7 Reasons Why Functional Medicine is FOR YOU

Breast Health, Environment, Get Help, Health Basics, Holistic, Hormone Health, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Motivation, Psychiatry, Symptoms

Why Functional Medicine?  Well, if you’re not sleeping well, seem cranky all day and your stomach seem always upset.  In addition you’re feeling a bit down and just can’t figure out why.  You head to your primary physician for—if you’re lucky—a 10-minute talk about what’s going on with you. The physician listens, nods his/her head a few times and then hands you a prescription or two, shakes your hand, and says “this should help”.  Case closed unless you call for another appointment.

You get home and Google the prescribed drugs to read all the potential side effects, constipation, dry mouth, dizziness, confusion, thoughts of suicide, lower sex drive and the list goes on.  Does this approach actually make anyone better? In a word, no.  It’s an attempt to mask the actual cause of your symptoms verses address them to heal.

Why Functional Medicine?

It’s the most profound and effective way to treat patients—particularly those with chronic health issues and here’s the 7 reasons why Functional Medicine is FOR YOU:

1. Functional Medicine is all about you

In simplest terms, think of it as the ultimate in personalized, one-on-one, therapeutic relationships. It’s a health-focused, patient-centric partnership, in which doctor and patient work together to dig deep and find out the causes of illness and disease. We examine not only the patient, but also their unique history, environment, lifestyle and underlying factors, and then develop a health-enhancing, usually drug-free plan to help restore the patient to good health and get him or her on a life-long path of wellness. With Functional Medicine, we look beyond the laundry list of symptoms; the whole person is taken into account.

3. Functional Medicine is not assembly-line medicine

Our current healthcare system is, to a large extent, governed by profit-driven conglomerates that essentially force physicians to manage huge caseloads and keep people moving through the system as quickly as possible. It’s mass-produced, assembly line, quick-fix, put-a-band-aid-on-it medicine, with little hope of creating long-term health. To it’s credit however, Conventional Medicine is great at managing medical and surgical emergencies, medical crises, acute infections and trauma, but falls way short when it comes to treating chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, gastrointestinal problems, chronic fatigue, autoimmune diseases, functional disorders, musculoskeletal problems and stress related disorders. This is where Functional Medicine is near perfect with its more comprehensive, thoughtful individual approach.  After all, you are unique and so should your health recovery plan be.

2. Functional Medicine is artisan medicine

With Functional Medicine, the patient experience is anything but conventional. One might even call it ‘artisan medicine’, because it an art of balance, involves time, care and patience, since true healing doesn’t happen overnight. With Functional Medicine, we treat the person who has the disease rather than the disease the person has. It’s not unusual for my colleagues and me to spend an hour or more with patients, listening to their histories, doing the detective work, asking questions, and examining the genetic, environmental, and lifestyle patterns that effect health. By addressing the underlying causes of illness and disease, Functional Medicine practitioners are able to design unique, personalized healing plans that Conventional Medicine literally doesn’t have the tools, training, or the time for.

Why Functional Medicine is For You Holistic homeopathic Herbal Natural Medicine Center Lakeland Central Florida Polk County

4. Functional Medicine is the best of both worlds

Functional Medicine is not an either/or system, but rather a true combination of Conventional Medicine and many different alternative and complementary therapies. It acknowledges the strengths of Conventional Medicine for acute and crisis-care, but also realizes that this approach does not have the tools for preventing and treating chronic diseases. Unlike conventional physicians, we are able to tap into all the tools of healing—drawing from Western, Eastern, alternative, preventative and integrative medical practices—to help our patients heal. By pulling from all of these approaches and by paying special attention to diet, exercise, nutrition, supplementation and the workings of the mind, we’re not just giving patients a band-aid, we’re giving them the tools to create sustainable wellness and vitality. To me, is what true healing is all about.

5. Functional Medicine looks for the cause

In Conventional Medicine, doctors try to make a diagnosis and then apply a treatment for that particular diagnosis. In Functional Medicine we are less concerned with making a diagnosis and more concerned with the underlying imbalances or dysfunctions. These are the mechanisms of the disease process. We aim at treating those underlying disease mechanisms and ultimately look for the causes of those imbalances.

6. Functional Medicine is medicine on a mission

I call myself a health evangelist, in part because I am a man on a mission. I aim to show the unwell how they can transform their health. Certainly they will need to do the work as I can’t do it for them, but we will work as partners to restore balance and health to their lives. And participating in the process, that slow transition from illness to wellness, is one of the greatest joys of Functional Medicine—for both patient and practitioner.

7. Functional Medicine is true Health Care

Functional Medicine is true health care, unlike the disease care model of Conventional Medicine. We now have the knowledge to go beyond the current crisis care model and offer patients a much better approach to their health. We can incorporate lifestyle medicine, nutrition, supplements, stress reduction and exercise to improve the functioning of organs as a means of preventing disease and creating vibrant, sustainable health.

Functional Medicine is literally FOR YOU.

Stress Emotional and Environmental Stressors Homeopathic Remedy Holistic Natural Medicine Center Lakeland Central Florida

Stress

Stress is part of life

Everyone experiences occasional stress.  There is however a problem when stress becomes chronic and a part of your everyday life which leads to Adrenal Fatigue.  What is important is identifying causes of stress, acknowledging it and it’s affect on us and then our management skills and abilities.

In today’s modern world stress can come in many forms such as:

  • Interpersonal relationship struggles be it marriage issues, extended family or at the office
  • Health concerns – Dealing with personal or family ill health, disease / cancer.  Losing a loved one (human or pet)
  • Financial concerns – loosing a job, taxes, buying a new car, having an accident, getting a traffic / speeding ticket, buy / selling / losing a home
  • Major life events such as getting married, getting divorced, buying / selling a home, new job or losing a job
  • Getting the kids fed, dressed and off to school in time
  • The roadway traffic jams on our way to work
  • Balancing work and family life – shuffling kids to sports practice and the many other activities to keep our kids growing and engaged
  • 3 Phases of Stress Response

Thinking that it will just go away is a common mistake.  The cause of chronic sleep disturbances is complex and often require a multi-approach that might include:

  • Homeopathic herbal remedies
  • Aromatherapy
  • Dietary supplements
  • Prescription and Over-the-Counter drug evaluation consultation
  • Thyroid Function testing and therapies
  • Hormone testing and therapies
  • Nutritional Counseling
  • Acupuncture
  • Massage Therapy
  • Mental and/or Family Counseling
  • Stress Management Guidance
  • Increase Physical and Relaxation Activities
    • Yoga
    • Run, Jog, any physical activity you enjoy that gets the body moving
    • Meditation
  • Effective Rest and Sleep

Weight Management Stuggle Gain Lose Hormone Therapy Acupunture Massage Holistic Healthcare Natural Medicine Center Lakeland Central Florida

Weight Management Struggle

Hormones Play a Huge Factor In Weight Management

Are you having trouble losing those unwanted pounds?  Diet and exercise not enough?  It may be that your hormones are out of balance.  We can help.

There are many factors that go into our weight gain such as:

Thinking that it will just go away is a common mistake.  The cause of chronic sleep disturbances is complex and often require a multi-approach that might include:

  • Homeopathic herbal remedies
  • Aromatherapy
  • Dietary supplements
  • Prescription and Over-the-Counter drug evaluation consultation
  • Thyroid Function testing and therapies
  • Hormone testing and therapies
  • Nutritional Counseling
  • Acupuncture
  • Massage Therapy
  • Mental and/or Family Counseling
  • Stress Management Guidance
  • Increase Physical and Relaxation Activities
    • Yoga
    • Run, Jog, any physical activity you enjoy that gets the body moving
    • Meditation
  • Effective Rest and Sleep
Chronic Pain Hormone Therapy Acupuncture Massage Holistic Healthcare Natural Medicine Center Lakeland Central Florida

Chronic Pain – Getting a Grip on Pain

Understanding Your Pain

When pain occurs it is showing you that somewhere in your body a problem has surfaced. People shrug pain off everyday thinking it will work its way out, but that may not be the case.  You might need to seek professional help to correct and maintain the problem.

There are two types of pain:

Acute Pain 

This pain warns you that you’ve been injured.  It is new to the body and can be caused by a sprain, cut, broken bone etc. The pain can be mild to severe and will usually subside with healing.

