Inside Out Consult
03/23/2024
- JP Nagar 6th Phase Bangalore
- 090197 04252
Rohit had fatigue, bloating, acne and anxiety that seemed unrelated. He went from dermatologist to gastroenterologist to psychiatrist without lasting relief — each gave a pill or a quick fix for the visible issue. This scenario is all too common: specialists treat isolated symptoms without asking why. Functional medicine is different. It’s a science-based, whole-body approach that asks “why is this happening?” instead of just “what is the symptom?”
So what is functional medicine? By definition, it is “a systems-biology-based model that empowers patients and practitioners to work together to achieve the highest expression of health by addressing the underlying causes of disease.” In practice, a functional medicine doctor looks for the root causes (the why) behind each complaint. For example, functional medicine practitioners seek to treat the nutritional and metabolic causes of disease rather than just treating the symptoms.
Conventional medicine often breaks the body into parts (skin, gut, thyroid, brain) and treats each in isolation. Functional medicine instead sees interconnected body systems. For example, digestion, hormones and mood may all influence one another. This reflects a systems view: chronic disease often arises from gradual imbalances in how the body’s systems work together.
Instead of asking “what pill fixes this rash?”, a functional doctor asks “what upstream imbalance led to this rash?” This root cause medicine approach looks for connections. A persistent skin problem might trace back to gut issues or stress hormones, and treating those upstream issues can relieve the downstream symptom.
Remember: These signs of hormonal imbalance in women can have other medical causes as well. If you notice persistent symptoms that interfere with your life, it’s wise to consult a healthcare provider for a proper evaluation.
Define holistic health: Holistic health means caring for the whole person — body, mind, spirit and environment — not just treating isolated symptoms. The WHO famously defines health as “complete physical, mental and social well-being,” aligning with this view. It’s a science-based concept (drawing on systems biology and lifestyle medicine) that recognizes all parts of a person are connected.
In practice, a holistic doctor asks, “How might your diet, sleep or relationships be affecting this illness?” Holistic health is not mystical; it’s an organized way of looking at health. The word holism literally means the whole.
Types of holistic health:
– Physical: Diet, nutrition, gut health, exercise and sleep.
– Mental/Emotional: Stress levels, mood, resilience and mental health.
– Spiritual: Sense of purpose, values or practices supporting inner peace.
– Social: Relationships, community support and daily social interactions.
– Environmental: Toxins, pollution and your physical surroundings.
Functional medicine organizes care around several pillars of wellness:
– Nutrition & Gut: A nourishing diet and healthy digestion are foundational.
– Hormones & Energy: Balanced hormones give stable energy and metabolism.
– Detox & Immunity: Organs like the liver, kidneys and skin eliminate toxins.
– Emotional Well-being: Chronic stress or trauma affect sleep and digestion.
– Sleep & Circadian Rhythm: Good sleep and daily rhythms are vital.
– Movement: Regular movement supports mood and metabolism.
– Environment: Everyday exposures affect health.
A functional medicine doctor will use tests to personalize each pillar (gut microbiome tests, hormone panels, nutrient levels, toxin screens) and then design a plan. In this way, a holistic health care system works: nothing is treated in isolation.
In a root cause analysis medicine visit, the functional medicine doctor goes deep. They’ll spend up to an hour taking your full history: when each symptom started, diet habits, sleep patterns, stress levels and family background. Then they order advanced labs instead of just a basic panel.
This contrasts with the typical brief consults. Holistic clinicians often spend more time identifying patterns or root causes. In one case, focusing on root causes with lifestyle and nutrition changes reversed chronic illness. The goal is to find the underlying imbalances that triggered the symptoms, not just cover them up.
A holistic health assessment is a thorough review of your whole life and health. It goes beyond a standard checkup. The practitioner asks detailed questions about your diet, exercise, stress, sleep and emotions, plus toxic exposures or family patterns.
Even personal beliefs, work and social life are part of the picture. The doctor and patient then set goals together: instead of prescribing pills, they suggest diet, exercise or stress-reduction changes first. This often reveals imbalances that root cause medicine can address.
Here are practical steps for embracing holistic health:
– Listen to your body: Notice signals like fatigue or mood swings as clues.
– Consult a practitioner: Find a functional medicine doctor in Bangalore or other cities.
– Start simple: Small changes in diet, sleep and stress have big effects.
– Get the right tests: Advanced tests can pinpoint your personal imbalances.
– Embrace the holistic concept of health: Balance every dimension of life.
Each step on the path to holistic health adds up. Think of it as moving from quick fixes to long-term balance — the goal of functional medicine.
In the end, remember that symptoms are messengers, not enemies. Functional medicine offers a holistic, root-cause approach: it treats your body as an interconnected system rather than a collection of parts.
This approach is gaining ground in India as patients seek lasting solutions for chronic issues. If you’ve been bouncing between specialists with no answers, consider working with a functional medicine doctor who looks at you as a whole person. Healing truly happens in systems, not silos.
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