Why should I choose Functional Medicine over Conventional Medicine? Conventional vs Functional Medicine At West Functional Medicine, Functional Medicine is more than an approach to good health. It is the foundation of everything we do. Let’s take a closer look at the terms describing Functional Medicine. HEALTH ORIENTED – Functional Medicine focuses on obtaining overall whole-body health for the prevention and solution to health concerns. In contrast, disease-oriented medicine focuses on eliminating disease symptoms typically through the use of pharmaceutical medicines. PATIENT-CENTERED – At West Functional Medicine, YOU are the most important person in the room. Everything we do is to the benefit of our patients. Even our hours of operation are centered around our patients’ needs. We will never rush you through an appointment and will always listen closely to all your health concerns. We strive to truly get to know you. We form long-lasting health care relationships with our patients. LOOKS AT UNDERLYING CAUSE OF DISEASE/ILLNESS – A Functional Medicine diagnosis includes a whole-body approach to determine the true underlying cause of the disease or illness. For example, migraine headaches may be caused by sensitivity to foods, gluten allergy, hormone imbalance, vitamin B deficiency, imbalances in Melatonin, Magnesium deficiency, or stress. This is where Functional Medicine comes in. Functional Medicine is medicine by root cause; not by symptom. It helps us discover the underlying triggers of the disease and provide the correct treatment. The question we really need to ask isn’t, “how do you treat a migraine?” but rather, “what’s causing the migraines?” BIOCHEMICALLY INDIVIDUAL – Biochemical individuality simply means that everyone’s nutritional needs are different. These unique nutritional needs are based on each person’s genetics, lifestyle, diet, and environmental exposure to various stresses. For your body (biochemistry) to function properly, your body requires the right amounts and proportions of nutrients. This amount is dependent on you – the amount of a certain nutrient required by the average person (or another person) may not be the optimal amount you need for proper health. At The Mills Institute, you will receive a full panel work-up to determine what is the correct nutritional needs for YOU. This is an important part of obtaining optimal health. PREVENTATIVE APPROACH – Functional Medicine addresses all areas of your health and well-being including nutrition, hormone imbalances, adrenal care, exercise, and stress relief. A healthy body is less likely to develop disease or chronic illness. Remember, An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.