Approximately 31% of patients seen by the Center for Functional Medicine improved their overall PROMIS physical health scores by 5 points or more, representing a clinically significant change and a notable effect on daily life. Twenty-two percent of primary care patients improved their scores by 5 points or more. Functional medicine is a thorough investigation of every system in the body. Each system is examined in the context of its environment and its life experiences.
It is aimed at identifying the root cause (s) of any dysfunction or disease. Part of the appeal of functional medicine, and why hospital academic centers like Cleveland Clinic are embracing it, is driven in part by the shift in medical reimbursements toward outcomes rather than volume, according to an interview at Holistic Primary Care with Dr. Mark Hyman, who along with Patrick Hanaway, MD, was essential to starting the Cleveland Clinic CFM. It's basically “inventing as you go” with respect to interpreting the dozens (sometimes hundreds) of laboratory tests requested by functional medicine professionals, in addition to treating false diseases, such as “adrenal fatigue” or “leaky gut.” Basically, I don't care what kind of medicine is practiced, but I care for the patient with care and diligence.
Functional medicine views the various organs and systems of the body as parts of a larger context, allowing FM physicians to identify the underlying causes of diseases. Every cell in your body needs thyroid hormones to function and, unfortunately for us, many underlying thyroid problems don't show up in standard laboratories because conventional doctors usually only administer TSH and T4. They can also be costly and time-consuming, but if you feel less than optimal and explored the standard options offered by conventional medicine without any success, they can be excellent options. A physician in functional medicine works holistically, considering the full picture of your physical, mental, emotional, and sometimes even spiritual health. It combines the massive overtesting and overtreatment that can occur in conventional medicine with pure quackery, such as “detoxification, naturopathy, homeopathy and chiropractic.
Criticism of functional medicine is well deserved, I myself question what I do, perhaps the word criticism is better, in any case, asking the question is functional medicine legitimate, every day, for me it keeps me alert. She became so well-regarded in the field that when the Cleveland Clinic decided to delve into the world of functional medicine, they invited Dr. The functional medicine approach is different for each person, as each treatment is tailored to that person's specific disease.
