

And because functional medicine clinics embrace evidence-based treatments, functional medicine laboratory testing is valuable to functional medicine doctors in Ontario. Mary will not leave the holistic doctor visit with just medication instructions she may also be provided with personalized treatments such as lifestyle modifications to prevent future migraines.įunctional medicine includes aspects of holistic medicine, but it emphasizes personalized, tailor-made treatments and individualized approach to help treat the root cause of an illness. The holistic doctor would consider Mary’s diet, hormonal and sleep troubles, stress and other personal issues for being the cause of Mary’s migraines. For example, Mary is a patient who visits a holistic doctor for her painful migraines. This also means that physical, emotional, and spiritual imbalances may influence a health status.Ī holistic doctor may consider both conventional medicine and alternative health care. So if one body part is not functioning properly, then this will impact the other parts. Holistic health care services deem the patient as someone with codependent aspects of health.

When holistic medicine is practiced, the practitioner’s goal is to understand the patient as a “whole”, thereby suggesting natural therapies to help progress wellness. Is there a difference between holistic and functional medicine?įirst, know that functional medicine – which is also called integrative medicine, integrative and functional medicine or integrative functional medicine – embraces some holistic characteristics. Then they immerse themselves in training with functional medicine programs prior to taking on patients as a functional medicine practitioner. This includes provincial and national exams. Prior to becoming a functional medicine doctor, practitioners must complete their education and examinations for their medical, naturopathic, or other health care licenses. Take note: functional medicine in Toronto is a legitimate health care approach in Ontario.

It also stresses the importance of understanding the importance of lifestyle modifications, including stress management, dietary changes, exercise, sleep modifications, etc. Although functional medicine includes conventional medicine when necessary, the functional medicine approach attempts to use natural ways to treat health problems. Overall though, some naturopaths practice functional medicine and some do not some functional medicine practitioners follow naturopathy and others do not.įunctional medicine providers embraces naturopathic concepts, with the broadmindedness of integrative medicine, to establish an applicable modality for the patient. So is a functional medicine Toronto doctor the same as a naturopath? Well, both professions use similar approaches to finding your wellness answers, with a modern, holistic approach to health and wellness. Discussions on family medical history will occur and how genes, lifestyle factors, and environmental surroundings may affect chronic disease, chronic pain, and long-term health.
#Functional medicine doctor full#
Practitioners listen to each patient’s health concerns in full detail. What’s intriguing about functional medicine is how a functional medicine doctor focuses on the patient as a “whole” person. It encourages patients to naturally progress towards optimal health and improve vitality.Unlike conventional medicine, functional medicine treats patients as a “whole.” If one part of the body is affected, other aspects of the body will also be considered for determining the cause of an illness.

This is an individual experience for each patient because physiology and lifestyle are taken into consideration.
