Functional Medicine & Testing
What is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine is a systems-oriented and science-based approach that works to identify and understand the root causes of disease rather than just treating the symptoms. By recognising the biochemical individuality of each patient, this holistic approach looks at the individual as a whole and considers their medical history, genetics, nutrition, lifestyle and environment to understand the underlying triggers of disease. This comprehensive analysis allows for direct personalised treatment plans to restore health in the present, as well as prevent disease in the future.
Why Functional Medicine?
Chronic disease is highly complex and can have many different symptoms, as well as many different causes.
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Everyone has a unique set of circumstances so the causes of a disease in one person may be very different to the causes of the same disease in someone else.
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Functional medicine empowers you to work closely with your practitioner in order to understand what factors in your personal health and lifestyle may be contributing to your condition.
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We listen carefully to your story and personal circumstances so we can fully identify the underlying root causes and start the process of restoring health.
Functional Testing
Functional testing refers to science-based lab tests that are used to identify your unique biochemical makeup and the potential for disease. Testing rather than guessing takes your therapy to the next level, pinpointing specific imbalances and providing a detailed picture of what is going on in your body’s ecosystem.
We recommend the appropriate test for you, then clinically analyse your results and explain these to you so you understand why you feel unwell and what the best course of action is. This knowledge can then be applied to your personalised plan for more effective treatment targeting your specific needs.
How Does Functional Testing Work?
Functional tests cover a range of conditions by looking for specific biomarkers that indicate chemical imbalances in the body such as hormones, inflammation, immunity, digestion, absorption and the presence of bacteria, worms and parasites. Most samples can be taken by yourself in the comfort of your own home for tests that require breath, bloodspot, saliva, stool or urine. Certain tests may require a blood drawn sample which can be arranged with our phlebotomist. Testing depends on the needs of each individual patient and costs vary according to the type of test and laboratory used.
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These are the test’s that I will be most commonly using from Genova diagnostics.
