By its nature functional medicine operates in a multitude of small offices across the world. Countless physicians and other providers have awakened to the success of functional medicine. The only downside to the grassroots movement is that, without large institutions or labor intensive networking, statistical proof is hard to come by. The Institute for Functional Medicine and the Cleveland Clinic serve us all with its accumulation of data regarding health outcomes.
Three facts stand out from the data sheet linked HERE.
First, patients don’t always get better. While functional medicine does show better outcomes, many still don’t improve. We live in a world where disease produces suffering and this suffering does not always go away. Even when it continues, we are care-givers called to practice compassion and support.
Second, functional medicine care benefits both physical and mental health at least as well as standard care. In their studies (disclosure: I have not read the study itself), they report higher percentages of improvement in both physical and mental health. While neither side can boast of 100% success, functional medicine appears to have the edge.
Third, the Cleveland clinic, while showing higher rates of improvement also showed lower costs with fewer necessary visits. Effective and efficient, a nice combination.
The takeaway: Functional Medicine as a movement offers patients hope for better health outcomes at less cost through lifestyle changes and root cause therapy rather than pharmaceuticals and standard approaches.
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
