Functional Medicine

Functional Medicine

Functional medicine focuses on identifying the root cause of illness. Its main goal is to ultimately restore the human body to optimum functioning.

Functional Medicine practitioners perform different laboratory tests and diagnostics to uncover the root cause of symptoms to treat the whole person and not just the disease. Practitioners encourage and empower patients to be conscious of their food choices, environmental toxins, and overall well-being.

Understanding Genetic, Lifestyle, And Biochemical Makeup

It starts with a detailed understanding of a person’s genetic, lifestyle, and biochemical makeup through in-depth history taking and questionnaires. Visits are usually longer due to the fact that practitioners have to dig deep into the past as to why, when, or how the symptoms have come about. Functional Medicine practitioners tend to do a lot of different types of functional laboratory tests and diagnostics to find the root cause of symptoms and treat the whole person and not just the disease. For example, comprehensive stool analysis, organic acid testing, nutritional evaluation, genetic SNP testing, heavy metal testing and different types of specialized testing may be used to find the true sickness, and treatments are personalized and individualized based on the patient’s background, lifestyle, and genetic factors. Practitioners empower patients to work on their diet, environmental toxins and uses labs as a motivator and diagnostic as it tries to get patients to optimal range and not just the “normal” lab range.

Food and Lifestyle as Medicine

Good food and quality sleep are some of the best medicines. Yet, in today's confusing and complex world, staying healthy or overcoming a chronic illness can be a challenge that requires an informed partnership.

It is increasingly obvious that diet, environment, and lifestyle are at the root cause of many of our nation's health epidemics. If appropriate, we try to help patients get to a point where they can stop taking medications because they are healthy, naturally. . .through their diet and lifestyle.

We believe in the body's ability to rebound if given what it needs. We watch the body's natural processes and do sophisticated testing to see what is happening on the metabolic level across the body. At Lifestyle Rejuvenation Medical Group, we try to get to the root of the issue and then prescribes natural strategies to not just scratch the itch but to get the body into a cycle where it can truly heal.

Your Story

There are so many clues in your personal narrative of the potential life factors that may have contributed to your current state of health over the years. It actually starts before you were conceived, beginning with the genetic blueprint you inherited from your ancestors, through the time of your conception and development in utero and into your life from infancy to adulthood. We’re interested in all of these details, along with the personal insights you have about yourself, all of which inform the variables that may be contributing to your current health status. No detail is too minor and we can’t wait to hear about you.

Prescriptions

As necessary, we may recommend the use of pharmaceutical or over the counter medications, most often temporarily, to help in achieving a particular health goal. Generally speaking, however, there is an emphasis on avoiding medication in favor of nutritional, lifestyle and natural alternatives. For certain medications you may already be on, when appropriate, we can help you discontinue or minimize your dependency on them, if and when the timing is right in your health journey. Commonly available medications used in this practice can also include male and female hormone replacement, thyroid medication, low-dose naltrexone, peptide therapy and others.

Your Lab Testing

Functional medicine testing can include a broad array of options. We use blood analysis, comprehensive stool and urine tests, as well as sometimes saliva testing to provide insights about aspects of your microbiome, mitochondrial function, hormones, including thyroid and adrenal, nutritional status, cancer risk, metabolism, level of toxic burden, immune function, genetic susceptibility, intestinal permeability (leaky gut), potential hidden infections and more. If there are particular types of tests you’ve heard about or are curious about, we’re happy to discuss them with you and provide education about the usefulness and benefits of doing certain types of testing.

Your Medical History

We will review your full medical history, inclusive of any prior testing that may be applicable. Along with your story, this will guide us to proper lab ordering and ensure that we don’t do any unnecessary or duplicate testing, while ensuring that we are filling in the diagnostic gaps that may have been missed or never considered for you before.

Supplements

We offer personalized supplement recommendations to address deficiencies and to use as interventions for which we have measurable outcomes. The goal of using supplements is to correct imbalances and resolve the condition and are not meant to create a lifelong dependency. We do not believe in creating a lifestyle dependent on supplements or nutraceuticals. Outside of a few exceptions, they are used as tools to help improve or resolve aspects of your condition and in the context of the broader path you will be following for your healing.

Brain Retraining Coaching

Part of successful habit change involves supporting the nervous system to allow it to settle into a state that invites optimal healing. We offer coaching to teach you and help personalize a variety of rewiring practices that will make your transformative health journey more successful. Over the years, this has proven to be one of the biggest keys to success for our patients.

Nutritional and Health Coaching

We offer nutritional guidance and health coaching to help you implement lifestyle changes and follow the personalized plan we provide for you. Your health journey with us can include appointments with our nutritionist and health coach, to support you in your healing efforts.

If you're ready to make a transformation in your life, call (773) 667-9053 to schedule a consultation today!