WHAT IS FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE?
(Glossary of Terms)Functional Medicine is the field of
health care that employs laboratory assessment and early intervention to improve
physiological, emotional/cognitive, and physical function. This health care approach
focuses attention on biochemical individuality, metabolic balance, ecological context and
unique personal experience in the dynamics of health. The following are some basic tenets
of functional medicine:
1) Uniqueness of
patient
Unlike conventional medicine, functional medicine emphasizes the physiological
uniqueness of each patient. To paraphrase a famous literary quote, proponents of
functional medicine believe that each patient's physiological system marches to the beat
of a different drummer. Thus, effective treatment should be custom-tailored specifically
to meet each patient's unique needs. Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory tests support
this fundamental principle by analyzing subtle differences in an individual's molecular
biochemistry, hormonal secretion patterns, cellular environment, immune responses, etc,
allowing for focused, precise, and individualized therapy.
2) Minor symptoms should
not be ignored
Even slight imbalances in the body can set the stage for more serious diseases down
the road. This often happens by virtue of a "ripple effect," whereby a
"minor" imbalance sets into motion a cascade of biological triggers that
eventually leads to sub-optimal health, chronic illness, and degenerative disease. For
this reason, a "let's-wait-and-see-if-this-develops-into anything-serious"
attitude is not an acceptable approach in functional medicine. By implementing the most
advanced and sensitive technology available, Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory tests can
reveal the most subtle imbalances within the body, allowing for timely intervention to
prevent more profound health problems in the future.
3) Holistic Approach
The body is best examined and treated as an integrated whole, not simply an isolated
set of parts. For accurate diagnosis and effective treatment, a clinician must consider
ALL the possible long-reaching effects of various therapies/treatments on the entire body.
Moreover, by assisting and augmenting the body's natural mechanisms of healing, the
physician works with the dynamic process of homeostasis, rather than against it. Great
Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory supports this principle by offering a broad range of
functional assessments covering every major system in the body. By promoting the maximum
functioning of all of the body's most important functional parameters, Great Smokies
Diagnostic Laboratory assessments allow the practitioner to effectively guide the patient
toward restoring inner balance and establishing optimal health. This powerful strategy
offers a much more effective way of achieving long-range results than that afforded by
temporary damage control.
WHAT IS A FUNCTIONAL
ASSESSMENT?
Evaluating organ "function" versus organ "pathology" is one of the
principles of functional medicine, and Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory has developed a
number of laboratory assessment tools that allow practitioners to understand a patient's
functional status.
Our tests are non- or
minimally invasive, using samples of stool, urine, saliva, blood, and hair. Our results
focus on how well the body is doing its job in six important areas: digestion
(gastrointestinal), nutrition, detoxification/oxidative stress, immunology/allergy,
production and regulation of hormones (endocrinology), and heart and blood vessels
(cardiovascular).
Great Smokies Diagnostic
Laboratory profiles are designed to uncover the root causes of symptoms, allowing the
physician to recommend intervention strategies that will solve the chronic problem. Many
of our tests use special substances and protocols to "challenge" organs, giving
the physician an opportunity to evaluate the function of an organ system while it is
stressed, thereby providing information that often is missed using conventional laboratory
testing. The unique combination of the individual results provides an integrated analysis
that promotes a deeper, more fundamental understanding of many health conditions.
For more information on
Functional Medicine visit the Institute
For Functional Medicine.
Please Contact Us for additional details. |
