Functional Medicine Doctors: Why consider them?

Posted by Grewal Center on August 28th, 2019

Then, when the patient goes to the doctor he/she hardly gets any hint of what is happening with him/her, he/she is just sent back with a prescription. Such a hurried visit gives him/her no answer to his/her queries and he remains confused.

In this cycle, only the symptoms are focused neglecting the cause lying underneath and no one person is to be blamed for this. Our traditional medical system concentrates on treating acute diseases, a disease that is of short duration and needs immediate care.

Now the problem is that when people fall ill, it’s not the acute diseases that send them to the doctor. Chronic diseases are rising and treatment of such a disease does not require just 15 minutes consultation but more than that.

Such an illness can be treated through a detailed case study plus the lab work. And then the doctor reaches some conclusion i.e., identification of the problem. The foundation of integrative and functional medicine treatment is identifying the root cause of an illness. When the root cause is addressed, the chances of recovery gets much higher. Functional medicine is patient-centred approach, the whole person is addressed rather than just the symptoms. Functional Medicine Doctor gives more time to their patients, listening to their habits, history and so on.

 
Features of a Good Functional Medicine Doctor:

●He/ She does not make big promises.
●He/ She makes changes in the diet like recommending plant based organic diet etc.
●He/ She is a chronic diseases specialist.
●He/ She gives you more time.
●He/ She helps you in prioritizing your decision regarding testing and changes to be made.
●He/ She makes you feel comfortable and be like a partner in your health.
 
Looking for a Functional Medicine Doctor:

When you are searching for a Functional Medicine Doctor, do a search on Google. First, look for doctors available in your area. You may or may not find the doctor in your area. Then find a doctor who specializes in your condition. After that, go through the reviews of those doctors. Now get an appointment with that doctor. You can also see videos (if available) of the doctor before actually taking an appointment. In this way, you will have a better understanding of the doctor and it’ll be easier for you to decide whether you want to be treated by that doctor or not.

Today the number of people suffering from chronic diseases such as heart disease, AIDs, cancer etc are rising. Since the traditional medicine system is oriented towards acute disease treatment so it does not have appropriate equipment and methods for treating chronic diseases. Treatment of the chronic condition involves more than just knowing the symptoms. So it has become the need of the hour to go to a functional medicine doctor for treating chronic conditions. In this process, he will not only focus on the symptoms but also try to understand the root cause of it. For reaching the root cause the doctor will spend more time with the patient and ultimately understands/get to know the issue.