For many, functional medicine is an unknown territory in healthcare. But its benefits can often be the turning point for patients with chronic and/or complex health issues. Here are three common misconceptions about this type of care, and why functional medicine can help patients.
#1: You don’t have time for this.
It’s true, functional medicine is a time commitment. But this is because its approach is not a quick-fix. Health outcomes that are long-lasting often take time, but that doesn’t mean patients are inundated with too much all at once. Functional medicine meets patients where they are at, within their timeframes, and also works under the principle that improvements in health are often more achievable when patients take small steps over time vs. big steps all at once.
#2: You’ve tried everything and functional medicine isn’t any different.
A person with chronic and/or complex health issues can spend a significant amount of time trying to get better with many doctors appointments and a multitude of therapies. Tring yet another type of care can feel like a lost cause. However, functional medicine is different, with a unique approach and specific process that distinguishes it from conventional medicine, and it can often be the turning point for patients. Its focus is to identify root causes of health issues, and to formulate plans that include evidence-based measures that support short and long term health outcomes. Functional medicine is not a “try the same thing over and over again” kind of care. It’s intentional, organized, and based in science, and it takes into account many contributing factors to health imbalances.
#3: If it really worked, your doctor would have told you about it.
Providers in conventional medicine are, by design, focused on their areas of specialty and often have not even heard about functional medicine. And in their scopes of practice, the whole body – and other contributing factors like environment, genetics, and nutrition – are often not fully considered.
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