auto-immune diseases, heart diseases, osteoporosis and many other chronic degenerative illnesses).

Unlike most well-meaning physicians that tend to focus on what drug to use to treat a symptom, doctors who practice functional diagnostic medicine give serious thought to what is causing the symptom in the first place.