What is Functional Healing?
Hi, Dr. Meredith Warner here-
Functional healing, or functional medicine, is a new practice that is slowly gaining momentum in the medical world. It’s different from the standard most of us know – conventional medicine addresses symptoms to help you manage pain and dysfunction, not overcome it. Also, conventional medicine is very reactionary and simply waits for a crisis to happen and then tries to deal with it. Usually, heavy pharmaceuticals or invasive measures are utilized before more holistic treatment methods are considered.
At Warner Orthopedics & Wellness, we place an emphasis on functional medicine. This methodology of practice focuses more on the root cause of disease, injury, or pain – and we seek out non-invasive measures first before resorting to surgery. As it sounds, the goal is better function; this means we don’t just focus on a single symptom.
Now, is there a need for conventional medical practice? Absolutely. I perform surgeries and I prescribe pharmaceuticals every day. However, in my clinic, I make a point to sit with my patients, really discuss what they’re going through and recommend realistic but transformative lifestyle changes to help them take control of their own health.
A Change In Perspective
As our population ages and people live longer, we’re experiencing a sharp increase in chronic “lifestyle” diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, mental health disorders, and more. The conventional system of medicine is designed to treat certain symptoms quickly – it’s more “response-based” than preventative. The conventional system usually does not treat a person as a whole but rather as a collection of parts and processes and each symptom is dealt with in a vacuum. In my opinion, this way of thinking about medicine misses the point.
Drugs, surgery, and other applied treatments are designed to treat the injury, symptom or illness after it’s already happened. Functional medicine can address immediate concerns, however, it is more focused on helping you establish healthy routines that can prevent illness and injury from occurring in the first place. Not every disease is avoidable, of course – this is why we still offer pharmaceuticals and surgical intervention. But in my experience, I have found that holistic changes built up over time can be just as effective. To improve function, each and every aspect of one’s health must be made well; this is the essence of our approach. We look at each person as a whole person and not just as pieces and parts stuck together accidentally.
Often, complex, chronic illnesses do not have a single cause. They can be affected by a multitude of factors, like diet, exercise, exposure to pollution, chronic inflammation, etc. Conventional medicine often does not really explore the root cause of an illness, but instead focuses on one or two factors to treat – or simply treats the pain that the condition brings. Most musculoskeletal conditions are actually due to a larger problem; this is where our perspective succeeds. We understand this and exploit that understanding for the betterment of our patients.
We Practice Patient-Led Medicine
I decided to open my private practice in 2013 because I wanted to be able to offer my patients more than a prescription – I wanted to have a smaller clinic where I could give each patient the individualized care they needed to truly recover from their conditions.
When doctors practice in hospital group settings, they’re often incentivized to offer certain types of treatments – meaning that your best interests are not necessarily taken into account. To read more about why I opened Warner Orthopedics & Wellness, read the blog below:
Read More: The Benefits Of An Independent Physician
In our practice, we want to get to the root cause of your health concerns. Oftentimes, lifestyle parameters such as diet, exercise, exposure to stress, and more can impact your overall well-being. This modality of practice (functional and whole care) requires the patient to take charge of their own health, so it may not feel as easy as a conventional path to treatment, but getting new lifestyle habits to “stick” will help ensure that you have the tools to maintain your health in the long run. We include you in the efforts to improve you.
Don’t know where to start? Make your appointment today:
