Integrative Medicine Consultation

A functional medicine approach to health and medical treatment is an entirely different way of thinking.  Instead of just treating symptoms, we look upstream as far as we can to find the cause of health problems.  Where conventional medicine is focused on finding diseases that can be treated with drugs or surgery, a functional approach looks for the root causes and starts there.  

An integrative approach does not mean that we will just replace your medicines with herbs.  That is still just managing symptoms.   A typical plan will likely address diet, sleep, relationships, stress and exercise.  We might use supplements and medications to help treat a problem or manage symptoms while we work on the deeper changes.  We may decide to incorporate other modalities such as chiropractic, acupuncture or refer on for additional expertise in a particular area.  

Each person is unique, therefore assessment and treatment are tailored to your situation. We discuss options and decide together what you want to tackle, and strategize how to actually accomplish your goals.  

Here are some common reasons people see me:

  • Preconception Planning (optimizing health before pregnancy)
  • Pregnancy and Postpartum issues
  • Gut Issues (gut healing, food sensitivities, irritable bowel symptoms)
  • Weight loss 
  • Migraines

Consultations can be customized to some degree depending on your needs and interests, but here is the general process:

  1. Before your first visit:
    • Functional medicine packet:  Intake questionnaire that gives us a detailed base history of you.
    • Collection of old records: It is imperative to have these records so we can see your health history progression over time.
       
  2. Initial Visit: This will be scheduled once we receive your functional medicine packet and medical history.  It is generally a 90 minute appointment, but may be 60 minutes for children with less complex medical history. We review your history together, complete a physical exam, and develop an initial action plan, which generally involves ordering labwork, and possibly referral for a more detailed nutrition evaluation.  
     
  3. Follow-up appointment(s): At a minimum, expect one 30-60 minute follow up visit to review labwork and modify the treatment plan.  Ongoing follow-up is as needed, some people benefit from monthly visits for ongoing chronic, complex issues.  Others are able to take the information and carry out the plan with other practitioners or on their own.  
 

Ready to sign up?   Or still have a few questions?