Traditional medicine is reactive. The physician who practices it examines a patient because they are presenting symptoms, conducts one or more tests, references the current medical literature as well as their past experience, diagnoses the patient, and finally prescribes a treatment.
To be very certain, traditional medicine has produced miracles throughout history. Its scientific method has given the world penicillin, X-ray imaging, blood transfusions, organ transplants, and countless other life-saving tests, procedures and medicines that we would all become much poorer without.
But with all due respect to traditional medicine, it is incomplete. The optimal state of health cannot be created merely by waiting for disease to become observable and then treating it.
What Is Functional Wellness?
Functional medicine, or functional wellness, is proactive. Its goal is to prevent the occurrence of disease altogether rather than only treat it once it has manifested. Its holistic nature further distinguishes functional medicine from traditional medicine, as it regards the human body as a complex network of interconnected systems instead of an assemblage of organs that all operate independently from one another.
Furthermore, functional wellness is natural. Instead of introducing substances to the body which could otherwise never exist there, functional wellness relies on the body’s innate ability to heal itself. The body already knows how to take care of itself – functional medicine merely corrects any imbalances or other malfunctions that are inhibiting the body’s ability to function optimally.
In essence, traditional medicine revolves around identifying diseases and making them go away; functional wellness acknowledges how a healthy body should function and guides the individual toward naturally achieving one.
The Five Principles of Functional Wellness
Five simple principles guide all of functional medicine:
- Everybody is different. Whereas a certain disease receives the same treatment regardless of whom it affects, functional wellness takes into account what makes the individual unique, including their genetic, biochemical, and psychological fingerprints.
- Science is invaluable. Functional wellness places the highest value on what we know about the human body. The interconnectedness of a body’s individual organs and how they form a cohesive whole is not some new concept – nor are the tools that functional medicine employs to promote the ideal state of health.
- The body is self-sufficient. “Intricate” does not adequately describe a body’s complexity. Yours may contain as many as 400,000 unique kinds of proteins, as well as approximately 75,000 enzymes. There is very little so complex an organic system is not equipped to handle on its own.
- The body is self-healing. If your body is capable of malfunctioning, that is only because it is also capable of functioning correctly. To undo the source of the malfunction is to enable the body to heal and operate at its fullest potential.
- Absence of disease is not the only goal. Functional medicine also seeks to make you feel good.
How Can Functional Wellness Benefit You?
The fifth principle of functional wellness answers that question splendidly. By promoting perfect homeostasis, functional wellness does far more than prevent the onset of myriad diseases. Its mission is also to make you feel lively as your body’s delicately interwoven natural processes function without complication.
Here is what you can expect to experience once functional wellness has restored your body to its peak natural condition:
- Seemingly limitless energy
- A fortified immune system
- Ideal hormonal balance
- Strong, toned muscles
- A fully functional liver
And here is what functional medicine can help you avoid entirely:
- Digestive problems
- Sexual dysfunction
- Liver problems
- Weight issues
- Depression
- Headaches
- Joint pain
To be certain, functional medicine is not a panacea; it cannot cure everything, and seeking traditional medical treatment is strongly advised for many diseases. But if you embrace this revelatory medical philosophy in full, you are certain to start noticing improvements to your overall health that you will never want to do without again!
Contact Fargo Spine for Care
Here at Fargo Spine, we do more than just “believe” in functional wellness. That is because we reserve belief for things that are not supported by proof – and we have proof that functional wellness works. We witness firsthand the benefits of it on a daily basis. We see them in our patients, whom we help to live their healthiest lives through a number of our functional wellness services. If you would like to learn more and schedule your consultation in our clinic, then we welcome you to contact us today!