Physiology based approach, NOT a condition based approach.

What is Functional Medicine?

Functional medicine focuses on improving the physiological function as a primary method of improving the health of patients. Functional medicine deals with addressing underlying causes instead of just a symptom based treatment approach. Regardless of the condition or complaint a patient may have, we take a physiology based approach (meaning how the body works). While there are certain universal principles, two patients with the same condition may have very different treatment plans. In other words, we treat the patient not their condition.

Neurotransmitters

The human nervous system is arguable one of the most complex systems in nature. It is responsible for coordinating thousands of processes, from muscle contraction to crying. The center of the nervous system is the brain, which contains over 100 billion specialized cells called neurons. The nervous system also contains very important chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The brain uses neurotransmitters to tell your heart to beat, your lungs to breathe, and your stomach to digest. Neurotransmitters are also necessary for thought process, emotions, and other essential body functions including sleep, energy, and fear. Imbalances in neurotransmitters can effect of any of these processes leading to a number of manifestations, including but not limited to; Depression, low mood, anxiety, panic, insomnia, fatigue, pain, headaches, seizures, inattention, hyperactivity, high blood pressure, poor focus, poor motivation, poor intestinal function, cravings, addictions, racing mind, poor memory, hot flashes, and mood swings. The good news is neurotransmitter imbalances can be detected utilizing questionnaires, examination procedures, and urinary biomarker testing. Targeted treatment can then be applied utilizing a revolutionary drug free approached called targeted amino acid therapy (TAAT).

Hormones

Hormones are one of the many ways our body's cells "talk" with each other. Hormones are substances produced by specialized glands (like the ovaries, testes, and adrenals) and carry messages to distant parts of the body. You have hundreds of different hormones. Some important ones include the estrogens, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, DHEA, dihydrotestosterone, melatonin, and thyroid hormones. Hormonal imbalances can cause many symptoms including but not limited to; hot flashes, bone loss, prostate problems, fatigue, depression, impaired mental function, low libido, storage of belly fat, sleep disturbances, irritability, weight gain, decreased body temperature, hair loss, and constipation.

Nutrient deficiencies

Many people have underlying nutrient deficiencies or insufficiencies. If you don't feel well and have been repeatedly told that your labs are normal, you could be suffering from nutrient deficiencies. This could result from a number of factors including a poor diet, chronic stress and food allergies.

We utilize a comprehensive functional assessment that looks at a number of parameters involving how your individual body functions. This assessment includes B-vitamins, cellular energy, neural function, detoxification capability, intestinal microbial overgrowth, lipid peroxides, fatty acids and IgG food allergies.

Environmental and biotoxins

It has been observed that even when people follow healthy dietary guidelines, they can still have serious health problems. They may digest their food poorly, experience digestive distress, or be generally sickly. One reason may be environmental and biotoxins like pesticides, herbicides, toxic metals or phalates that flood the environment and invade your body. These compunds can cause or contribute to a long list of diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other brain and neurological disorders.

Symptoms of toxic build-up due to chronic exposure are usually subtle, in large part because these symptoms are so “common.” They can include fatigue, digestive distress, and reduced ability to properly assimilate and utilize fats, aching joints, depression, impaired blood sugar regulation, and female reproductive problems such as menstrual difficulties, infertility, miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, pregnancy-induced hypertension and premature birth.

Neuroimmunology

Neuroimmunology is a growing branch of biomedical science that studies all aspects of the interactions between the immune system and nervous system. It deals with, among other things, the physiological functioning of the neuroimmune system in states of both health and disease; malfunctions of the neuroimmune system in disorders (autoimmune diseases, hypersensitivities, immune deficiency), and the physical, chemical and physiological characteristics of the components of the neuroimmune system.

The immune system and nervous system are intimately linked and when dealing with complex chronic cases it is imperitive to evaluate these two systems together. Very few practitioners understand the interactions between these two systems and what their roles are in chronic disease. Functional Neurology Associates not only understand this, but are utlizing this cutting edge science to treat patients.