Functional Medicine (FM) is a holistic, personalised approach to healing that allows you and your health practitioner to achieve the highest level of health for you by working together to address the underlying causes of your health issues.
How does Functional Medicine differ from Conventional Medicine?
Conventional medicine is a disease-focused approach which is more focused on suppressing symptoms.
FM considers you as a whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms.
Simply put, the FM practitioners believe all of your symptoms to be a manifestation of the same underlying causes. By treating these causes, it is possible to bring about real, deep, lasting healing.
An FM healthcare practitioner spends time with you, listening to you and looking at the link between genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence your long-term health problems. In this way, FM supports your unique expression of health and vitality.
What conditions and symptoms can be helped?
Functional Medicine is excellent for helping persistent or longlasting conditions and symptoms such as:
- Chronic low back, neck, and joint pain
- Facial pain, headaches and migraines
- Thyroid problems
- Insomnia
- Seasonal allergies
- Rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases
- Irritable bowel syndrome and SIBO
- Anxiety and Depression
- Bloating, Constipation and Diarrhea
- Fibromyalgia, and much more.
What occurs during an initial appointment?
The purpose of the initial appointment is mostly to collect information. This process will entail Dominick taking a complete medical history and a physical exam.
After the collection process, Dominick will tell you:
- If functional medicine is a suitable and safe approach to treat your problem.
If Dominick can help you, he will then tell you:
- The nature of your symptoms?
- What are the possible causes?
- What further testing is necessary
At this stage, treatment will probably be limited to general diet and lifestyle advice.
The next visit will include a discussion of test results and an explanation of a more comprehensive treatment plan.
How long are the appointments?
Initial appointments are 60 minutes, and follow-up appointments are 15-30 minutes long but may be longer.