Functional Medicine

Chronic disease, as a rule, is slow to develop. Examples are diabetes, cardiovascular damage, hypertension, low thyroid, cancer, mental illness, autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, and back problems. Long-term predictions for such chronic diseases keep rising because the physical, emotional, and mental effects of stress are overwhelming us. This stress comes from poor diet, a toxic environment, drugs, accidents, nervous system impairments, emotional reactions to life, mental overload, lack of exercise, and insufficient sleep. Even falling in love is stressful (eustress)!

Diabetes is quickly becoming an epidemic, so traditional medicine is planning to target “high risk” individuals with ever-more dramatic drug interventions. Researchers, of course, hope to enhance quality of life while Big Pharma hopes to enhance profits. Yet, the physical, emotional, mental, and economic side effects of drug interventions leave us with a sobering message, one having little to do with healing or quality of life. Isn’t it time for a “sanity check”?

Functional medicine works to keep you from becoming a high-risk disease candidate in the first place. The rule is simple: prevent disease from developing now so there’s nothing to “treat” later. But if you already happen to be at risk, you can start reversing some or most of the acquired stress damage by enabling your body to heal itself. This is very different from suppressing disease symptoms with drugs, as it is done with statins or thyroid medications to make lab measurements look better.

Thank you for considering our office for your functional health care needs. We understand that many patients have asked us why we do not accept insurance, and we would like to explain our reasoning to you.

​At our office, we are committed to providing you with the highest quality care that addresses the underlying causes of your symptoms with specific nutritional and lifestyle recommendations.

​Unfortunately, participating providers are required to accept the fees that insurance companies establish, regardless of whether they are reasonable or applicable to that practice. As a result, we have found that right now, for functional medicine, we cannot be a participating provider in the insurance networks and provide the time-intensive, well-researched, expert care that we do.

​We do accept Medicare, however, you will pay us directly, and we will help you request reimbursement from Medicare. We are happy and excited to see you and assist you with your wellness needs.

We are confident that we can provide you with the care and support you need to achieve optimal health and well-being.

Here’s the catch. People must qualify themselves to follow the prevention approaches of functional medicine and optimized living. Although a preventative or wellness lifestyle is highly rewarding, it is not for the timid. The problem is that most people have fallen victim to the harmful mental pattern of hoping rather than (pro)acting. They hope they will somehow fare better than others whom they know are suffering degraded lifestyles. Hope, however, doesn’t have a good track record for preventing chronic disease.

So, what are some of the harmful mental patterns you may inadvertently hold because of cultural influences? Here are a few examples. Do any fit you?

• You’ll pop a pill as a quick fix for almost anything to improve your short-term quality of life.
• You think your doctor’s job is to take charge of your health and “fix” you when symptoms arise.
• Your physical activity has decreased with each passing year because you think you’re supposed to slow down as your calendar age rises.
• You want your body to act and recover as it did in your teens and 20s.
  Hint: It can’t and won’t without ongoing lifestyle adjustments.

Most cancers incubate 10 years or more before they are finally detectible. An even longer incubation period applies to the metabolic abnormalities that lead to diabetes. What environmental stresses and biological imbalances occur during those incubation years to serve as fertile ground for cancer and diabetes? It’s the job of functional medicine to answer such questions and provide tailored re-balancing programs for individuals before they find themselves needing drugs, surgery, or medical appliances.

Unlike conventional medicine, functional medicine considers the interconnectedness of the body's systems and aims to restore balance for long-term health. (Cleveland Clinic)

Functional medicine is a complement to traditional medicine and not an alternative. Systems of health protection should work together where possible. One approach cannot serve all of “heaven and earth.”

Here are our Functional Medicine Program Benefits:

1) Your program is designed to correct the underlying cause(s) of your chronic symptoms or conditions. Each program is personalized to your needs because you are unique. (This is quite different than the traditional medical model of treating symptoms)

2) All 5 major components of your health will be addressed including:

• Organs and Glands (Hormones)
• Detoxification
• Nutrition
• Fitness
• Genetic Disposition

3) Improvement in the Following: (will have a more profound effect due to more personal care)

• Energy and Vitality
• Digestion
• Sleeping
• Body Composition
• Fitness & Strength
• Anxiety / Depression
• Chronic Pain
• Hormonal Imbalance
• Feelings of Well-Being
• Blood and Saliva Chemistries i.e. cholesterol, blood sugar, liver enzymes, hormone imbalance

4) Exclusive membership to our site for ongoing education to optimized living.

5) VIP membership for all future care (following program completion).

After the completion of your Peak lifestyle program, you may choose to continue with intermittent maintenance. These services are performed at a discounted rate, including 10% off necessary nutrient and hormonal supplementation.

6) Personal Referral Reward Program

Your personal referrals are greatly appreciated and rewarded.

7) Unlimited access to all patient educational material & Classes as follows:

• Nutrition
• Fitness
• Cooking
• Shopping Made Easy
• Stress Management
• Re-Thinking
• Detoxification

8) Our Lifestyle Program(s) will effectively take you by the hand, educate you, mentor you, inspire you, and motivate you to achieve your goals so that you too may enjoy the fulfilled life you were meant to!

Functional medicine is effective in managing various conditions, including chronic diseases, autoimmune disorders, and digestive issues. (Harvard Health Publishing)

Yes, functional medicine is rooted in scientific research, utilizing evidence-based practices to guide personalized treatment plans. (NLM)

Functional medicine employs lifestyle modifications, nutritional interventions, and targeted therapies to address chronic inflammation at its source. (NLM)

We have a number of non-invasive diagnostic testing tools available at our office. Non Invasive diagnostic testing is a way to diagnose symptoms of “not feeling well” without using any invasive surgery. Many times, these types of tests help guide our holistic counseling.

3D Laser Foot BodyScan
In our office, we have a new 3D laser foot balance machine that shows your foot arches and how your feet affect the rest of the body and how to correct them. This laser foot scan is used to identify imbalances in the foot, abnormal pressure points, and arch problems that contribute to foot, ankle, knee, hip, and back problems.

Antioxidant Level Scanner
Our new Pharmanex BioPhotonic Scanner helps measure your antioxidant levels in just 30 seconds using the palm of your hand. It then gives you a Body Defense Score from 10,000 – 50,000+. This Pharmanex BioPhotonic Scanner is the world’s first and only tool that provides you with a non-invasive, fast and convenient way to measure your antioxidant status. It allows you to know, in 30 seconds, whether your supplements are actually protecting you. Such knowledge can empower you to make improvements to your diet and lifestyle and help you make an informed decision on which supplements are properly formulated to impact your antioxidant health.

During the year, we partner with specialists for non-invasive diagnostic testing that we know can improve your health. These special events are coordinated with diagnostic testing partners with whom we have a long-standing professional relationship. These events usually require an appointment on specific dates and times when they are present in our office. These special events include:

Thermography Screening
Thermography is a non-invasive screening that maps your individual ‘thermal fingerprint’. This fingerprint is unique to you and does not change over time unless there is a disruption, disease or pathology. The scan is done without ANY pain, radiation, or compression.

Diagnostic Ultrasound

Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV) studies

If you are unsure why you don’t feel well, you may consider non-invasive diagnostic testing as an option to determine the root cause of your symptoms. With no additional pain and large surgery costs, you can get a closer look at why your body is reacting a particular way.