Functional medicine is a modern approach to healthcare that aims to get to the root cause of disease rather than just treating symptoms.
This patient-centered approach looks at the body as a whole system, considering all the factors that can influence your health, such as lifestyle, genetics, and environment.
By focusing on the underlying causes of disease, a licensed functional doctor can help you achieve long-lasting health improvements.
Are you looking for a comprehensive approach to your health and wellness in Meridian or Boise, ID? Or maybe you’re trying to find a meridian functional medicine provider near you? Finding the right functional medicine of Idaho is important.
At Virasoap Natural Medicine we believe everyone’s journey to optimal health is unique, and that’s why our clinic specializes in integrative medicine to optimize our patients’ health and transform their wellness.
Our personalized care plans combine holistic medicine including naturopathic ideology in an approach that empowers patients to get well on their own terms. Our online health portal allows you to quickly and easily schedule a consultation!
Any type of provider, licensed or not, can be a “functional medicine provider”, or “functional doctor”. So “regular doctors”, often known as MDs, DOs, NPs, etc, can be functional when they practice in an integrative style or receive additional training. But important to know: “functional medicine” terminology has no regulation. None. You hope that someone using the functional title has proper functional training, but more often than not, it’s just a hot marketing buzzword someone realizes they can add behind their name. One easy way to know if a functional provider is trained is to look for the IFMCP title, which means someone passed an accredited curriculum and testing through the Institute for Functional Medicine, the global leader in functional medicine education.
There are many types of providers who range from nutritionists and health coaches to nurse practitioners that often use functional medicine terminology. Unlicensed providers can have varied levels of education and experience, often without the same training or legal privileges as licensed doctors. Knowing the difference between licensed doctors and unlicensed providers can help you make informed decisions about which type of provider is optimal for you.
Our provider, Dr. Alexa Neynaber, is a licensed Naturopathic Medical Doctor (NMD), also known as a naturopathic physician, who is board-certified by the Institute for Functional Medicine to practice “functional medicine”. A licensed NMD has all the same primary care training and legal privileges as a “regular doctor” found in the average doctor’s office, but also has extensive education in natural and herbal remedies in addition.
Conventional healthcare often relies heavily on prescription medications and one-size-fits-all methodology.
Functional health focuses on treating the whole person, not just the disease. By looking beyond symptoms and utilizing science-based approaches, it can allow the provider to find and address the underlying causes.
This emphasis on fighting the root cause of illness gives the patient the ultimate power to heal.
Functional medicine focuses on identifying and addressing the root causes of diseases by considering the body as an interconnected system. It emphasizes personalized care, often incorporating advanced diagnostic testing and a combination of conventional and alternative treatments to restore health.
Naturopathic medicine, on the other hand, is rooted in natural therapies and the healing power of nature. It aims to promote wellness and prevent diseases by using holistic approaches, including herbal medicine, acupuncture, and lifestyle counseling. While both practices seek to treat the whole person rather than just symptoms, functional medicine leans more towards integrating traditional medical practices with alternative treatments, whereas naturopathic medicine prioritizes natural and traditional healing methods.
The term “holistic medicine” is an inclusive term that refers to an approach that places equal emphasis on mental, spiritual, and physical health. Because they both take a broad approach to whole-person health, functional and integrative medicine are regarded as holistic.
Sadly, insurance companies often restrict providers by limiting the amount of time they can spend with a patient, the types of treatments they may use, and even the equipment that is covered. We believe in medical freedom and a patient’s right to choose what is appropriate for their body, without their choices being dictated by an insurance company.
All healthcare is an investment in oneself. While the “sticker price” may seem high, many people find that a functional approach to health is ultimately cheaper than “modern medicine”. One reason for this is that functional doctor’s practice medicine that is focused on finding and treating the root cause of disease. The other consideration is time: a typical conventional visit is going to be less expensive because they are only able to spend 5-15 minutes with patients, whereas functional and natural medical visits are structured to be 15-60 minutes, depending on the type of visit.
The goal is to empower patients to actually get better and discontinue treatment. By contrast, traditional healthcare tends to mask symptoms with medication which can result in long-term complications which can be time consuming and costly to address as they get worse.
