FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE VS CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE: WHICH IS BETTER?

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In today’s world, it can be difficult to decide which medical treatments are best for you. Whether you’re dealing with an ongoing condition or looking to improve your overall health, you’ll probably hear about functional medicine vs conventional medicine at some point in your life. So what exactly are these medical options? Where do they come from and how do they differ?

This guide to functional medicine vs conventional medicine will help you understand what each approach is, how to choose the one that’s best for you, and how to work with the practitioners who can get you on the road to good health quickly.

Key Takeaways:

• Functional Medicine vs Conventional Medicine: Functional medicine delves into root causes, while conventional medicine focuses on symptom management.
• What is Considered Functional Medicine: Functional medicine emphasizes holistic factors like genetics, lifestyle, and diet to prevent disease.
• Who is a Functional Medicine Doctor: Functional medicine doctors offer personalized, holistic care, considering overall health and lifestyle.
• Empowering Patients: Functional medicine encourages active patient participation through lifestyle changes and education.
• Evaluating Effectiveness: Ongoing research assesses functional medicine’s efficacy and its integration with conventional medicine.
• Collaborative Care: Integrating both functional and conventional medicine offers a comprehensive approach to patient treatment.

What Is Considered Functional Medicine?

While functional medicine shares some aspects of conventional medicine, it takes a more personalized approach. The key difference between functional medicine vs conventional medicine is that conventional doctors diagnose an illness after looking at a patient’s current state of health.

When diagnosing and treating health issues, functional medicine practitioners look at your genetic history, lifestyle, and diet in addition to any symptoms you may be experiencing to determine what’s causing your problems and how best to treat them. Then, treatment plans can be created based on these findings so that patients can feel better faster with fewer side effects.

For example, if someone has been diagnosed with arthritis due to overactive immune system responses, a functional medicine practitioner might recommend eliminating certain foods from his or her diet before starting him or her on traditional medications like NSAIDs or steroids.

The concept behind functional medicine is simple: instead of treating symptoms, treat root causes. Because chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and cancer all share similar risk factors like inflammation and oxidative stress (the process by which free radicals damage cells), functional medicine addresses these underlying issues through lifestyle changes before they lead to major problems down the road.

That means eating a diet rich in whole foods like fruits and vegetables; exercising regularly; managing stress; getting enough sleep; avoiding harmful substances like tobacco smoke; and using nutritional supplements to support overall wellness. By addressing lifestyle factors first—rather than waiting until something goes wrong—you can keep your body running smoothly while also preventing future illness.

Who is a Functional Medicine Doctor?

A functional medicine doctor, also known as a functional medicine practitioner, is a healthcare professional trained to address health concerns by examining the interconnectedness of various bodily systems. Unlike conventional physicians who often specialize in treating specific symptoms or diseases, functional medicine doctors take a holistic approach to patient care.

Functional medicine doctors undergo specialized training that emphasizes understanding the root causes of health issues rather than merely treating their symptoms. They recognize that every individual is unique and that factors such as genetics, lifestyle choices, environment, and diet play crucial roles in determining overall health.

These practitioners typically spend significant time with patients during consultations, carefully listening to their health histories, concerns, and goals. By thoroughly assessing each patient’s lifestyle habits, medical history, and genetic predispositions, functional medicine doctors aim to develop personalized treatment plans tailored to address the underlying imbalances contributing to their health issues.

In addition to prescribing medications when necessary, functional medicine doctors often integrate various complementary therapies, such as nutritional supplements, dietary modifications, stress management techniques, and lifestyle interventions, into their treatment plans.

They prioritize preventive measures and empower patients to take an active role in managing their health by providing education, guidance, and support.

Overall, functional medicine doctors serve as partners in their patients’ health journeys, working collaboratively to identify and address the root causes of illness while promoting optimal wellness and vitality. Through their patient-centered approach and comprehensive understanding of human biology, they strive to help individuals achieve long-term health and vitality.

