Holistic Medicine vs. Functional Medicine
Many people use the words holistic medicine and functional medicine interchangeably, thinking they mean the same thing. In fact, functional medicine is an evidence-based approach to holistic medicine.
A functional medicine doctor isn’t trying make your immediate symptoms disappear, although initial improvement is common. If you have back pain, for example, a functional medicine doctor will not prescribe pain medication, which would simply treat the symptom of pain. Instead, a functional medicine doctor wants to find the root cause of the backache and this is done by taking a holistic look at you. As a chiropractor trained in functional medicine, modalities such as stretching, exercises, adjustments, and dietary change may be recommended.
By asking questions about your diet, lifestyle and genetic makeup, a functional medicine doctor can gain a comprehensive look at what is happening in your life, which can then affect your body. After all, a middle-aged man who sits at a desk for seven or more hours, five days a week, a working mother who has a lot of stress at home and at work, and a weekend athlete might all have back pain. The reason for the pain would be different for all three individuals and, if the reason is different, the treatment should be different.
It’s only when a functional medicine doctor looks at everything that is happening in a person’s life can you discover the underlying cause of a medical issue. Functional medicine emphasizes prevention and considers food to be medicine. Changing your diet and lifestyle can do wonders for your health. The ultimate goal is to create lifelong positive change in your food and lifestyle choices.
At Turack Chiropractic, Dr. Dan is a chiropractor and a nutritionist, which allows us to take a holistic approach to your health. Our goal is to recommend whatever it takes —stress reduction techniques such as meditative breathing or exercise or dietary improvements with probiotics, botanicals and/or nutritional supplements—to help patients improve their health.
This individualized approach to wellness works best when the patient is treated as a partner by the functional medicine doctor. Through collaboration, the doctor and patient together determine the root cause of the health issue, which is the first step to treatment.
Contact Us
If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment at Turack Chiropractic, please contact us at 724.940.3499 or [email protected].