Chronic Pain

This pain is different and can last weeks, months or even years.  It sometimes comes and goes and might be accompanied by insomnia, exhaustion, even weight change and can last up to six months or more.  Many look to prescription painkillers to alienate the symptoms.  Taking Western Medication seems like the right thing to do.  After all, we are bombarded with pharmaceutical advertisements that seem to have a patent on our entire body.  They often come with side effects and can have issues if taking it with other prescriptions.

At Natural Medicine Center we can help with homeopathic options that you may leverage along with the prescriptions with little to no chance of additional side effects.  Thinking that it will just go away is a common mistake.  The cause of pain can be complex and often require a multi-approach that might include:

Our goal is to assist you to become healthy naturally and hopefully wean off  pharmaceuticals where possible.  Quite often painkillers will only mask the cause of the problem by reducing the amount of pain.  Doesn’t it make more sense to find the true cause of the pain and treat it directly?

Natural Medicine Center is uniquely equipped to help determine and treat your symptoms of chronic pain.   Please schedule an appointment with one our doctors today and we will help you get the energy back in your life!

Do You Want to Feel Better?

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Anxiety and Depression Counseling Hormone Therapy Holistic Healthcare Natural Medicine Center Lakeland Central Florida

Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety and Depression are symptoms we often shy away from talking about.  We shouldn’t!  There is nothing to be embarrassed about.  Natural Medicine Center cares for thousands of individuals every year and many of our clients struggle with these symptoms.  You are not alone.  We can help.

Most people feel anxious or depressed at times. Life situations such as losing a loved one, getting fired from a job, going through a divorce, and other difficult situations can lead a person to feel sad, lonely, scared, nervous, or anxious. These feelings are normal reactions to life’s stressors.

Some people experience these feelings daily or nearly daily for no apparent reason, making it difficult to carry on with normal, everyday functioning. These people may have an anxiety disorder, depression, or both.

It is not uncommon for someone with an anxiety disorder to also suffer from depression or vice versa. Nearly one-half of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. The good news is that these disorders are both treatable, separately and together.

For some, restoring their mood is as simple as eliminating the physical pain that is frustrating the individual.  This is something we specialize in this at the Natural Medicine Center of Lakeland (NMC).  For others who struggle with clinical depression, anxiety or compulsive disorders, the challenge may be greater to treat.  Rest assured that NMC is eager to help you overcome these challenges through:

  • Acupuncture
  • Massage
  • Hormone therapy
  • Nutrition
  • Professional mental health counseling
  • Prescription Drug counseling 

Understanding the facts of anxiety and depression is a great first step.

Please contact us today and get started on the road to better health.

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Sleep Disturbance Cant Fall or Stay Asleep Hormone Therapy Holistic Healthcare Natural Medicine Center Lakeland Central Florida

Sleep Disturbances

What is Sleep Disturbances?

Sleep Disturbance is anytime you break the natural sleep cycle with a period of being awake.  Sometimes you may be aware of it and others you may believe you slept soundly when in fact you may have experience many times throughout the night.  Everyone experience sleep disturbance.  It happens.  It is a problem when it becomes continual and chronic affecting your quality of much-needed rest.  There are over 40 different types of sleep disorders and are all categorized in three areas:

  • Lack of sleep
  • Disturbed sleep
  • Excessive sleep

Lack of Sleep and Sleep disturbances can go hand in hand.  Lack of Sleep leans more to the inability to fall asleep such as insomnia whereas Disturbed Sleep is the lack of maintaining a consistent and constant sleep period.  Some people experience both together.  Sleep Disturbance can occur throughout the night without you even knowing it when you only partially wake or momentarily wake to adjust your position for example.  Disturbance of Sleep can be caused by many different problems.

Disturbance of Sleep can be caused by many different problems such as:

  • Nightmares
  • Night Sweating
  • Sleep Walking
  • Sleep Talking
  • Need to go to the restroom
  • Stress, Anxiety and Worry – Overactive Mind “Chatter”
  • Allergies and Respiratory Problems
  • Hormonal Imbalance
  • Chronic Pain
  • Muscle Stiffness
  • Persistent Headaches
  • Inadequate Matress or Pillow Support

The lack of sleep can have a negative impact on energy, mood, concentration, and overall health.

In some cases, sleep disorders can be a symptom of another medical or mental health condition. These sleeping problems may eventually go away once treatment is obtained for the underlying cause. When sleep disorders aren’t caused by another condition, treatment normally involves a combination of medical treatments and lifestyle changes.

