Functional Medicine in Vienna, Virginia (VA)
Whole Body Health Chiropractic Offers Functional Medicine.
What Is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine is a personalized, science-based alternative treatment approach that focuses on preventing illnesses and optimizing health. It involves a collaboration between the patient and practitioners to find the root cause of a disease. This approach follows the understanding that each part of the body must be healthy for the whole body to be healthy.
How Does Functional Medicine Work?
A functional medicine doctor aims to identify the causes behind a disease. As chiropractors who practice functional medicine, we understand the interrelationship between the systems in your body, and from that we can identify areas of poor function, misalignment, or imbalance. Instead of focusing on symptoms, we look to assess the different systems and the factors that influence their function. These factors include:
Genetics
Genes control how your body works, but they can be turned on and turned off by environmental and lifestyle signals. For instance, toxic exposure, chronic stress, inactivity, and nutritional deficiencies can affect whether certain disease-promoting genes are turned on or off. Our chiropractic and functional medicine approach involves reviewing your family’s and your own health history to find the hidden causes of disease.
Environmental factors
Exposure to toxins and allergens can interfere with body chemistry and generate an inflammatory response in the immune system with the potential to cause disease. While there are many medications that focus on alleviating the symptoms of allergies, they do not address the root cause of allergic disorders. Chiropractic care focuses on correcting structural imbalances in the body to restore overall neurological and immune function. Functional medicine identifies body systems that need additional nutrients, detoxification support, or changes in lifestyle or environment. Combined these approaches can help reduce allergic reactions and inflammation by improving the body’s ability to remove toxins and have a more balanced immune response to environmental triggers.
Lifestyle
It is no secret that unhealthy lifestyles lead to the development of poor health and illness. Things such as poor diet, stress, and drug abuse are forms of an unhealthy lifestyle. A functional medicine doctor will address the underlying cause of a particular disease and develop an effective treatment solution to improve your mental health and quality of life. Instead of suggesting a drug-based treatment solution, a functional medicine doctor will recommend things such as nutritional supplements, dietary changes, meditation, and exercises.
What Are the Benefits Of Functional Medicine?
Helps with a wide range of health conditions
Having a broad understanding of the human body, functional medicine doctors can provide care for a wide range of conditions. Besides, they have many tools to manage chronic conditions. Some of these conditions include:
- Diabetes
- Autoimmunity
- Asthma and Allergies
- Fibromyalgia
- Digestive imbalances
- Immune and Hormonal imbalances
Personalized focus
Our functional medicine doctor focuses on each person’s health. The practitioner will examine each patient and develop an individualized treatment plan.
Finding the underlying root cause
Unlike other treatment methods that focus on making diagnoses, functional medicine is concerned with the underlying dysfunction. A functional medicine doctor addresses the root cause of the disease and offers you a long-lasting solution to get your health and your life back.
Functional Medicine Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is functional medicine?
Functional medicine is a personalized, science-based approach to healthcare that focuses on identifying and addressing the root causes of disease. It emphasizes a collaborative relationship between the patient and practitioner to optimize health and prevent illness by considering the body as an interconnected system and restoring overall health with lifestyle modifications rather than treating isolated symptoms.
What conditions can functional medicine treat?
Functional medicine can care for a wide range of conditions, including diabetes, autoimmune diseases, asthma, allergies, fibromyalgia, digestive imbalances, and immune and hormonal imbalances. It aims to support healing from chronic conditions by identifying and treating their root causes.
How is functional medicine different from conventional medicine?
Functional medicine differs from conventional medicine by focusing on the root causes of disease rather than just treating symptoms. It considers the whole body as an interconnected system and uses a personalized approach to treatment, including lifestyle changes, nutrition, and natural therapies, rather than relying solely on medications and surgery.
What can I expect during a functional medicine consultation?
During a functional medicine consultation, you can expect a comprehensive evaluation of your health history, lifestyle, and environmental factors. The practitioner will perform a thorough consultation and examination and may order specific diagnostic tests to identify underlying imbalances. Based on the findings, a personalized health plan will be developed to address your unique needs.
How long does it take to see results with functional medicine?
The time it takes to see results with functional medicine varies depending on the individual’s condition, the severity of symptoms, and adherence to the treatment plan. Some patients may experience improvements within weeks, while others who are more ill may take several months to achieve significant results.
Are functional medicine treatments covered by insurance?
Insurance coverage for functional medicine diagnostic testing and consultations vary depending on the provider and the specific services offered. It’s important to check with your insurance company to determine what aspects of functional medicine, if any, are covered under your plan.
What role does nutrition play in functional medicine?
Nutrition plays a central role in functional medicine. A functional medicine practitioner will often recommend dietary changes and nutritional supplements to address deficiencies, support detoxification, and promote overall health. Proper nutrition is essential for restoring cellular health as well as preventing chronic diseases.
Can functional medicine be combined with conventional treatments?
Yes, functional medicine can be combined with conventional treatments. Many patients benefit from an integrative approach that includes both functional and conventional medical practices to achieve the best possible health outcomes.
Is functional medicine suitable for children?
Yes, functional medicine is very helpful for children. It can help address various pediatric conditions, such as allergies, asthma, digestive issues, and behavioral problems, by focusing on underlying root causes and promoting systemic health through personalized care.
Do you reside in Vienna, Virginia (VA), and suffer from a chronic condition? Whole Body Health will help to alleviate the symptoms while improving your overall health through functional medicine. Our practitioner, Dr. Gustitus, uses a gentle approach with minimal to no side effects. Reach out to Whole Body Health today and book your appointment!
Make whole body health a priority. Schedule your INITIAL Consultation Today.
Call (571) 378-0108 or GET STARTED