What is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine is a modern medical approach that seeks to identify the root cause of disease, as opposed to treating symptoms. Oftentimes, certain factors are overlooked during the diagnostic process, leading to a less comprehensive explanation of the issue. For example, oftentimes when patients visit a specialist to address chronic pain, the specialist will prescribe pain medications to help them manage discomfort. However, the truth is that these pain medications do not address the underlying condition. Functional medicine provides a solution to this common issue affecting the healthcare industry. In addition to providing more comprehensive care, functional medicine also considers the long-term condition of the patient.
BEST Health System is a patient-first clinic helping indivduals suffering from chronic pain. We understand that pain can prevent you from participating in your favorite activities, ultimately reducing your quality of life. As an organization of healthcare professionals, it is our primary goal to help our patients find an accurate and comprehensive diagnosis, as well as guide them on their path toward recovery.
Understanding the Root Causes of Chronic Disease
Many individuals do not understand that there is a significant difference between pain and chronic pain. Pain is most often the result of an injury; for example, if you stub your toe, you will experience acute pain for a minute or two. Chronic pain, however, is pain that persists even after an injury has passed. Medically, pain is chronic if it persists for longer than three months.
It is believed that chronic pain is most commonly a result of a damaged nerve. A damage nerve may cause pain that persists even after treatment of the initial injury. In these cases, functional medicine is often used as a way to help patients identify the underlying nerve that suffered damage and find an effective pain management method.
How Does Functional Medicine Help with Prevention?
Functional medicine offers numerous benefits in terms of prevention by emphasizing proactive and personalized care. Functional medicine practitioners work closely with patients to conduct comprehensive assessments, including medical history overviews, genetic predispositions, and lifestyle factors. By uncovering specific imbalances and dysfunctions in the body, functional medicine practitioners can develop tailored treatment plans aimed at restoring optimal function and preventing disease progression. By addressing the condition from a holistic standpoint, functional medicine helps many patients manage their condition before it causes severe symptoms.
The Use of Spinal Cord Stimulators to Manage Pain
Spinal cord stimulators are surgically implanted devices that block pain signals before they reach the brain. These devices offer a modern solution to chronic pain and help many patients manage degenerative, neurologic conditions. Patients who suffer from a form of neuropathy or complex regional pain syndrome often use these devices. Conditions like neuropathy send unnecessary pain signals to the brain, resulting in patients experiencing persistent and chronic pain. Spinal cord stimulators offer an effective solution to this problem by minimizing the impact the pain has on patients.
Candidates for spinal cord stimulators are most frequently individuals who suffer from chronic nerve pain. Before the surgical implanting of a spinal cord stimulator, doctors recommend that patients experiment with a course of conservative therapies, including physical therapy, pain medications, and lifestyle changes. If these treatments are ineffective, patients may consider a spinal cord stimulator.
Functional Medicine Treatment with BEST Health System
At BEST Health System, it is our primary goal to help patients find lasting pain relief. Our pain management specialists understand the consequences of undiagnosed and untreated chronic pain. Many individuals with unaddressed pain struggle to participate in activities and even sit at their desk jobs.
If you are suffering from debilitating chronic pain, contact the BEST team to learn about our functional medicine programs.
