WHAT IS FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE?

TAMARA'S JOURNEY

WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT?

Functional medicine involves understanding the origins, prevention, and treatment of complex, chronic disease. The focus of functional medicine is on patient-centered care, promoting health as a positive vitality, beyond just the absence of disease. By listening to the patient and learning his or her story, the practitioner brings the patient into the discovery process and tailors treatments that address the individual’s unique needs.

An integrative, science-based healthcare approach. Functional Health Care Practitioners look “upstream” to consider the complex web of interactions in the patient’s history, physiology, and lifestyle that can lead to illness. The unique genetic makeup of each patient is considered, along with both internal (mind, body, and spirit) and external (physical and social environment) factors that affect total functioning.

Integrating best medical practices. Our San Fransisco based functional health care practice integrates traditional Western healthcare modalities with what is sometimes considered “alternative” or “integrative” medicine, creating a focus on prevention through nutrition, diet, and exercise; use of the latest laboratory testing and other diagnostic techniques; and prescribed combinations of drugs and/or botanical medicines, supplements, therapeutic diets, detoxification programs, or stress-management techniques.

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I work with Dr. Riva Robinson as my supervising physician.  We have adopted, according to California law - the Nurse Practitioner/Physician Collaborative Practice Clinical Guidelines for Ambulatory and Women's Primary Health Care.  We are an amazing team and collaborate weekly on our patients' care.

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WHAT IS FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE?

The Functional Medicine model is an individualized, patient-centered, science-based approach that empowers patients and practitioners to work together to address the underlying causes of disease and promote optimal wellness. It requires a detailed understanding of each patient’s genetic, biochemical, and lifestyle factors and leverages that data to direct personalized treatment plans that lead to improved patient outcomes.

By addressing root cause rather than symptoms, Functional Medicine is oriented to identifying the complexity of disease. They may find one condition has many different causes and, likewise, one cause may result in many different conditions. As a result,  Functional Medicine treatment  targets the specific

manifestations of disease in each individual.