Understanding the Whole Picture in Patient Care
If a patient tells me that they are tired, it doesn’t always mean that they are suffering with a medical condition such as anaemia. Possibly they are, but even if they are, why are they anaemic? What is their diet like? What level of activity do they perform on a daily basis? Possibly they require higher levels of Iron and Vitamin B12 than most due to a relentless exercise schedule? Are they sleeping well and recovering as they should be? They may benefit from some Iron replacement, but what other interventions can we make to prevent the anaemia reoccurring in the future?
Or, possibly it isn’t anameia at all, perhaps they are depressed, perhaps they lack an appropriate work life balance, perhaps their hormones are misaligned?
Although Functional Medicine was founded by a Dr Jeffrey Bland in 1990 and labelled as a ‘systems-biology’ approach to healthcare. In my mind, functional medicine simply looks at PEOPLE. It doesn’t just scratch beneath the surface of their condition, it take a deep dive in their nutrition, lifestyle, exercise habits, the environment that they are living in, their mood and their feelings. It then uses structural, cognitive, emotional and at times, even more typical pharamceutical therapies to meet an individual’s needs.
Functional medicine is becoming more widely accepted and utilised in modern day clinical settings. It’s pragmatic, sensible and allows for long term change to chronic healthcare conditions, avoiding the risks of polypharmacy and a population supported by expensive medications and hospital appointments. Autoimmunity, diabetes, raised blood pressure, digestive concerns, mental health and obesity can all, to some extent at least, be supported by lifestyle interventions. Anything a patient can do for themselves will always yield a much greater return for that individual than by simply taking a tablet. It will harbour favourable by products rather than concerning medication side effects.
A Personal Journey with Functional Medicine
In a very short space of time, functional medicine has gained increasing popularity, likely thanks to the ongoing supportive research fuelling its use. It is no longer considered an experimental wing of medicine, but being embraced as a mainstream alternative to a standard General Practise consultation.
Personally, I have been practising functional medicine for years without realising it. I always took a 360 degree view of my patients before making a suggestion, would try to find the WHY behind their symptoms and start with the basics before jumping to medications.
Functional Medicine has a fundamental ability to create change for both individuals and populations. I could not be more enthusiastic about it as a developing area of health and healthcare. I hope that in time, children are seeing functional health doctors on a regular basis for health optimisation rather than attending medical appointments for diseases that could have been side stepped with some basic interventions.
