Functional Medicine Vs Conventional Medicine
Conventional Medicine |
Functional Medicine |
|
|---|---|---|
| Approach to fix a problem Summary | Use a synthetic medication to solve a symptom from a disease. If there is progression, cut out or destroy tissues surgically or chemically. Alternative is increasing dosing or changing medications. | Find the root cause or missing metabolite that is creating symptoms. Alternative is optimizing the body’s ability to heal to fix the problem on its own |
| Access to the health care team | Limited | Easy and simple |
| Lab Testing | Outdated - problems go undiagnosed and undetected leaving patients feeling unmotivated | Advanced and Modern - shown to solve problems that have lingered for years in patients |
| Focus | Disease/Symptom - centered - Prescription medications given to mainly manage symptoms | Patient centered - Longer appointments to create customized plans to treat the individual |
| Scope | Dualistic - Views the body as a collection of separate parts, each of which has its own doctor (Cardiologist, pulmonologist, etc) | Holistic - Treats the body as an whole entity and acknowledges the importance of each connection in health and disease |
| Side effects | Serious potential side effects as it uses SYNTHETIC medications | Mild side effects as it uses more natural things the body can process |
| Mindset and Control | Disease stays present for years with little progress causing loss of hope | Time is spent educating you because you can make a difference in your health |
| Other differences | Palliative Reactive | Restorative Preventative |
| Length of appointments | 15-30 minutes | 45 min - 1.5 hrs |