The Functional Medicine Approach – Holistic Whole Body Approach

Functional medicine is something that Dr. Le and his staff believe in wholeheartedly. As a team, we work closely with patients to identify the cause of a disease or condition and work to not only relieve pain and discomfort BUT also eliminate the cause of the problem. Getting to the root cause of the problem is what functional medicine is all about.

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What Is Functional Medicine

Functional medicine practitioners consider conditions as well as causes. They know that one condition can have many causes and one cause can result in many conditions. For instance, depression (a condition) can be the result of many causes, such as low thyroid, omega-3 deficiency, pre-diabetes, and Vitamin D deficiency. Identifying all of the causes of the condition (depression), a functional doctor like Dr. Le can resolve those causes to cure the condition. When we look at it in another way – inflammation is a result of a condition, such as heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, or cancer. Treating the inflammation doesn’t necessarily treat the condition, but being able to identify the condition and then treating that can lead to reduction in the inflammation.

How Functional Medicine Differs from Conventional Medicine

Functional medicine looks at a person’s genetics on how they are influenced by the environment. Practitioners believe changing a person’s environment can resolve medical issues that may have been caused by the integration of genetics and the environment.

It’s not only about the environment, though. Functional medicine practitioners also view a patient’s health holistically. This is why you may have heard this medical approach called holistic medicine. When you see a holistic doctor, your mind, spirit, and energy are considered. By improving those facets of yourself, many medical conditions can be resolved.

Conventional medicine seeks to treat medical conditions directly. This may include medications, therapies, and then surgeries. In this approach, patients may receive treatment for either their symptoms or their medical conditions depending on the condition.

The conventional approach is traditional. It’s the one that has been practiced for decades. The functional more holistic approach is one that was practiced centuries ago but was overshadowed by the quicker, more direct approach over the years.

Conditions Treated with Functional Medicine

One of the most common questions we receive is if their symptoms or condition can be treated with functional medicine. Usually, our answer is yes, but to be more specific the following are the ones we often treat in our functional medicine office in Vienna, VA.

Cardiometabolic Conditions

  • Diabetes
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Heart Disease

Neurological and Psychiatric Conditions

  • Depression
  • Attention Deficit Disorder
  • Migraines

Digestive Disorders

  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  • Ulcers
  • Chronic Pancreatitis
  • Acid Reflux
  • Diverticulosis

Autoimmune Diseases

  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Lupus
  • Celiac Disease

Skin Disorders

  • Psoriasis
  • Acne
  • Eczema

Hormonal Problems

  • Thyroid Conditions
  • Chronic Fatigue
  • Menopause

What to Expect at a Functional Medicine Appointment

A functional medicine appointment is not as different as you may think than a conventional medical appointment. You can expect to have a waiting room and someone to check you in when you arrive. A nurse will greet you in the waiting room and bring you back to an examining room.

Dr. Le will meet you in the examining room to discuss the symptoms you’ve been experiencing. He will then ask you questions, look over your medical history, and may request a battery of tests to identify the conditions or causes of those symptoms.

Once a diagnosis has been made, Dr. Le will recommend a treatment. Treatments he offers includes:

Surgery is an option but it’s only recommended as a last resort at ACN Wellness. Most medical conditions do not need surgery to be resolved. Lifestyle changes and non-surgical treatment modalities can be just as effective. Surgery should only be a consideration if all other non-invasive treatments have been exhausted.

Contact ACN Wellness for Functional Medicine

If you’ve been considering functional medicine to treat your symptoms or condition, call us for a consultation with a functional medicine near you. We would love to learn about how you’re feeling and come up with a diagnosis and treatment for you. Many of the patients we treat have tried conventional medicine for years and haven’t been able to find relief until they turned to us.

Call us now at 703-729-5600 for our Vienna office. We look forward to helping you live a healthier life with the help of functional medicine.