Functional Medicine is…
…Personalized Medicine.
Functional medicine also differs from conventional medicine by investing the time to provide personalized medicine based on a more involved health history that explores environment, nutrition, and lifestyle factors. Functional medicine embraces a patient-centered approach, emphasizing the patient’s role in their own care.
The collaborative approach to care is often very appealing to patients seeking more holistic care that offers alternatives to prescriptions when possible.
As a functional medicine provider, Dr. Kriplani can discuss treatment options, including supplements, diet plans, lifestyle changes, and stress-reduction techniques.
…Holistic Care.
Functional medicine is a holistic approach that considers the “whole person” in integrating conventional care with complementary therapies, personalized attention, and broader treatment options that consider the body, mind, and spirit. While the phrase “a pill for every ill” has been used to discuss the reliance of conventional medicine on pharmaceutical use, functional medicine recognizes that may not align with the patient’s preference.
The holistic approach of functional medicine recognizes that health can be affected by a myriad of “non-medical” issues, such as emotions, trauma, lifestyle, and faith.
Rather than viewing wellness as the absence of symptoms, functional medicine’s employs a personalized approach to the whole person.
…Another Perspective.
Dr. Kriplani is a conventionally trained physician, but finds that functional medicine offers a perspective on wellness and health conditions. While conventional medicine focuses on addressing symptoms, functional medicine explores the underlying issues contributing to the presenting symptoms.
This comparison between symptoms and root cause focus is often presented as a tree. Conventional medicine treats the symptoms of distress such as wilting leaves, dead branches, and bark damage, while functional medicine looks at what is causing these issues, such as poor soil, pests, and environmental issues.
Dr. Kriplani understands the importance of conventional medicine, especially in acute and emergency situations. As care focus moves into wellness and underlying health issues, she finds that functional medicine can offer another very useful perspective.