How a Functional Medicine Doctor Chicago Helps Patients Solve Root Causes, Not Just Symptoms

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How a Functional Medicine Doctor Chicago Helps Patients Solve Root Causes, Not Just Symptoms

Getting caught in an endless cycle of managing symptoms is an all-too-common experience for some people. It’s frustrating having to visit different doctors and receive prescriptions, but still feel sick for months.   

Conventional care practices operate on diagnosing a specific disease and prescribing a standard treatment. It’s effective for acute issues but can be challenging when addressing chronic conditions or autoimmune diseases.

It may be time to explore functional medicine (FM). This healthcare approach strives to understand the imbalances and dysfunctions within your body’s interconnected systems. FM doctors study and analyze individual health histories to understand the underlying causes of health issues and solve them.

Here’s why their unconventional and patient-centered approach could be the key to achieving optimal health.

Seeing the ‘Why’ Behind the ‘What’

A functional medicine doctor in Chicago acts like a detective in identifying and addressing the root cause of your health problems. They’re licensed healthcare practitioners who undergo traditional medical training and earn additional certifications from The Institute for Functional Medicine and other programs offering system-oriented curriculum.

FM doctors are biological systems experts who seek to uncover why you’re experiencing certain symptoms before addressing them. These skilled practitioners consider symptoms as clues and not the full story. For them, a headache doesn’t just need a pain reliever. It can be a sign of dehydration, an infection, a hormone imbalance, and chronic stress, to name a few.

How FM Doctors Are Different

If you’re suffering from chronic fatigue, for example, a traditional physician might advise you to get more rest and drink plenty of liquids. Comparatively, an FM doctor might order tests to determine whether mitochondrial dysfunction and a hidden viral infection, causing your cells to produce energy inefficiently.

If the tests come back positive, they’ll likely recommend dietary and lifestyle changes alongside nutritional supplements. Your FM doctor may also recommend taking herbal medicines and mindfulness practices to promote your body’s ability to heal naturally.  

Collecting a Detailed Patient History

True to their holistic primary care approach, FM doctors will try to build an extensive health map while recognizing the contributions of your genetics, mental health, and environment to your current health conditions. They’ll ask about your childhood health experiences and diet and move forward chronologically.

Their comprehensive root cause evaluation also involves understanding how your core systems work. Expect to hear detailed questions about your digestive system, mood, and energy. They’ll ask if you have chronic inflammation, joint pain, or skin conditions like eczema or acne.

When looking at your hormonal systems, the doctor will ask about your lifestyle, diet, and environmental exposure. An FM doctor will also seek information about your sleep patterns and stress and energy levels throughout the day to determine imbalances and how to move forward with hormone optimization.

They can easily detect polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS, 70% cases of which remain undiagnosed according to estimates by the World Health Organization. Despite being a hormonal issue, it can affect a woman’s physical and mental well-being. (1)

The same extensive approach applies to the rest of your body’s core functions, including brain and cardiovascular health, and their interconnectivity. Your doctor’s goal is to create a complete picture of you as a person and not just collect symptoms. They’re looking for imbalances, patterns, and triggers that shape your current health, so they’ll know how to move forward.

Ordering Specialized Testing Procedures

A ‘root-cause’ medicine doctor will likely recommend a range of advanced lab testing procedures after establishing your health history. Apart from bloodwork, they will request:

• Genetic testing to understand how your unique genetic makeup might influence your risk for certain conditions.   
• Comprehensive stool analysis can help evaluate your gut microbiome composition. Your gut health affects digestion, immunity, mood, and brain function. It plays a key role in your overall health and wellness, even social relationships. (2)
• Basic metabolic panel to test blood sugar levels, kidney function, and electrolyte levels.   
• Nutrient testing to pinpoint the lacking amino acids, vitamins, and minerals your body needs to function well.   
• Food sensitivity testing to know whether some specific food may be causing inflammation or negative reactions in your body.
• Hormone panels to assess the balance of your stress (cortisol), metabolism (thyroid), and reproductive health. Your doctor can also seek a separate thyroid panel test to know how your endocrine system works.

The results of these tests reveal health issues that conventional testing often overlook. They make diagnostic procedures easier as they become the basis for creating a personalized treatment plan.

Crafting Individualized Care Plans

A personalized healthcare recommendation varies from person to person. Even so, your personal roadmap to wellness will include several components, as an FM physician often uses an integrative approach. Their clinical competence provides a framework for understanding the root causes and addressing them through various treatments and therapies.

Apart from combining Western medicine and alternative medicine, they’ll likely suggest dietary and lifestyle interventions to reduce inflammation. Most patients are required to make small changes to their routine, like increasing physical activity, improving sleep hygiene, and managing stress better. Integrative healing practitioners, which may include FM doctors and physicians practicing naturopathic medicine and homeopathic medicine, often suggest acupuncture and yoga to achieve these.

Based on a 2022 survey, two-thirds of 50- to 80-year-old Americans use at least one form of integrative medicine to enhance their well-being and help address pain, sleeplessness, or digestive problems. A high 92% of them find these strategies beneficial, although only a few of them talk to their doctors about them. (3)

Closing Thoughts

Seeking the help of a functional medicine doctor in Chicago or elsewhere can be a significant step towards addressing your health issues. They utilize a holistic practice that recognizes an individual’s unique biology and the external factors that influence it. Doing so enables them to create a more effective diagnostic and therapeutic program. Instead of managing symptoms, they enhance patient outcomes by prioritizing your long-term wellness.

References

1.         ‘Polycystic ovary syndrome’. Source: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/polycystic-ovary-syndrome

2.         ‘Beyond digestion: Exploring how the gut microbiota modulates human social behaviors’. Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306452224006572

3.         ‘U.S. adults like integrative medicine, but few discuss it with their doctors’. Source:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/us-adults-like-integrative-medicine-but-few-discuss-it-with-their-doctors