Going to the doctor can be frustrating. At times, it seems as if no one is listening; they just write prescriptions to treat your symptoms and send you on your way. In fact, 66% of adults — or more than 131 million people — use prescription drugs in the United States.
Sir William Osler once said, “The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.” As one of the first physicians-in-chief at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Osler knew what he was talking about. This cause-versus-effect concept is also what sets functional medicine apart.
Terry L. Franklin, MD, takes an innovative approach to health care, coined Appreciative Medicine™. It views health and life as a continuum of a person’s physical, emotional, and psychological being as well as a spiritual quest.
At the heart of Appreciative Medicine lies a partnership between patient and practitioner, working together to achieve optimal health.
Here are a few ways Dr. Franklin uses functional medicine as part of his Appreciative Medicine approach in Monterey, California.
The easiest way to understand functional medicine is through a common scenario. Imagine you have a headache. Is your first response to reach for a bottle of aspirin or prescription medication to suppress your symptoms?
Dr. Franklin understands that this conventional solution only keeps your headache at bay for so long. Once the medication wears off, your symptoms may return. That’s why he approaches the problem with functional medicine.
Functional medicine improves your health by looking for the underlying cause of your symptoms. For example, a headache could be due to high levels of stress, dehydration, or muscle tension. It’s even possible to have headaches because of hormone imbalances and food sensitivities.
By taking the time to identify what’s to blame for your symptoms, you can treat it at the source instead of suppressing the problem and waiting for the symptoms to return.
Functional medicine treats the cause of the condition, with the understanding that everyone is different.
So, returning to our headache scenario, a functional medicine treatment strategy would be different for someone with a hormone imbalance versus someone reacting to food sensitivities or stress.
Types of treatments associated with functional medicine include:
Dr. Franklin also relies on regenerative medicine to harness the body’s natural ability to heal.
Functional medicine is a science-based approach centered around principles that support optimal health and wellness.
No two people are alike, thanks to genetic, biochemical, and environmental diversity. As a result, we’re all susceptible to different health challenges. Working with a functional medicine specialist ensures a more personalized approach to your health care, resulting in more positive outcomes on a case-by-case basis.
Every part of your body is connected, both internally and externally. This highly complex network of factors can take a toll on the body and your health. Functional medicine builds a better understanding of those relationships so you can find balance in the body that supports optimal function and performance.
Just because you don’t have any sign of illness doesn’t mean you’re in optimal health. Instead, functional medicine looks at health as a lifestyle for the short, medium, and long term. When you approach your health and wellness with this mindset, you can lead a healthier, richer life.
People often associate aging with disease and dysfunction. But your body has the remarkable ability to heal itself, and that includes preventing many diseases associated with aging. The secret? Making lifestyle choices that benefit your entire body, such as:
Dr. Franklin can also help develop a personalized lifestyle plan that you’ll enjoy adopting for the long haul.
To see the benefits of functional medicine for yourself, contact our office in downtown Monterey, California, to schedule an appointment with Dr. Franklin.
