Introduction
to Functional Balance in Health and Healing
 Our good
health is a function of many background processes that
occur without our awareness. These background processes
are essential to well being and optimum function in life.
When we are ill the correction of background processes
that are imbalanced will help restore health. I refer to
these processes as the Functional Basis of Health and
Healing. The
areas of interest include Gastrointestinal Function,
Hepatic Function, Reduction of Toxic Load, Glucose Insulin
Metabolism, Hormonal Balance, Single Carbon Metabolism,
Immunologic Balance, Control of Oxidative Stress, and
Control of Inflammation.
The concept
that background processes can affect health is not new.
The difference between background events such as the
Functional Processes we will discuss and foreground
Symptoms, Signs and Diseases creates a dynamic that
energizes the debate between Conventional Medicine and
Complementary/Alternative Medicine. Conventional Medicine
has focused on the problem of Disease Diagnosis and
Management. Complementary/Alternative Medicine, at its
best, focuses on the background processes, that when
disrupted, result in the development of signs, symptoms
and diseases. There are many schools of healing that work
from this perspective. Typically, these disciplines have
arisen from traditional cultures and include Acupuncture,
Chinese Herbal Medicine, American Indian Medicine, Western
Herbal Medicine, and Indian Aryurvedic Medicine. This list
does not exhaust the traditional healing disciplines from
which we derive inspiration as well as practical knowledge
in the attempt to integrate the best of Conventional
Medicine with Complimentary/Alternative Medicine. The
concept of Functional Medicine has been developed by a
group of Health Care Practitioners over the last twenty
years. I believe that Functional Medicine attempts to
integrate the best of the healing disciplines.
Functional
medicine is a scientifically based field of health care
that employs assessment and intervention to improve
physiological, emotional/cognitive, and physical function.
It is a systematic and patient centered approach to
understanding and improving health.
While functional medicine emphasizes the principles
of molecular medicine and modern nutritional biochemistry,
it acknowledges and integrates all fields of health care.
This includes regular medical practice as well as
alternative/complementary fields of health care.
Functional Medicine has the following characteristics:
|
Biochemical individualityis a fact that requires us
to recognize the uniqueness of each person as they present themselves
with concerns about their health.
Patient Centered Diagnosis and Treatment
is the natural outcome of the fact of biochemical individuality. This
concept places the patient at the center of our diagnostic and therapeutic
recommendations. We recognize that we are treating a person and not
a disease. This makes the patients experience paramount in the therapeutic
process.
Dynamic Balance
is the process we continuously
undergo as we adapt to our environment. The ability to maintain biochemical,
physical and psychological flexibility provides resilience to disease
and allows us to maintain robust health.
Web-like Connections
is
a concept that recognizes the interconnectedness of the mind/body experience.
While we recognize diagnostic categories we attempt to understand the
functional cause of the symptoms. We seek to identify how the entirety
of an individuals experience contributes to their state of health.
Health as a Positive Vitality
is a state that is unique to each person. The absence of a diagnosed
disease or discomfort does not denote the presence of health. The goal
of the Functional Medicine Practitioner is to support vitality and wellness
throughout life.
Achieving Balance is our goal. The process will be
unique for each patient. Each patient will have an integral role in defining and
redefining the experience of Balance.
|
In the ensuing discussions we will examine the functional approach to
health care. This information is designed to empower the
reader to reflect on the relationship between underlying
functional processes and their experience of health or
illness. Examples of symptoms and signs that may reflect
functional imbalance will be provided. The specific
diagnostic testing or probes that we use will be discussed
from the point of view of accuracy and reliability.
Finally, therapeutic options will be discussed. This is
not done in an attempt to create a self-help manual but
rather to create a synchronicity or common language
between the individual and the physician. A common
language and a shared process will optimize the chance
that you will benefit from your use of an Integrated
Medicine approach to health care.
A community of health care practitioners developed these concepts. I would
be remiss if I did not mention some of the key
contributors to this field. Drs. Jeffrey Bland, Leo
Galland, and Sydney Baker have worked in this field for
more than two decades. Their efforts have provided a
foundation upon which many others have built.
|
