Your Functional Medicine Doctor in Tempe
If you’re looking for functional medicine in Tempe, Chandler and Gilbert, AZ or a functional medicine doctor in Phoenix, call (480)-427-0442 to schedule a consultation or complete the online booking form.
About
“The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.” Sir William Osler, one of the first Physicians-in-Chief at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Functional medicine is not a new concept. Its roots are derived from modern scientific medicine, and functional medicine clinics are living by Osler’s words.
Functional medicine is a biology-based approach focusing on patient-centered care, integrating an individual’s history, physiology, environment, and lifestyle factors. By addressing the underlying causes of disease, it supports the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual.
If you’re looking for functional medicine in Tempe, or a functional medicine doctor in Phoenix, our team at Pure Body Health can help. We offer a variety of services that can help you achieve optimal health. To learn more about our services or to schedule an appointment, call (480)-427-0442 or complete the online booking form.
What is Functional Medicine?
At its core, functional medicine:
- Integrates a patient’s history, physiology, environment, and lifestyle factors
- Addresses the underlying causes of disease
- Supports the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual
Practitioners often use a four-step process when working with patients:
- Investigate the underlying causes of a person’s symptoms
- Identify any imbalances in the person’s biochemistry, physiology, or lifestyle
- Develop a customized treatment plan to address the underlying causes and imbalances
- Monitor the person’s progress and adjust the treatment plan as needed
What Conditions Does a Functional Medicine Doctor Treat?
Practitioners treat a wide variety of chronic diseases and conditions, including but not limited to:
- Autoimmune diseases
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Digestive disorders
- Endocrine disorders
- Neurological disorders
- Chronic pain
What to Expect
At your first appointment, your practitioner will ask questions about your medical history, your family’s history, your lifestyle, diet, your environment, and current symptoms. They may also order lab tests to help them understand what’s happening inside your body.
Based on the information gathered, they will develop a personalized treatment plan that may include dietary changes, lifestyle modification, and supplements. The goal is to find and treat the underlying causes of disease rather than just treating the symptoms. By doing so, we can help our patients achieve and maintain optimal health and quality of life.
At Pure Body Health, we embrace the following naturopathic principles:
- Remove obstacles to achieving health
- View health as balance
- Individualize each patient’s care
- Provide the minimum dose to achieve optimal health
- Teach
- Build resilience
Functional Medicine vs. Naturopathic Medicine
Functional Medicine doctors and naturopathic doctors focus on finding and treating the underlying causes of disease.
Naturopathic medicine by a naturopathic medical doctor requires a medical degree from an accredited naturopathic medical school. This education is based on the principles of naturopathic medicine, one of which is identifying and treating the root cause of disease.
This is core to naturopathic medicine and the other five principles:
- Do No Harm
- The Healing Power of Nature
- Physician as Teacher
- Treat the Whole Person
- Prevention
By default, a naturopathic medical doctor is a functional medicine doctor due to their training. A functional medicine doctor has typically trained allopathically and takes additional postgraduate training in treating the root cause of disease. Both naturopathic doctors and functional medicine doctors use lab testing and other functional lab tests to help identify and treat underlying root causes of disease.
How Is Functional Medicine Different Than Conventional Medicine?
Functional medicine (FM) and conventional medicine are two different approaches to health care. Conventional medicine focuses on the treatment of symptoms and usually involves the use of medication. Functional medicine, however, focuses on finding and treating the underlying causes of disease.
FM practitioners take a more holistic approach to health care. They often use dietary changes, lifestyle modifications, and supplements to treat their patients. They focus on the whole person rather than just the symptoms of a disease.
While conventional medicine is important for treating acute symptoms, functional medicine is better suited for treating the root cause. By finding and treating the underlying causes of disease, FM practitioners can help their patients achieve and maintain optimal health.
If you’re looking for a more holistic approach to your health care, consider seeing a functional medicine practitioner. Functional medicine doctors are trained to treat the whole person and can help you achieve optimal health.
What Are the Benefits?
There are many benefits to this form of care. By finding and treating the underlying causes of disease, practitioners can help their patients achieve and maintain optimal health.
In addition, functional medicine appointments are usually longer than conventional medical appointments. This allows practitioners to get to know their patients and understand their unique needs.
FM practitioners also focus on prevention. By teaching their patients about healthy lifestyle choices, they can help prevent disease before it starts.
Reasons To See a Functional Medicine Doctor
- You want to focus on prevention and cure rather than symptoms.
- You want to treat the underlying causes of your disease, not just the symptoms.
- You want a practitioner who will take the time to get to know you and understand your unique needs.
- You want a holistic approach to health care that may involve dietary changes, lifestyle modification, and supplements.
Contact Us Today
If you’re interested in functional medicine, contact Pure Body Health today. We offer functional medicine consultations with our naturopathic doctors, Dr. Scott Maymon and Dr. Sarah Stone. During your consultation, your physician will gather information about your health history and current symptoms. A personalized treatment plan will be created to help you achieve your health goals.
Functional medicine is not always covered by insurance. However, some insurance plans may cover certain services, such as nutritional counseling or testing. If you’re interested in functional medicine, contact your insurance company to see if any of the services are covered.
Yes, a functional medicine doctor is a real doctor. Functional medicine doctors are licensed medical doctors who have completed medical school and additional training.
Integrative medicine is a type of health care that combines conventional and alternative therapies. Functional medicine is a type of integrative medicine that focuses on finding and treating the underlying causes of disease.
Yes, functional medicine is worth the investment! If you are open-minded to alternative medicine and willing to get out of your comfort zone, functional medicine is a path worth taking.
Yes, functional medicine can help with weight loss. By finding and treating the underlying causes of weight gain or obesity, functional medicine practitioners can help their patients achieve and maintain a healthy weight.