What Functional Medicine/Endocrinology Is and How it Can Help You-
While you may have never heard of the term Functional Medicine, FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE is the future of Health Care. It primary goal is address the root causes of sickness, disease and suffering by looking at the BIG PICTURE. Doctors who practice Functional Medicine, view the body as one integrated system- Everything is interwoven and interconnected and when one system shuts down it has a domino affect on all the other parts of the body. Your Body is a Puzzle and Functional Medicine looks at how each individuals puzzle pieces come together as a solution to better health.
Functional Medicine uses new research and testing that for the first time allows treatment of the underlying causes of disease and suffering. Instead of managing or masking the symptoms as conventional medicine does, Functional Medicine looks at the pieces of the puzzle.
It’s the fastest growing field in the Health Care Profession.
Unlike conventional medicine, treatments are very personalized based on the patient’s unique individual biological needs.
NO two people are alike, so why would they receive the same treatment? We are all different, and our bodies react to conditions in different ways. The name of a disease matters less as we understand the cause.
For example, Fatigue and Brain Fog may be caused by blood sugar problems, Vitamin deficiency, Food Sensitivities, Neurotransmitters imbalances, Brain Inflammation, Toxicity, Infection, Thyroid disease, or structural problems in the upper part of the neck. As you can see there are any number of causes and a Doctor who specializes in Functional Medicine will be able to uncover the cause and then develop a treatment program to support and optimize your body.
Functional Medicine uses the science of health to create and maintain health. It applies the technologies we have, the clinical innovations, and includes the one element that has been missing—an understanding of the root cause of disease, addressing those causes, and getting on the path back to health.
Conventional medicine creates specialties such as the cardiologist, rheumatologist, neurologist, endocrinologist, and more, who independently treat each of the body’s systems.
Functional medicine recognizes that our bodies are made up of a complex interconnected web of biological systems and processes that need to be treated simultaneously as a whole. It’s not bad luck that one person has multiple “diseases” like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or asthma, ADHD, irritable bowel syndrome and migraines. They are all related.
In conventional medicine, If we treat the part and not the entire system, we can’t effectively prevent, treat or reverse a chronic illness- the best we can do is treat symptoms.
The Pillars of Amazing Health are Dependent upon:
- Environmental factors-toxins, pesticides, Cosmetics endocrine disruptors)
- Nutritional imbalances- poor diet, Food allergies, Food sensitivities can all lead to poor absorption of vital nutrients.)
- Hormonal imbalances-too much or too little of a particular hormone. ie insulin, thyroid, adrenal Fatigue, Estrogen, Testosterone, Progesterone, Cortisol)
- Systemic Inflammation-
- Hidden Infection– Parasites, Mold, Yeast, Virus, Bacteria- Epstein Barr virus, Klebsiella, Herpes, Lyme, SIBO
- Oxidative stress- Free radicals and Reactive Oxygen Species cause damage to our cells. This Oxidative stress causes sickness and disease.
- Impaired Liver detoxification- Inability to rid toxins due to liver and gut function can affect the total body burden.
- Gastrointestinal Function- 80% of your immune system is located in your gut. Problems in the gut such as a disruption to the good bacteria, poor absorption, food sensitivities, can all have a profound impact on your overall health and well being.
Functional Medicine…is a science-based, healthcare approach that assesses and treats underlying causes of illness through individually tailored therapies to restore health and improve function.
The functional medicine approach can help find a solution to problems that other doctors either cannot figure out, or are simply prescribing medications to treat the symptoms.
Dr. Hagmeyer has been able to help support nutritionally, metabolically, and structurally patients who suffer from conditions such as as Hyperthyroidism, Graves Disease, Autoimmune Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Type II Diabetes, Peripheral Neuropathy, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Male Hormone Imbalance, Female Hormone imbalance, PMS, PCOS, Endometriosis, Andropause, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Chronic headaches or Migraines, Balance and Dizziness, Back Pain, Neck pain using the principles of Functional medicine and Brain Based Therapy.
How Can Functional Medicine Help Me?
Based on an thorough history, various questionnaires, lab testing, dietary assessment, Dr Hagmeyer can tailor treatment to your unique biology and biochemistry. No two people have the exact same biology and chemistry and this is why treatment is so customized to the individual. Most People have had nothing more than cookie cutter medicine their whole lives.
This is where Functional Medicine differs from conventional medicine. Functional medicine implements testing above and beyond what standard blood tests offer. These advanced tests helps us understand your unique physiology.
Functional Medicine is an excellent adjunct for helping the chronic conditions, that other doctors and Health care practitioners have been unsuccessful at treating. It is also far superior from a Preventative standpoint for those seeking optimal health.
Chronic Health Conditions Helped with Functional Medicine.
- Chronic pain
- Chronic fatigue
- Sleeping disorders
- Peripheral Neuropathy and Diabetic Neuropathy
- Type II Diabetes
- Restless Leg syndrome
- Autoimmune Conditions
- Thyroid problems (Hashimoto’s disease and Graves)
- Gastrointestinal Problems (IBS, SIBO, Leaky Gut, Crohn’s, Ulcerative Colitis)
- Cognitive Problems including Neurodegenerative Diseases.
- Psychiatric Problems (Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar)
- Cardiovascular Problems (High blood pressure/ high cholesterol/ triglycerides)
- Hormonal imbalances (PCOS, Endometriosis, Menopause, Infertility,Fibroids)
- Childhood Developmental Disorders
Who wouldn’t want more vitality or energy, better sleep, improved memory, better sex or lowered risk to heart attack?
Why Your Doctor Hasn’t Been Able To Help You So Far.
HMO’s and managed care dictate the tests that are ordered and covered by your insurance. Because Dr Hagmeyer is a Functional Medicine Doctor, testing and the kinds of testing needed to get to the root cause of your health problems are not considered medically necessary. Unfortunately, insurance companies rather pay for drugs and surgery rather than pay for testing that addressed the root cause. Since we are not part of this backwards system, we are able to go beyond these restrictions and offer testing that helps us address the root cause.
The blood work that comes back to us from other doctors is often a watered down version compared to years past. The U.S. is now considered to have a lower life expectancy compared to 41 other countries (AP/Arizona Daily Star) as other countries are improving health, lifestyle and nutrition.
Functional Medicine allows you to even the playing field as the pharmaceutical drug approach, one-size-fits-all, will never allow you to reach your true health potential. You have been programmed to believe that health is found in a drug because they spend billions in T.V., magazine and newspaper ads. If you are searching for Root cause medicine you wont find it in your traditional doctors office.
I’m Ready to Get well. Learn more by reviewing the steps necessary to have your case considered. Case Review
In this video Dr Hagmeyer Explains Functional Medicine and How he approaches Chronic Health problems.
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