A Fresh Approach to the Medical Evaluation Process: Functional Medicine
Are you looking for a new way to approach medical care? Have you been felt disappointed, frustrated, or let down by previous attempts to address your medical questions, concerns, and needs? Are you open to an advanced way of evaluating and treating existing medical conditions? If so, functional medicine may be just what you’ve been looking for—or maybe what you didn’t even know you need.
What is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine is a cutting edge concept that has become increasingly popular as many find themselves seeking new and improved methods for maintaining or restoring health. And now Dr. Hayes is brings Functional Medicine to Albuquerque.
Functional medicine is a process and system of medicine that involves not only looking at your symptoms or even particular diagnosed ailment, but rather exploring your full medical history in detail. Unlike traditional medical care, the focus in functional medicine is to get down to the root cause of any particular exhibited symptoms or any previously diagnosed medical conditions. It’s a comprehensive and holistic approach to health care that takes into account the whole body and all of its individual systems and processes, knowing that it’s all related and interconnected. It seeks to answer the questions of who, what, where, why, and how as fully as possible. Functional medicine can provide the full picture addressing all of the questions you may have (or didn’t know you had) and connecting the dots to provide a complete perspective on what needs to be addressed at the core level to provide relief, healing, and an overall healthier state of being. Especially for those with chronic, resistant, or overlapping health issues, the integrative process that is Functional Medicine can become a game-changer in true improvement rather than simply covering up symptoms. A functional medicine evaluation is an ideal option for those interested in longer, more detailed, and more personalized office visits and treatment plans; those with chronic disorders that have not been adequately addressed or treated previously; and those who are open to or actually prefer alternative treatments rather than traditional treatments, like prescription medications or surgery which may be inadequate or have undesirable repercussions.
What Conditions are Treated?
Functional medicine is a far-reaching science that can address so many of the common health conditions that plague people today, including those causing pain, inflammation, allergies/sensitivities/intolerances, reduced functionality, and emotional/psychological instability. The list below details some of the common concerns which can be addressed through the use of Functional Medicine:
- Arthritis (like Osteoarthritis or Rheumatoid Arthritis)
- Autoimmune Disease (like Lupus or Sjorgen’s)
- Chronic Pain (injury-related, neurological, or back pain)
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Digestive disorders (like IBS, IBD, or Crohn’s disease)
- Fibromyalgia
- Fatigue (overall lack of energy or malaise or that which is produced by sleep disorders)
- Gluten Sensitivity/Intolerance (like Celiac disease)
- Insulin Resistance Type 2 Diabetes
- Metabolic Syndrome (pre-diabetes, insulin resistance)
- Migraines and Headaches (like cluster, tension, or sinus headaches)
- Stress-related Conditions (like anxiety, panic, or depression)
- Thyroid, adrenal and other hormonal disorders (like Hypothyroidism, Hyperthyroidism, or PCOS Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)
If you notice, many of the conditions listed above could be considered ongoing conditions that affect quality of life, lifestyle, and overall wellness, but they are often described as just something you have to put up with or expect to experience limited results treating. What if there was a different way? A path back to both relief and restoration? Functional Medicine has the ability to provide that way.
[*Note: If, for some reason, the condition is outside of the doctor’s expertise or has been met with very limited results in past cases, that would be disclosed to you, as honesty, transparency, and realistic expectations/projections is a cornerstone of this practice and the valued client-patient relationship.]
How are Conditions Treated?
You may feel curious about how such conditions are tackled in this different method of addressing health issues. A qualified functional medicine professional will arrange for a detailed visit to delve into your health history. You will be asked to fill out forms stating any applicable details, including current diagnosed conditions, supplements and prescriptions you may be taking, treatments you may have received, applicable previous medical tests and labs, previous injuries and surgeries, and any other pertinent information.
You will find that a functional medicine doctor invests more time with you for this exploratory process than conventional doctors do. They may ask you helpful questions about your symptoms, condition, and overall lifestyle. Some things that may be discussed could include:
- A description and timeline of symptoms
- Sleep habits and patterns
- Exercise and activity habits
- Diet and nutrition
- Life stressors and work/life balance
- Personal relationships
- Emotional wellbeing and self-care practices
- Family history and genetic patterns
- Age and hormonal state
Once an accurate picture has been established for reference, the functional medicine doctor will provide a proposed treatment plan to address both symptoms and the core contributing factors potentially causing them. The primary focus will be on treating the underlying reasons for the health struggles, which will lead to alleviation of displayed symptoms. Strategies could include vitamins and mineral supplements, herbal treatments, acupuncture, sports medicine/orthopedics, or other modalities as appropriate. You may be advised about the need for a multi-faceted approach to address various factors that may be contributing to health complications. If the need for prescription medications arises, you would be referred to a medical doctor who will evaluate you further.
Once the treatment plan is implemented, the functional medicine doctor will track your progress over time to determine what’s working, what’s not, and what may need to be adjusted.
It’s important to note that the functional medicine process is a collaborative one. The true success lies in your ability to work with the doctor to provide the information needed to establish your health situation, willingness to follow a treatment plan that feels helpful to you, and report back on any changes in your health scenario that you observe (even if you don’t know or understand what they mean). Your participation and feedback are vital components of this health care partnership.
What to Expect?
You have 2 options for a visit with a functional medicine doctor depending on the desired level of time, energy, financial, and lifestyle investment that you’re willing to make.
Basic Office Visit Includes:
Focused health history intake
Focused exam
Are you willing to commit to your health?
60 minute visit
*Focus is on one issue only
* Labs are not drawn with this visit
Visit Cost: $100
Full Functional Medicine Visit Includes:
Thorough intake (health history, diet, social history, etc.)
Thorough head-to-toe physical exam
1.5 hour visit
Visit Cost: $200
Labs: Testing costs varies depending on needs. Lab draw fee: $30.
Follow-up visit to go over initial labs, detailed functional medicine report, and treatment plan: $200
After 90 days, another follow-up visit should be arranged with new labs to check on progress.
Other related costs could include vitamin and mineral supplements, herbal supplements or blends, topical pain relievers and rubs, or other suggested treatments as recommended in the treatment plan.
In addition to the financial investment, something else that will be required from the patient is the desire and dedication to commit to the advised lifestyle changes in order to produce the best possible results from your visits with the functional medicine doctor. Although much will be covered during office visits, the ultimate success of the plan will be contingent upon daily application of the prescribed solutions and devotion to observing and recording changes along the way that can be then reported during office visits. Working hand-in-hand closely with your functional medicine professional will give you the maximum return for your money and may lead to you turning a whole new page in your health and wellness.
Is Functional Medicine the Right Choice for You?
We hope this description gives you a better idea of what functional medicine is, how the process works, how it can help, the benefits, what treatments are utilized, investment expectations, and why you might want to consider Functional Medicine as the next step on your health care journey.
Albuquerque Functional Medicine expert, Dr. Geoffrey Hayes, DOM has received the specialized education, training, and certification to act as a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner and is excited to add this role to his vast list of available services, along with acupuncture, natural pain management, sports medicine, orthopedics, cold laser therapy, and whole food supplements.
Do you have still have unanswered questions or are curious how Functional Medicine in Albuquerque might work for your situation? Please feel free to reach our office and we’ll be happy to assist you further: via phone (505) 433-2054 or via endpointwellnessoffice@gmail.com.
It’s time to move past band-aid solutions or throwing drugs at the problem to find real, core-level solutions and healing with an advanced modality of lifestyle change medicine. Renew your confidence in the medical process again by discovering the miracle of Functional Medicine.
