Natural remedies and alternative medicine are nothing new, but they’re definitely becoming more popular. A couple decades ago, people might have thought aromatherapy, acupuncture and cupping were strange, but people are trying them now—and seeing results, too.
Emily Cardel (pictured) spoke to three local Functional Medicine practitioners to get a deeper look into the Functional Medicine world.
According to the Institute for Functional Medicine, “Functional Medicine determines how and why illness occurs and restores health by addressing the root causes of disease for each individual”. When compared to traditional ‘conventional medicine’, it all comes down to a fundamental difference in approach.
With more and more people willing to give it a chance, Health & Wellness Magazine contacted some practicing Functional Medicine doctors in Nashville.
Vitality Medical Wellness Center- Dr. Sommer White
Dr. Sommer White, “This type of medicine works because we encourage our patients that they can get better, and that they can recover from illness”.
What type of functional medicine do you specialize in?
I specialize in gastrointestinal health, food sensitivities, thyroid disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorders. I believe that most illness begins in the gut, so gut healing is key to improving conditions. I treat conditions like IBS, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohns and SIBO, hypothyroidism and chronic fatigue.
What is your pricing?
I have a cash-based practice. My initial visit is 90 minutes, and I take that time to get to know the person and hear their health story. We then make a detailed, customized health plan that centers around nutrition, supplements and in depth-functional medicine testing. This visit is $365. After the initial visit I do 45-minute follow-up appointments for $175.
Why do you think it works?
The body is an efficient, self-supportive system that can heal itself when given the proper nutrients and when it is cleaned from toxins and toxicants. Our environment is filled with toxicants like heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides and plastics that our bodies are overwhelmed with trying to deal with them. At the same time, our nutrition has become less and less optimal.
This type of medicine works because we remove harmful foods and chemicals and fill the body with nutrient dense, whole, primarily plant foods. I encourage my patients to become active in their healing both physically and mentally, which is what’s needed for the body to really heal itself.
This type of medicine works because we encourage our patients that they can get better, and that they can recover from illness. In functional medicine, we guide and support our patients with a positive outlook.
What are the benefits?
People get their lives back. So many people are prisoners to their illnesses. Resolution of physical symptoms is just the beginning. Having vitality and mental clarity and calmness are the ultimate rewards.
What types of conditions are you finding it works best with?
Most conditions can benefit from this type of medicine, and whether or not a person can improve their condition depends on that person. I see it work well especially for digestive disorders like chronic constipation, IBS and Inflammatory Bowel diseases.
TN Alternative Medicine– Dr. Carolyn Maxfield
Dr. Carolyn Maxfield, “Our bodies are always communicating with us, but in our stressful and overworked world, it’s difficult to slow down and listen”.
What type(s) of functional medicine do you specialize in?
Our office uses muscle testing (also known as applied kinesiology) to identify the root cause of our patients’ health concerns. Muscle testing allows us to non-invasively detect illnesses and imbalances in our patients. Because our body systems are linked together with energy pathways- the quantum physics kind, not the spooky kind :)- we can assess the “weak links” in our patients’ bodies by applying pressure to various muscles and organs and glands at the same time, seeing how they respond to each other.
I am also a chiropractor! I practice a method called the Logan Basic Technique, which utilizes light force to adjust and correct spinal and pelvic distortions. When most people think of chiropractors, they think of cracking and popping, which is not for everyone! I love utilizing a gentle chiropractic method because it focuses on muscles just as much as bone structure. Stress often manifests in muscle strain, so our muscles need to be taken care of, too!
What is your pricing?
For muscle testing: My first appointment is 45 minutes and costs $150. The 2-week followup is 30 minutes and costs $99. Every appointment thereafter is $70.
Other practitioners in our office, charges $99 for a first appointment, $75 for the 2-week followup, and $65 for every appointment after that.
For chiropractic: My first appointment is $75. Every adjustment afterwards is $65.
Why do you think it works?
