New Health Kid On The Block
The New Kid on the Block – Functional Health
By Dr.Hennie Palm
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In conventional medicine we have become used to the idea of visiting a healthcare practitioner when we feel unwell to then be provided with a single diagnosis: “You are suffering from depression” and then being prescribed a tablet to “cure” the “disease”. The science of functional medicine knows through research that “depression” is only a symptom of many systems in the body being out of synch. In fact where traditional medicine uses a reductionist approach, functional medicine uses a systems approach (See the diagram above).
The reductionist approach aims to reduce the malaise of dis-ease to a single organ or cause. The systems approach however explains dis-ease and health as the interrelationship of many different systems such as our genetic inheritance, nutrition, digestive system, the balance or imbalance of beneficial bacteria, lack of or over exercise, stress, the process of aging, impact of our immune system, toxins in our environment and inside our bodies, our metabolic processes etc. It is only when all these systems are fully functioning and in balance that we experience wellness.
Unlike conventional medicine, functional or integrative medicine sees disease not as an enemy but as an opportunity for change and growth. Like complementary and alternative medicine, it views a person’s body as self-regulatory.
Disease occurs when the self-regulation system gets disrupted or damaged. Yet, functional diagnostic medicine takes that concept even further. It operates on the premise that, with appropriate diagnostic testing, the “root cause” of imbalance and disruption can be restored without the use of drugs or harmful treatments.
Functional diagnostic medicine works because it addresses the dynamic processes that cause disease in the first place. For example, if you have a peptic ulcer, a conventional doctor may prescribe an antacid that relieves your symptoms. A functional diagnostic medicine practitioner will seek answers to questions like: Why did you develop an ulcer in the first place? Was it as a result of the invasion of bacteria in the gut? Was it related to stress at home, in the workplace? Is it the result of a chemical imbalance in your body?
While functional diagnostic medicine acknowledges that disease and pathology exist, it addresses how a disease actually develops. Then it sets in motion a treatment program to restore functions that aren’t working. Symptoms will disappear as a result of the program, not because a prescribed drug masked them.
This new approach to healthcare is based on helping your body—your whole being—work in harmony. By contrast, conventional medicine compartmentalizes the body into specialties: liver doctors, bone doctors, heart doctors, mind doctors, and so on. With the functional method of diagnosis and treatment, all systems are linked and relationships between them explored. Many diverse fields contribute to this process, including genetics, herbal medicine, nutrition, acupuncture, ayurvedic, environmental toxicology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, psychology, and immunology.
Briefly stated, functional diagnostic medicine:
• Is patient-centered based on each person’s unique needs
• Aims to balance the patient’s functional systems
• Integrates physical, mental, and emotional health
• Uses scientific laboratory and diagnostic tests to pinpoint underlying causes
• Is interested in outcomes rather than controlling or suppressing symptoms .
• Bases its programs on lifestyle changes, benchmark and follow-up testing
Functional diagnostic medicine not only looks at how you’re “doing” and “feeling” but, more importantly, it looks at how you’re “functioning.” You won’t be told “it’s all in your head.” Its practitioners are interested in all of you—your well-being, what you eat, your work environment, your hobbies, your relationships and how you communicate with others, how you relax and play, the medications you’ve taken, how well your digestive system functions, and what chemicals you may have been exposed to.
HENNIE PALM is one of the few Integrated Health Practitioners in KZN. He obtained certification as a USA Integrated Medical Practitioner in 2011, and subsequently followed this up by completing a Fellowship in Cardio Metabolic Medicine and certification in Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy at the Institute for Integrated Medicine. He is also an HPSCSA (Health Professions Council of South Africa) registered Clinical Psychologist. He has a practice in Kloof, KZN
Hennie can be reached at 076 891 3429 or via his website http://www.giant-within.com or his email address hennie@giant-within.com for speaking engagements