I can’t stress enough how taking care of our cellular health impacts our structural and functional health. I always say, “I can be the best Manual Physical Therapist in the world, but if your body is in a chronic state of inflammation, it’s going to be harder to get the results both you and I would like.”
I want to educate you more on Functional Medicine…
What is Functional Medicine???
Functional Medicine was developed in the early 1990s by Dr. Jeffery Bland and his wife Susan as a need to better serve patients who were struggling with chronic, lifestyle-driven disease. Conventional medicine and its primary use of pharmaceuticals was and is still critical to fight infectious diseases, as it so successfully did in the early 20th century. However, today, this system no longer works for many of the chronic diseases and illnesses we see today and often creates additional imbalances to the health of one’s cells and many interconnected systems throughout the body.
60% of American adults have at least one chronic condition (1)
42% of American adults have two or more chronic conditions (2)
90% of annual healthcare expenditures are for people with chronic and mental health conditions (3)
Many of today’s health issues and diagnoses are developed overtime due to the combinations and accumulations of genetics, lifestyle choices such as the food we eat, how we move our bodies, sleep, toxin exposure, and how we experience and manage stress and relationships, which are unique to every person. Unfortunately, most medical systems are still focused on chasing symptoms and managing symptoms with pharmaceuticals instead of working to understand the reasons the body has reached a point of struggle and “dis-ease.”
Functional Medicine focuses on the body’s systems in addition to the symptoms you experience. When one system or organ with that system is struggling due to injury, lack of nutrients, toxins or other strains, other systems within the body will also struggle as they try to compensate. Functional Medicine provides a framework to systematically identify these underlying systems and processes that are contributing to current symptoms and disease.
The heart of treatment in Functional Medicine is identifying and supporting patients in lifestyle modifications and improvements that support the body and its ability to heal and restore it. Cellular health is critical, in which we address inflammation, adequate nutrients for optimal cell functioning, exploring toxin exposure and the body’s ability to detoxify. Sleep, understanding stress and its impact on the nervous system, gut health, healthy movement, and healthy relationships are equally critical. For patients who have significant histories of health issues, further work on addressing structural health, and more in-depth lab assessment may be necessary.
In our clinic, many people who come in with chronic pain, chronic injuries, and other complicated health issues, also have previously medically diagnosed chronic diseases. Addressing inflammation and cellular health is critical to the success of Integrative Manual Therapy treatment.
In the clinic, I also address these concepts with each patient. But the real changes and improvements occur when people take these concepts and incorporate them into their lives. I designed the Foundations for Functional Health for this very reason. I personally have implemented this work into my life and rarely go back to the old habits I had…I am the healthiest I have ever been, now at age 50! Clinically, I see patients overcome chronic health issues faster when they master these skills. We have been updating and renovating the site and courses, empowering you with everything you need to know and master to optimize your health. … And there is so much more to come!
For more information on Functional Medicine, please visit The Institute for Functional Medicine or ask your health care provider.
PS…This photo is of a dish I made from Mindy Pelz’s book Fast Like a Girl. A Pumpkin Chickpea Curry Stew chockfull of veggies and progesterone supporting nutrients, served over quinoa.
1.National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. About chronic diseases. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated October 4, 2024. Accessed October 22, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-disease/about/index.html
2. Buttorff C, Ruder T, Bauman M. Multiple chronic conditions in the United States. RAND Corporation. Published May 26, 2017. Accessed October 22, 2024. https://www.rand.org/pubs/tools/TL221.html
3. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Fast facts: health and economic costs of chronic conditions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated July 12, 2024. Accessed October 22, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-disease/data-research/facts-stats/index.html