Our bodies are always communicating with us, but in our stressful and overworked world, it’s difficult to slow down and listen. Our office is able to successfully support our patients through things like infertility, auto-immune diseases, and digestion issues by taking twenty minutes to listen. After each appointment, our patients leave with a Treatment Plan comprised of natural/organic supplements (ranging from $12-$40) that will strengthen their bodies back to health. We also offer nutrition and dietary coaching, designed for each individual, to give each person’s body exactly what it needs to thrive! We have a quote in our office that says, “Most people have no idea how good their bodies are supposed to feel” and we believe that’s true! Our goal is to support each patient until they thrive.
What are the benefits?
One of the greatest benefits about our practice is everything we do is individualized. We assess each patient’s body and nobody walks out with the same Treatment Plan. Because we rarely outsource for blood work or lab tests, we find muscle testing to be cost-effective in the long run. The more non-invasive, the better!
Lastly, our goal is prevention! We don’t want to put bandaids on symptoms and hope they go away. We target the root cause and strengthen each body from the ground up, giving it power to fight against any future illness!
What types of conditions are you finding it works best with?
Our office works with most every condition, but my favorite patients are women struggling with hormonal imbalances or autoimmune diseases that result in infertility. My favorite phone calls are patients letting me know they’re pregnant! It always makes me feel fulfilled and excited about what I do.
Magnolia Medical Center– Dr. David P. Morris, D.C.
Dr David Morris, “The modern/western medicine system is broken and even the providers in the system know this to be true”.
What type(s) of functional medicine do you specialize in?
Our office specializes in complex, chronic cases. The typical patient that comes to us (not all but most of them) has been to other doctors who have been unable to find a solution to their health concerns. Our patients most often present with multiple symptoms related to thyroid health, fatigue, digestive issues, hormone imbalances, sleep issues and weight loss concerns. We use diagnostic testing and interpretation to start to understand the underlying causes of the conditions and then focus on diet, lifestyle, environment, exposure, nutrition, supplements and sometimes medicine in order to resolve the issues.
Why do you think it works?
Functional medicine works because the goal is to find the underlying cause of the health concern instead of just treating they symptom. The modern/western medicine system is broken and even the providers in the system know this to be true. If someone has an acute health concern there is statistically no better treatment available than what we have to offer in our system here in the United States. However, if someone has a chronic health problem, statistically, the “healthcare” system in the US fails miserably. Doctors don’t have enough time to treat patients and get to the bottom of their issues, testing is ruled by insurance benefits and treatment must fall under the “standard of care” model in order to be covered. And let’s face it, this usually means a prescription just to handle symptoms of the dysfunction seen on the surface. The underlying causes are not addressed. Functional medicine allows a competent provider to spend enough time with the patient, do the proper testing and engineer a proper treatment plan to fix the underlying causes of the problems. Even though it is quite different than what a patient would get at their usual doctor, it is what most doctors wish they could do if the system was not so flawed.
What is your pricing?
The good news is that functional medicine can be very affordable, but since it is not often covered by insurance, patients should expect to pay out of pocket for the expertise of a functional medicine practitioner. We consider it an investment in our own health in order to really overcome a health challenge. A 45-60 minute office visit isn’t something that fits into the framework of the insurance model, but that is what patients get in a functional medicine practice. For some, a “pay as you go” method is employed where the patient pays an office visit fee plus the cost of labs and sees the provider when they can. These visits can range from $250 – $500. Our office uses more of a membership/partnership model where we expect to work with a patient for six months to a year and see or talk to the patient multiple times in a month. For a partnership program like this, a patient can expect an overall cost of a few thousand dollars.
What are the benefits?
It would be a lie for any provider to say they fix 100% of the problems that they see but I am thrilled that every day we see patients that are getting their lives back. I believe that what we offer patients is not only a treatment style that works, but also educates along the way to empower the patient to manage his or her own health. Patients are truly able to reverse the course of chronic disease. This is the reason we go to work every day.
What types of conditions are you finding it works best with?
The number one thing that people come to see us for is thyroid problems. We also see great results with nearly every kind of digestive issue. Autoimmune cases, diabetes, etc get great results with a function medicine approach as well.
More Recent Articles
Dr Rahm: Breast Cancer Awareness Month Guidelines & Reminders
Craniosacral Therapy: A Profound Healing Modality that Honors Body, Mind, and Spirit
The Importance of Mental Health Awareness Suicide Prevention, and Our Children
Dr. Christina Rahm: Spotlight on "Never Give Up Day 2024"
