The Functional Medicine Approach to Healthcare
Functional medicine focuses its efforts on determining how and why illness occurs, and then restoring health by addressing the root cause of the disease. Functional medicine is unique in that it views the body as a complete system (as opposed to multiple autonomous parts and systems). It recognizes that every part of the body is inextricably linked and must be addressed accordingly.
“Functional Medicine is a science-based, personalized healthcare approach that assesses and treats underlying causes of illness through individually-tailored therapies to restore health and improve function.”
“There is no ‘disease’ in the body, only dis-ease. The origin is always unique – always.”
Strengths of Functional Medicine
- Sustainable
- Minimal risk of adverse side effects
- Empowers the client to take control of his or her own health
- Restores health, rather than merely treating symptoms
- Personalized to the individual
How working with Megan is different
Conventional medicine is essential for emergencies, infections, surgery, and diagnosis, and Megan trained and worked in it. That works well for a broken bone. When sleep, energy, gut, hormones, and blood sugar are all involved, it helps to look at them together.
Time
A 90-minute first visit, then about two visits a quarter, 30 to 60 minutes each, in person or by video. Messages through the client portal are answered within two business days.
Testing
Blood work first, to see what's going on, and advanced functional tests when they're needed. Then retesting, so you can see what's changed. You pay the lab directly; we never mark it up.
The plan
Food, sleep, movement, and daily habits first. Supplements and prescriptions only when they're needed, no more than needed, and always with a plan. If you have a primary care provider, Megan works alongside them.
| Western Medicine | Holistic Medicine | Functional Medicine | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approach | Superficial investigation focused on symptoms and symptom management | Experience-based investigation with minimal emphasis on evidence-based tests | Deep Investigation to find root cause of illness with an emphasis on testing and retesting |
| Diagnostic Procedure | Advanced diagnostic testing | Minimal diagnostic testing | Advanced diagnostic testing |
| Focus | Disease and system-focused | Whole-body focused | Whole-body focused |
| Treatment | High degree of invasiveness and intervention: Pharmaceutical drugs, surgeries and procedures | Low degree of invasiveness, high degree of intervention: Extensive and diverse modalities for treatment (ex: lifestyle changes, nutrition, and supplements). | Low degree of invasiveness, high degree of intervention: Extensive and diverse modalities for treatment (ex: lifestyle changes, nutrition, and supplements). |
| Patient Participation | Patients not often educated nor encouraged to be an active participant in their own health | Patients educated some and encouraged to be involved in their own health | Patients are empowered, educated, and encouraged to be active in their health |
| Prevention | Emphasis on screening with the goal of treating disease at the earliest manifestation of symptoms | Emphasis on disease prevention and optimizing the body to resist and combat disease | Emphasis on disease prevention and optimizing the body to resist and combat disease |
Approach
- Western Medicine
- Superficial investigation focused on symptoms and symptom management
- Holistic Medicine
- Experience-based investigation with minimal emphasis on evidence-based tests
- Functional Medicine
- Deep Investigation to find root cause of illness with an emphasis on testing and retesting
Diagnostic Procedure
- Western Medicine
- Advanced diagnostic testing
- Holistic Medicine
- Minimal diagnostic testing
- Functional Medicine
- Advanced diagnostic testing
Focus
- Western Medicine
- Disease and system-focused
- Holistic Medicine
- Whole-body focused
- Functional Medicine
- Whole-body focused
Treatment
- Western Medicine
- High degree of invasiveness and intervention: Pharmaceutical drugs, surgeries and procedures
- Holistic Medicine
- Low degree of invasiveness, high degree of intervention: Extensive and diverse modalities for treatment (ex: lifestyle changes, nutrition, and supplements).
- Functional Medicine
- Low degree of invasiveness, high degree of intervention: Extensive and diverse modalities for treatment (ex: lifestyle changes, nutrition, and supplements).
Patient Participation
- Western Medicine
- Patients not often educated nor encouraged to be an active participant in their own health
- Holistic Medicine
- Patients educated some and encouraged to be involved in their own health
- Functional Medicine
- Patients are empowered, educated, and encouraged to be active in their health
Prevention
- Western Medicine
- Emphasis on screening with the goal of treating disease at the earliest manifestation of symptoms
- Holistic Medicine
- Emphasis on disease prevention and optimizing the body to resist and combat disease
- Functional Medicine
- Emphasis on disease prevention and optimizing the body to resist and combat disease
The Seventh Hand Wellness Approach to Healthcare
At Seventh Hand Wellness, we use the principles of Functional Medicine to address each person’s health and wellness. We utilize thorough health histories, advanced diagnostic testing, and extensive evaluation and reevaluation to discover and address root causes. We emphasize diet and lifestyle as the primary tools for wellness. We take a long-term approach that considers all of the second and third order effects of the health decisions that we make.
We approach each person as an individual and unique “house.” Like our bodies, the elements of a house do not exist in isolation, but depend on one another to maintain the structure and the functionality of the house. Even though you may enjoy a really great window to sit and take in a sunrise, you cannot go straight to the window, but rather you must build the foundation, the frame, the roof, and all of the other elements that are necessary for that beautiful window to actually be the experience that you dream of and desire.
Likewise, you are a complete person that is wonderfully created and knit together for a purpose. We use the Pillars of Health to assess and guide our efforts to build your health into something that will not only last, but will support and enable you to pursue your purpose.
The Pillars of Health
Purpose
“Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn’t really matter.”
Pillars
The pillars are the six broad dynamics that determine the quality of our physical and mental well-being. They are interconnected and work together to support our purpose.
- Improving one pillar benefits the others
- Problems in one pillar can lead to problems in other pillars
- Over-developing one pillar comes at the expense of the others
- One (or more) pillar cannot carry the load of another pillar
Foundation
“He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.”