In addition to prescription medications, functional medicine doctors can also prescribe alternative treatments such as acupuncture, meditation, or herbal remedies. Functional medicine is very suitable for treating chronic diseases. There are some exceptions to this rule that MDs are the only ones who can prescribe medications, for example, osteopathic medicine, originally a separate and distinct system based on manual healing work, soft tissue and joint manipulation, and cranial treatments, was incorporated into conventional medicine dubbed decades ago. Therefore, DOs or Doctors of Osteopathy are currently licensed to perform surgeries and prescribe medications.
In addition, there are other unique examples, such as in the state of New Mexico, acupuncturists are licensed to prescribe hormones that in other states can only be prescribed by doctors or general practitioners. In addition, of course, nurse practitioners have the ability to prescribe medications under certain circumstances. But the rule is that, in general, most conventional medicine is taught by doctors trained in medical schools. As a doctor, this one is particularly important to me.
Jill Carnahan — The Functional Medicine Expert There are different types of professionals who specialize in integral and functional medicine, and it's important that you know the difference so you can choose which one is most beneficial to you. With the increase in online resources and advice, I think it's very important to check the credentials of the person you're receiving advice from. Sadly, it's not uncommon for unscrupulous individuals to call themselves “doctors” without any basis or credentials, playing on the vulnerability of the general public. All of these professionals have different benefits.
Ultimately, it's up to you to find the best option for your life. Aspen Integrative Medicine does not use or promote any experimental, speculative, or non-FDA approved stem cell technology, including fat-derived stem cells, bone marrow stem cells (or bone marrow aspirate), or umbilical blood stem cells. Consumer Alert on Regenerative Medicine Products, Including Stem Cells and Exosomes. Some doctors and some patients believe that all prescription drugs are negative or harmful simply because they are prescribed.
Instead of using that prescription medication, you want to try and treat it naturally to go to your functional medicine provider. People lean towards holistic medicine because they perceive that conventional medicine relies too much on medications and surgery rather than on more natural forms of treatment. Therefore, it uses a new framework to assess predisposition, hormonal variations and metabolic functions, allowing for more personalized therapy. When first coined, the term Functional Medicine was used to describe a specific type of alternative medicine.
In fact, in the United States today, our laws require that ONLY conventional medicine be used to treat a known disease. On a more personal note, I would absolutely recommend that thyroid patients go to see a functional medicine provider. Unfortunately, functional medicine is not a well-known specialty right now, which means that not all physicians are aware of this type of approach. The most common are The Institute for Functional Medicine and the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M).
Conventional medicine merely examines individual symptoms and assumes that they are related to various parts of the body. In this case, the symptoms function as clues to establish the underlying problems that are generating the symptoms. In addition, since board certification is not required to practice functional medicine, there can be a big difference in the quality of care you receive from various functional medicine professionals. .
