Differences in Treatment Approach
Dr. Paul Deglmann
Meghan Feir Walker
Choosing which route of care you need can be overwhelming. Is functional medicine or conventional medicine better for your situation? What are the main differences between functional medicine and conventional medicine, and which route is best for addressing chronic diseases and symptoms?
Read on to learn about the differences between these medical approaches and which route may be right for your unique situation.
What is conventional medicine?
Regular clinics and hospitals practice Western medicine, also known as conventional medicine. Within the mainstream healthcare system, most doctors are taught to focus on addressing symptoms using standardized treatment protocols and pharmaceutical interventions.
While conventional medicine is incredible at caring for acute injuries and many acute infections, those with chronic conditions are often left in the dark. Many people are told their symptoms are “just from anxiety,” that they’re “perfectly healthy,” and that their labs are “normal,” but the way they feel every day tells them otherwise. This is what leads most patients to alternative healthcare, including functional medicine.
What is functional medicine?
Functional medicine believes the body and all its parts are interconnected, meaning a symptom in one area could be caused or affected by another area that has a problem. For example, some mental health issues can be a symptom of or exacerbated by poor gut health. Insomnia can be caused by blood sugar issues. The list goes on.
Functional medicine doctors don’t specialize in just one area or organ of the body. They are taught to support and help the body as a whole while simultaneously addressing specific problems.
Functional medicine clinics and doctors typically:
- Are patient-centered
- Identify and address the underlying causes of symptoms rather than just treating the symptoms themselves
- Analyze the complex interactions within the body’s systems to understand disease mechanisms
- Create personalized plans that try to restore balance and function based on genetic, environmental, lifestyle factors, and individual test results
Testing and treatment approaches: Functional medicine vs. conventional medicine
Conventional medicine often takes the approach of treating symptoms and specific diseases by using medications, radiation, and performing surgeries. Conventional medicine has a more reactive approach where it is focused on diagnosing and treating the disease or condition once the symptoms are present.
While conventional medicine is extremely good with acute care, it struggles significantly with chronic disease because it compartmentalizes the body. If you have skin issues, see a dermatologist. Digestive issues? See a gastroenterologist. If you have a headache, see a neurologist. For heart issues, you had better see a cardiologist. However, the body is not compartmentalized, and all systems of the body impact and affect one another.
Functional medicine takes a more connected approach and looks at many different factors, such as diet, lifestyle, genetics, and nutritional supplements, to find the root cause of disease and symptoms. Functional medicine is also more proactive in its approach and looks at the body as a whole, knowing that certain symptoms today can lead to greater issues in the future.
The primary goal of functional medicine is to answer the question “Why?” and get to the root cause of disease and symptoms. Why are you tired? What's causing your frequent headaches? Why are you constipated? What is causing you to wake up in the middle of the night and preventing you from falling back asleep? Why does your energy crash in the afternoon? Once you know the “Why?” you can get to the root cause of the symptom.
Whereas in conventional medicine, you will likely get prescribed medication for each of these scenarios without questioning “Why?”
Key differences between functional and conventional medicine
- Conventional treatment methods:
- Use of medications, surgeries, and other interventions to address specific symptoms or conditions.
- Functional medicine strategies:
- includes the implementation of lifestyle modifications, nutritional guidance, and stress management techniques to restore health.
- Treatment Focus:
- Conventional medicine aims to manage and alleviate symptoms.
- Functional medicine seeks to uncover and address the underlying causes of health issues.
- Diagnostic approaches:
- Conventional medicine primarily uses imaging (MRIs, X-rays, CT scans, ultrasounds, endoscopies, colonoscopies, etc.) and standard lab testing (traditional blood, urine, or stool testing) to help diagnose certain diseases and conditions.
- Functional medicine uses a wide variety of tests and takes a comprehensive look at the patient’s history to help assess imbalances or dysfunction within the body.
- Patient engagement:
- Conventional medicine often involves shorter consultations with a focus on immediate concerns.
- Functional medicine practitioners spend more time with patients to develop personalized care plans.
Is functional medicine better than conventional medicine?
There is definitely a time and a place for conventional medicine. For example, conventional medicine is excellent and helpful for injuries and acute emergencies. However, for chronic conditions, conventional medicine can drop the ball.
The approach of throwing a different medication at each symptom often results in additional symptoms, side effects, and problems. Plus, reducing or masking symptoms is not going to have the best long-term effect unless you are actually fixing the core problem.