 The History of Functional Medicine

Dr. Jeffrey Bland founded functional medicine in 1991, basing his ideas on his studies with Japanese internist Michio Kushi, and on his experience working with thousands of patients suffering from chronic illnesses who didn’t respond well to conventional treatments.

Dr. Bland believed that modern medicine was too focused on treating symptoms rather than looking at causes, and he felt that a more holistic approach could help people get better faster by focusing on diet, lifestyle choices, environmental factors, and genetic predispositions.

Since then, many other doctors have adopted functional medicine as their own—and it’s not hard to see why! Functional medicine allows doctors to focus on prevention rather than just treating disease after it occurs and when you can prevent illness before it starts, everyone wins.

What Is Conventional Medicine?

Conventional medicine, also called allopathic medicine, is practiced by most doctors in North America and Western Europe. It uses a problem-oriented approach to diagnosis and treatment.

This type of medicine aims to diagnose disease through physical examinations and tests, then treat it with pharmaceutical drugs or surgery. In conventional Western medicine, patients usually visit a doctor when they’re already sick; in contrast, an alternative approach might focus on keeping you healthy through lifestyle changes and diet before illness occurs.

Think of conventional medicine as more of a sick care model than preventive health. Often, a patient will visit their doctor when they feel something’s not right—when symptoms are present and their body has already started to show signs of disease or dysfunction—and proceed with any necessary medical treatment or follow-up plans.

Most practitioners operate in an acute care setting with little room for preventive measures or lifestyle changes. This leads to repeat visits and long-term illnesses that often have no hope of resolving without frequent assistance from your doctor.

In other words, if you feel sick, then conventional medicine can help you get better. If you want to stay healthy, it’s probably not your best bet.

History of Conventional Medicine

The methods used in modern medicine, known as conventional or allopathic medicine, have their roots in theories of ancient cultures and include practices such as bloodletting and trepanning—slicing open your skull with a chisel to relieve headache pain (seriously). The basic ideas behind it, though, were established around 100 years ago when Paul Ehrlich discovered that injecting patients with certain antibodies could cure diseases such as syphilis.

Later research from scientists like Louis Pasteur proved that germs cause disease and developed vaccines to prevent it. Conventional medical treatment became standard shortly after that, but it wasn’t until antibiotic drugs were discovered in 1938 that these treatments really took off.

Conventional vs Functional Medicine: Differences in Treatment

Functional medicine (also called functional health) and conventional medicines work on treating different causes of illness and injury, using different tools and strategies to achieve similar results. The best way to approach your particular issue depends on what type of issue you have; it’s important to know if your condition should be treated in a conventional manner or with a functional treatment option.

For example, osteoarthritis can be treated with many different things from physical therapy to medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, or lifestyle changes such as reducing stress by participating in yoga classes twice a week. Both are options that can help reduce pain and improve function, but one might be more effective than another depending on your individual needs.

How Does Functional Medicine Work?

Functional medicine takes a holistic approach to diagnosis and treatment, meaning that it looks at an individual’s genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors when determining the root causes of illness. According to founder Mark Hyman, MD, conventional medicine too often focuses on symptoms instead of causes and treats only parts of people rather than looking at how their body interacts as a whole.

Because they can focus on cause-and-effect relationships between diet and lifestyle choices—rather than just finding out what works best for a given disease—doctors practicing functional medicine can prevent or even reverse chronic diseases like diabetes or heart disease without drugs or surgery. In other words, functional medicine isn’t about fixing you; it’s about helping you fix yourself. Is your body functioning optimally?  If not, there’s no better time to start than now.

How Does Conventional Medicine Work?

When you go to a doctor, they’ll usually look at your symptoms, take a lab test or two, and diagnose you with an illness. The treatment will be a pill or surgery designed to fix that one condition and hopefully get rid of your symptoms. If it works well enough, then perhaps you won’t need another visit with your doctor for several years.

Or, maybe you do so regularly because insurance companies want their patients in and out as quickly as possible. Either way, conventional medicine focuses on treating symptoms rather than getting to the root cause of what’s wrong.

