Have you seen multiple medical providers and had multiple rounds of blood tests, only to find that everything comes back as “just normal”? What if “normal” isn’t the same thing as “optimal”? Functional medicine providers like our very own Jennifer Watson work to find out what is “optimal” as opposed to “normal”. In other words, our team works to get to the root cause of your health issues so that you can finally get back to living a more normal life where your symptoms are addressed, but also your overall well being is optimized based on a number of factors unique to only you.
Functional Medicine – The Root Cause Difference
Traditional medicine, which we’ve all grown accustomed to, primarily focuses on symptom management. For instance, you have a headache, and you take a pain reliever to relieve your symptoms. With functional medicine, the goal is not just to address the symptom, but to find the “why” behind the symptom. As our Nurse Practitioner, Jennifer Watson often says, we’re trying to “get down to the root cause and find the solution to the problem as opposed to just masking the symptoms.”
Functional medicine is primarily focused on an outcome-based model as opposed to simply symptom based. Some examples of outcomes that patients may look to a functional medicine provider for include:
- Increasing energy
- Balancing hormones
- Changing lifestyle/diet
The primary goal of functional medicine is to create a path towards resolution, unlike traditional medicine, where patients may be placed on medications indefinitely.
Functional Lab Ranges vs. Conventional Lab Ranges
One of the biggest differentiators between functional medicine and traditional medicine has to do with the “normal” lab ranges. The reason you’ve likely been told by doctor after doctor that your labs are “normal” is that they are being compared to conventional lab ranges derived from the general population. The problem with this approach is that the general population is not optimally healthy. Functional lab ranges are much narrower and reflect what levels feel best to the individual patient. At The Michigan Center for Regenerative Medicine, comprehensive blood panels are standard, and our initial visit dives much deeper than a typical check-up.
Who is a Good Candidate for Functional Medicine?
Are you unsure of whether you’re a good candidate for functional medicine? Below is a profile of someone who could benefit from functional medicine:
- Someone with chronic, vague symptoms (fatigue, joint pain, GI issues, skin issues)
- Someone who has been told their labs are “normal” but doesn’t feel normal
- Someone tired of symptom management and looking for real answers
If you feel like you’re a good candidate for functional medicine, feel free to reach out to The Michigan Center for Regenerative Medicine today. Jennifer Watson specializes in functional medicine and is actively taking new patients. To schedule your initial consultation to discuss your health journey, call our office today at (248) 216-1008.