This is why many patients with chronic health issues find their way to a functional medicine doctor. They understand that finding the root cause of the problem can alleviate symptoms and prevent additional problems from developing down the road.
One of the biggest frustrations we hear frequently from patients is how dismissed they feel by the doctor. In conventional medicine, the patient usually only gets 5-10 minutes of the doctor’s time and is often left with a referral or a prescription. The doctor doesn’t have time to discuss questions. Patients are often falsely told they are healthy, that everything is normal, and symptoms get blamed on stress, genetics, or aging.
In functional medicine, the patient gets much more time with the practitioner to go over the history thoroughly, get their questions answered, get personalized testing recommendations, and develop a personalized plan.
The RHS approach
At Restorative Health Solutions, we want our patients to feel heard, and we need to know their history, symptoms, and story. This is why our new patient consultation at Restorative Health Solutions is 60-90 minutes long.
We believe that finding the root cause(s) of your health issues is the best plan of action. This is why we look at the following areas as possible reasons why someone may be having symptoms:
- Food allergies, food sensitivities, genetic predisposition for gluten sensitivity
- Stool and organic acid testing (OAT) to rule out any imbalance of the microbiome or subclinical infections
- Toxicity (from mold, heavy metals, insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, beauty products, and more)
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Cortisol/adrenal function
- Hormonal imbalances (sex and thyroid hormones)
- Look at RBC health and rule out anemia
- Blood sugar imbalances
Once we get the results back, we put together an individualized diet plan, suggest lifestyle modifications and stress management strategies when necessary, and suggest specific supplements based on the test results, history, and symptoms.
What is the difference between a functional medicine practitioner and a regular doctor?
For years, conventional medicine has divided and siloed areas of the body. While it’s good to have experts in various areas, dividing these areas into specialties has also led to a disconnect in understanding how the body works.
Orthopedic doctors don’t think about the heart, cardiologists don’t think about the brain, and so forth. This doesn’t serve patients well.
Functional medicine wants to get to the root cause of the problem and understands your body and problems are interconnected. It utilizes advanced diagnostic testing to identify underlying imbalances and designs targeted interventions to restore health. This route may be more suitable for those seeking to uncover and address specific root causes of chronic illnesses through detailed diagnostic evaluations. The more chronic the condition, the more appropriate functional medicine becomes.
Are functional medicine doctors real doctors?
Functional medicine practitioners are often medical doctors, osteopathic doctors, chiropractors, naturopaths, nurse practitioners, and health coaches. Some of them are Doctors of Medicine, or MDs, while other functional medicine practitioners have gone through other training and schooling.
A few different organizations offer functional medicine training.
Potential downsides of functional medicine
The biggest downside to the functional medicine approach is the out-of-pocket costs. Because functional medicine isn’t covered by insurance, this can be a financial hit for patients.
However, the biggest waste of time and money is doing the wrong thing for years. This is why we place such a strong emphasis on using accurate, thorough tests that fit your unique scenario.
The most common scenario we see is when a patient has done everything conventional medicine has to offer, but they still feel unwell and haven’t had their issues addressed properly. Again, conventional medicine is very effective for acute conditions/illnesses, but it’s not as effective for most patients with chronic symptoms or diseases.
At our clinic, a vast majority of our patients have come to us with chronic symptoms, not because of a recent onset of symptoms. They want answers to their problems that conventional medicine didn’t understand and couldn’t find.
Another potential downside to some people is that functional medicine also requires active participation. To see results, you need to make healthier lifestyle choices. And you need to remember to take whatever supplements or herbs are unique to your protocol. Although it can be difficult, building healthy habits and making better lifestyle choices will improve your health and your quality of life in the long run.
Uncover the root cause of your health problems
What are your health goals? Are you ready to stop masking symptoms and discover why they’re happening in the first place? Then, the functional medicine approach may be the right path for you.
Unlike conventional medicine’s approach to symptom management, functional medicine aims to uncover the root causes of your health issues so you can live a healthy life. If we can understand what’s happening at a core level, we will be more successful in helping you achieve health.
If you’re curious about how functional health works and how it can help you on your health journey, learn more about why testing and not guessing is so important.
Schedule your free 15-minute consultation
At Restorative Health Solutions, we offer individualized care and can help create a plan tailored to your symptoms and health issues.
If you have chronic health problems, Restorative Health Solutions is here to help. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Paul or Dr. Warren to explore a personalized approach for a helpful and effective path to recovery.
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