Functional medicine takes a different approach by looking at how diet, lifestyle, and environment can impact our health. Functional medicine practitioners work to identify underlying causes of disease, which can lead to more effective treatments for chronic conditions.

As opposed to focusing on one disease state or condition, functional medicine addresses all aspects of health from head to toe by working with patients to create individualized treatment plans based on their medical history and genetic makeup.
In addition, functional medicine looks beyond pharmaceuticals for answers and instead looks towards integrative therapies such as supplements (vitamins/minerals), probiotics (healthy bacteria), herbal remedies, and other natural substances when appropriate.

Conventional vs Functional Medicine: Pros and Cons

The biggest difference between functional medicine and conventional medicine is that functional medicine puts patients before drugs, while conventional healthcare focuses on diagnosis and treatment through prescription medication.

Functional medicine emphasizes a holistic approach to health, meaning doctors are trained to address underlying causes of disease rather than symptoms alone—which can often lead to long-term health issues down the road when used in isolation.

This approach also allows a doctor’s team of care providers (which could include nutritionists, psychotherapists, and chiropractors) to work as a coordinated team to deliver comprehensive care over time rather than simply prescribing a fix-it-all solution at one appointment.

The downside? It may be expensive! In fact, some insurance companies don’t cover services provided by naturopathic physicians or other alternative practitioners. In addition, many people prefer to see their own primary care physician first and foremost, which can make it difficult to find a practitioner who practices both types of medicine.

In short: A patient’s needs should be considered when deciding which type of medical practice is right for them. If you have an acute injury or illness that requires immediate attention, then going straight to your local emergency room might be your best bet.

However, if you’re looking for preventative care or want help with chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease—then functional medicine might just fit your lifestyle better!

Functional Medicine vs Conventional Medicine: Resources

Functional medicine and conventional medicine have become popular topics in recent years, as an increasing number of people are taking a more holistic approach to health care. Although both offer unique methods of treating patients, functional medicine and conventional medicine tend to differ in key areas such as overall focus, scope, and diagnostic practices.

For example, functional medicine differs from conventional medicine by focusing on prevention rather than cure; it also places greater emphasis on restoring balance to a person’s microbiome over time through diet changes instead of quick-fix solutions that often mask symptoms without addressing underlying issues.

Both traditional and functional medicine have been around for hundreds of years, with roots in early civilizations like Egypt, Greece, India, and China; however, conventional medicine has only been around since about 1910 and most major medical advances happen in conventional medicine because it’s what we’re taught.

So you may want to start with learning about conventional medicine before moving on to functional. There are several great resources out there like WebMD, where you can get general information from trusted professionals or Mayo Clinic.  If you’d rather learn from experts then your best bet will be to talk with your doctor about what he or she would recommend for your specific health concerns.

When it comes to functional medicine, you’ll want to visit websites like The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) or The American Academy of Functional Health (AAFH). Also check out organizations like The Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine, which offers online training options as well as conferences every year all over North America.

What Are Some Considerations Of Functional Vs Conventional Medicine?

A good rule of thumb when deciding between functional medicine vs conventional medicine is to first decide if you want a holistic approach to your health care or not. If so, then functional medicine might be right for you.
If not, then perhaps conventional medicine might work better for you. Once you’ve decided on whether or not you want a holistic approach to your healthcare, there are other factors worth considering as well.

First, how much time do you have available for self-care? If little time is available, then maybe conventional medicine would be best. On the other hand, if lots of time is available, then maybe Functional medicine would work better for you.

Next, how much money do you have available to spend on healthcare? Again, if little money is available then conventional medicine might make sense. On the other hand, if lots of money is available then functional medicine could be ideal.

Finally, how open are you to trying new things in terms of your healthcare approach? If very open-minded, then functional medicine might be right for you. On the other hand, if less open-minded than conventional medicine might fit better. In short, both medicines can work very well depending on your specific circumstances.

So as long as you take into account all of these considerations along with any others that are important to you personally (i.e., ease of access to doctors/practitioners/treatment options, etc.), then whichever route makes sense is probably best—and definitely worth giving a try!

