Both patients and practitioners often inquire what the term Functional Medicine actually means.<\/p>\n
How is it different than Integrative Medicine?<\/p>\n
Is it distinct from Holistic Medicine?<\/p>\n
In the 1990\u2019s the term Integrative Medicine was popularized as physicians acknowledged that their role, and what they had to offer their patients, was TRUE but partial.<\/p>\n
The term Integrative Medicine was described as: \u201cthe practice of medicine that reaffirms the importance of the relationship between practitioner and patient, focuses on the whole person, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapeutic approaches, healthcare professionals and disciplines to achieve optimal health and healing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beautiful, right? A system designed to honor the person and their need for support from myriad modalities of healing.<\/p>\n
This thinking was a huge step forward from where medicine had come (while also, we have to recognize, quite retrospective\u2014meaning it\u2019s what medicine used to be).<\/p>\n
Functional Medicine was also described in the 1990\u2019s, by Dr. Jeffrey Bland. It\u2019s just now receiving the recognition it deserves.<\/p>\n