Allopathic And Functional Medicine

I have found a home in Functional Medicine. For many years I have been focused on healing myself, with guidance from all facets of health care: holistic, integrative, traditional, ayurvedic and indigenous. As different issues arose in my body as I have grown older, I found information and practitioners to discover natural ways of healing. The somatic approach of Trager Psychophysical Integration offered me the structural and emotional wellness, whereas other paths led to better general health.

After 35 years of practice, and furthering my education in 2016, I recently took a Functional Medicine course for nurses, and nurse coaches. I find it fascinating that we are now openly talking about cellular health, and ads are beginning to reflect this. Our major hospital systems are promoting gut health, and diet is now considered an alternative therapy. Today I had to schedule an appt with OSU, and while on hold I heard: “Did you know that the use of probiotics will enhance your emotional, immune and general wellness?” Another sign of growth is that three years ago, the Physicians Committee on Responsible Medicine (PCRM.org ~check them out!) raised attention to the fact that nutrition was not taught in medical schools. Thanks to their efforts, it is now in the curriculum of the majority of medical programs. Halleluiah! Perhaps our sick-care system is turning back toward a health care system.

Keeping our eyes on wellness, and setting goals for better health and vitality can begin here and now. Chronic conditions will reverse, reducing medications is possible, obsessing about weight loss becomes a thing of the past when we turn our attention toward better health and wellness. Functional medicine does just that. It looks at root causes of disease, rather than addressing symptoms. It does take a commitment to lifestyle changes, and for that we have…nurse coaches to help you stay on track!

Here are a few key points between Allopathic and Functional Medicine. Both are needed, and complementary, and yet for first approach, let’s think functional.

• Functional Medicine

  • Root cause analysis

  • Asking why? why this person and not another?

  • Avoid green pharmacy (Both supplements and medications are best used temporarily, food is our best medicine, but we may need support in the beginning.)

  • Treat the root cause of disease

  • Patients are healed, over time, sustainably, made to fit for individual lifestyle

• Allopathic

  • Emergent concerns, and this is the best use of allopathic. I will go to the ER in a crisis, and so should you!

  • Uses “Best Practice”, which means we are way behind in utilizing newer research. It takes years to implement change on a grand scale. (On average, interventions that have been proven to work, take approximately 17 years to get into the system) Visit here

  • Diagnosis are made with algorithms, one size fits all

  • Long term use of medications degrade health

  • Treating symptoms only Increases chronic illness

  • Pill for every ill mentality

  • Offers medicine, surgery and a watch and wait approach.

Yes, I admit it, I am partial to functional medicine. If you want to learn more, tomorrow, 4/29, Friday, 6:30-8 pm, I am presenting a program at The Reiki Center on 5th Ave in Columbus, Oh:

Vibrant Health: Understanding the Root Cause of Disease. Register at thereikicenter.net under classes for $20 for the evening. This class will be followed by a series of 4/ 2 hour classes, weekly until the end of May. Start your spring banking on a clean bill of health. You can improve your health! You can heal yourself!