Frequently Asked Questions: Functional Medicine vs Conventional Medicine

1. What is the difference between functional medicine and conventional medicine?
Functional medicine vs conventional medicine: Functional medicine focuses on addressing root causes, while conventional medicine primarily manages symptoms.

2. How does functional medicine compare to conventional medicine?
Conventional vs functional medicine: Functional medicine emphasizes personalized treatment plans, considering genetics, lifestyle, and diet, while conventional medicine often relies on standardized protocols and pharmaceutical interventions.

3. What is considered functional medicine?
What is considered functional medicine: Functional medicine recognizes the interconnectedness of bodily systems, addressing factors like genetics, lifestyle, environment, and diet to promote optimal wellness and prevent disease.

4. Who is a functional medicine doctor?
Who is a functional medicine doctor: A functional medicine doctor provides holistic, patient-centered care, considering overall health and lifestyle, and aims to empower patients to take an active role in managing their health.

Case Study Conventional vs Functional Medicine

As a Respiratory Therapist, I have been practicing conventional medicine for fourteen years. In reality, conventional medicine primarily only offers two treatment options: medications and surgery.

Physicians aggressively prescribe medications to manage the symptoms of diseases, oftentimes in ten-minute visits, without ever asking questions about diet and lifestyle.

This creates a dependency cycle on pharmaceutical drugs, which mostly benefits the pharmaceutical industry. This is not to say that medications are inherently bad, because in some situations they are necessary, and save many people’s lives. 

However, medications don’t work for everyone and they come with a multitude of side effects. As far as surgical interventions, these invasive procedures, are not without risks and complications, and may not resolve the underlying issue.

Hence, both of these methods of treatment are not as effective, otherwise, we would not see such catastrophic rates of chronic diseases resulting in morbidity and mortality.

Where conventional medicine fails, in my opinion, is that it only treats diseases once they occur, which is what I call, “backward medicine.” What does that mean exactly?

Let me explain. It takes years to see clinical manifestations of most diseases that we see today such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, COPD, depression, cancer, and more.

Yet, we wait until we contract those diseases, only then do we begin to medicate to mask the symptoms, without treating the root cause, a bandaid solution, in my opinion.

However, it is important to understand that it is imperative to have a system in place, and this is where functional medicine prevails, where we focus on proactively preventing diseases even before they take place, which is what I call, “forward medicine.”

I truly believe that most diseases are preventable through diet and lifestyle modifications, and we do not have to depend on medications entirely to manage the disease processes. This is a holistic approach to health.

Ideally, it would be best if we could integrate both conventional and functional aspects of medicine, for a more comprehensive and collective method. In this case, we would be looking at genetic factors that predispose us to certain ailments, as well as diet, lifestyle, and environmental factors that contribute to diseases.

Ultimately, this would result in finding a personalized treatment that works based on individual biomarkers, rather than a generic protocol in which we try to fit the patient into a one-size-fits-all all approach.

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Final Thoughts: Functional Medicine vs Conventional Medicine

Both functional medicine and conventional medicine have their strengths and weaknesses, but in my opinion, functional medicine offers a higher level of service overall than what’s available in traditional care. This higher level of service means your results are likely to be better, faster, and safer with functional medicine practices than with traditional ones.

However, it should be noted that there are many practitioners of both functional and traditional care who try their best to provide high-quality service to all patients they work with; unfortunately, those doctors who provide subpar care do exist in both schools of thought.

The decision to go with a functional medicine or conventional medicine approach to your healthcare is something that requires careful consideration. Each of these approaches has its own merits and drawbacks, but also its own set of questions you should ask before making a choice one way or another.

To help you make an informed decision, I’ve outlined some important considerations in each camp. It may be helpful to consult a medical professional to gain more clarity on what sort of approach best fits your needs and situation, but once again it’s essential that you carefully consider which questions are most important for you to address before picking either functional medicine or conventional medicine as your primary healthcare approach going forward.

What are your thoughts about functional medicine vs conventional medicine? Please let me know in the comments below!