There are stages in your sleep that your body must go through to achieve a good night sleep, in fact there are 5. This cycles over and over throughout the night.

Stage 1 – Light sleep and relaxation of the muscles. ( can wake up)
Stage 2 – Activity in the brain slows and eye movement stops.
Stage 3 – Brains waves become slow (delta waves) and small quick waves occur.
Stage 4 – Brains waves are all delta wave.
Stage 5 – (REM) Rapid Eye Movement – dreams occur.

This usually takes about an hour and a half to complete 1 cycle. Sleep is needed for your body to function properly, so take care of yourself and do what it takes to achieve a good night sleep.

Thinking that it will just go away is a common mistake.  The cause of chronic sleep disturbances is complex and often require a multi-approach that might include:

  • Homeopathic herbal remedies
  • Aromatherapy
  • Dietary supplements
  • Prescription and Over-the-Counter drug evaluation consultation
  • Thyroid Function testing and therapies
  • Hormone testing and therapies
  • Nutritional Counseling
  • Acupuncture
  • Massage Therapy
  • Mental and/or Family Counseling
  • Stress Management Guidance
  • Increase Physical and Relaxation Activities
    • Yoga
    • Run, Jog, any physical activity you enjoy that gets the body moving
    • Meditation
  • Mattress and pillow support
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Chronic Headaches Head Aches Hormone Therapy Holistic Healthcare Natural Medicine Center Lakeland Central Florida

Chronic Headaches

Do You Suffer from Chronic Headaches?

Tension Headaches, Sinus Headaches or Migraines

More than an occasional headache, chronic headaches often interfere with the ability to live your life and can be caused by many things.  Conditions that may cause non-primary chronic daily headaches include:

  • Chronic Emotional, Environmental, Family or Work Related Stress
  • Lack of sufficient sleep
  • Lack of proper hydration – not drinking enough pure water
  • Consuming too much caffeine, sugars or alcohol
  • Lack of proper nutrition
  • Lack of physical activity
  • Inflammation
  • Infections

Many people take over the counter medications on a daily basis, others rely on migraine medications just to survive.    Some are surprised to hear that there are natural approaches to treating headache issues. Our clients often experience profound improvements in their symptoms.

Thinking that it will just go away is a common mistake.  The cause of chronic headaches is complex and often require a multi-approach that might include:

Medication overuse headache

This type of headache usually develops in people who take too much pain medication. If you’re taking pain medications — even over-the-counter analgesics (which include Acetaminophen / Tylenol) — more than two days a week (or nine days a month), you’re at risk of developing rebound headaches.

Please contact us today to learn how we can help you with your headaches.

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Stuffy Head Sinus Allergy Allergies Homeopathic Remedy Holistic Natural Medicine Center Lakeland Central Florida

Allergies – Finding Relief

Allergies got you down?

Allergies occur when the immune system mounts an aggressive response to a harmless substance.  Determining the offending substance or allergen can be very valuable, allowing you to avoid that substance as much as you are able.

Here at the Natural Medicine Center, we offer Allergy Testing.

Complete elimination isn’t always possible, like in the case of many environmental allergies, but there are allergens that can be eliminated, and if done, can greatly improve one’s life.  Though there is no cure to allergies, Natural Medicine Center offers acupuncture, massage therapy, nutritional counseling and medical thermal imaging (Thermography) to help aid in the reduction of allergy symptoms.

Please contact our office today and learn how we can help you manage allergies.

Chronic Fatigue Always Tired Not Enough Sleep Hormone Therapy Holistic Healthcare Natural Medicine Center Lakeland Central Florida

Chronic Fatigue

Do You Have Chronic Fatigue?

Tired, drained, exhausted, and depressed? 

These are symptoms commonly known as chronic fatigue.
Fatigue is a sign that your body is enduring physical or emotional stress.

Typical causative factors are poor diet, emotional stress, thyroid dysfunction, medications, lack of activity, and spinal stress.

Thinking that it will just go away is a common mistake.  The cause of fatigue is complex and often require a multi-approach that might include:

Natural Medicine Center is uniquely equipped to help determine and treat your symptoms of fatigue.   Please schedule an appointment with one our doctors today and we will help you get the energy back in your life!

See our article on Adrenal Fatigue – Chronic StressResponse.

Do You Want to Feel Better?

Book Appointment Now
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