Functional Medicine
Benefit From an Evolution in Health Care
Functional medicine focuses on the underlying causes of your health issues, not just symptoms. We look at many factors that contribute to your health. These include genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. After doing a complete evaluation including an in-depth history and functional medicine labs and tests, we create an individualized plan that targets your specific needs so you can achieve the best possible health.
What is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine is a departure from traditional medicine. Our society is experiencing a sharp increase in the number of people who suffer from complex, chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, mental illness, and autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis. Medicine is oriented towards acute care. It’s great when it comes to the diagnosis and treatment of a trauma or an illness of short duration, such as a broken leg or appendicitis, because doctors can apply specific treatments such as drugs or surgery that treat the problem almost immediately.
Unfortunately, this approach lacks the methodology and tools to prevent and treat complex disease. That’s where functional medicine comes in. Rather than focusing solely on treating diseases, functional medicine focuses on the whole person and aims to restore overall health. Most doctors are not adequately trained to apply strategies such as diet, exercise, stress transformation and other lifestyle factors to help their patients take control of their health, despite the benefits. Dr. Radawi has completed advanced training in functional medicine which has provided him the knowledge and experience to apply these strategies.
Dr. Radawi is a licensed medical doctor who spends more time with his practice members, delves deeper into their histories, looks at optimal ranges of more in-depth labs and looks at the way factors such as genetics, environment, and lifestyle interact. This allows him to prioritize long-term health while treating complex, chronic diseases. This supports the unique expression of health for each individual.
40% of Americans, which is approximately 133 million people, are currently living with chronic diseases.
NATIONAL HEALTH COUNCIL
How is Functional Medicine Different?
Functional medicine takes an integrative, science-based approach to health care. This means practitioners look “upstream” to figure out what’s causing an illness, instead of just treating the symptoms in front of them. This includes external factors (such as physical health and environment) as well as internal factors (internal health and state of mind) that affect the way you function.
It combines the best parts of traditional and holistic practices to develop treatment plans that address the unique needs of each patient. This includes diagnostic tools such as laboratory testing, as well as things that might sometimes be considered “alternative,” like supplements, detoxification programs, stress-management techniques, and therapeutic use of diet and exercise.
Holistic Approach
Functional medicine takes a broad range of factors into account in restoring health.
Patient Focused
Your doctor will take the time they need to get to know you and support your journey.
Long Term
We take a long-term approach to helping you regain your well-being for life.
Are Functional Medicine Doctors MDs?
Functional medicine doctors go through the same training as traditional doctors (and then some).
Most are MDs (Medical Doctors), but some are DOs (Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine). Both types go through the same education and training process, from medical school through to residency and board certification.
Doctors who specialize in functional medicine also go on to do advanced clinical training, such as a certification through the Institute for Functional Medicine. They are licensed physicians who are committed to delivering the best possible patient care.
Poor nutrition and lack of physical activity are two of the key lifestyle risks for chronic disease in American adults.
CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
What Does a Functional Medicine Doctor Do?
Functional medicine doctors don’t treat one condition at a time, they take a holistic look at your health to identify and treat the root causes of your concerns and restore optimal health. Just like a traditional doctor, they’ll take a detailed history, conduct a physical examination, and order laboratory tests and blood work. The difference comes with the testing they do, how they interpret the results and then develop the treatment plan, through the lens of correcting imbalances rather than diagnosing disease and prescribing medications. Functional Medicine doctors can also prescribe medications if needed, although that is not the first line of treatment and they won’t just give you some meds and send you home. They’ll work with you to modify your lifestyle, and prescribe any needed vitamin, mineral and herbal supplementation, to correct imbalances to help you regain control of your health and live life to the fullest.
I can’t say enough about Dr. Radawi and his staff. He’s a doctor that truly listens, and understand me. He’s helped to get to the root cause of my health concerns, rather than pushing medications.
Tiffini
Is Functional Medicine Right for You?
Functional medicine isn’t for everyone. However, if you’re looking for a different approach to resolve your health issues, you’re tired of just masking symptoms with medications, or you’ve been to multiple doctors without resolution, we may be a good fit for you. Functional medicine requires a partnership between doctor and patient, which works when both parties are equally committed to making healthy changes to achieve long-term wellness goals.
