The 5 Ways Functional Medicine Gets It Wrong, And What I Do Differently
When I first discovered functional medicine, I felt like I had found my home in how I served clients.
Finally, a realm where the entirety of an individual—mind, body, and spirit—was acknowledged and addressed. However, amidst the promising landscape, there's a shadow side that's hard to ignore.
More and more, I see practitioners who present themselves as integrative or functional providers but lack proper training, expertise, experience, and credentials.
Hi, I'm Kari, a functional gut health dietitian. I am dedicated to helping women break free from gut dysfunction and empowering them to live with energy, radiance, and purpose, free from digestive symptoms.
In this article, I will explain what functional medicine means and provide information to help you find the right functional medicine practitioner for your needs. It is important to understand that we’re not all the same!
The dark side of functional medicine
Functional medicine is a field where we take a comprehensive deep dive into the root causes of disease and dysfunction in the body through analysis of biomarkers, system imbalances, metabolic dysfunction, nutrition-focused physical signs and symptoms, and food, lifestyle, and environmental factors. This approach remains true to this day and is the reason why many people, including myself, appreciate and love functional medicine.
However, the landscape of functional practitioners varies greatly, and not all functional practitioners are equal. Nowadays, there are more and more individuals who claim to be functional practitioners. While some have undergone comprehensive training and hold relevant credentials, others may have only completed brief online courses introducing basic nutrition, lifestyle principles, and functional testing. Unfortunately, without proper medical licensing, these individuals may lack the expertise to interpret test results accurately.
Also, many functional medicine practitioners don’t spend the time necessary to delve into a patient’s complex medical history, analyze test results, create individualized protocols, and spend time offering counseling and coaching. I mean, let's face it, you can't cover this in just one 30- or 60-minute appointment per month.
Because of this, patients are also often offered protocols that are generic and include tons of unnecessary supplements.
I now see patients who come to my practice feeling skeptical and even traumatized due to the way they have been treated. Unfortunately, many of these patients are still as sick as they were when they first started seeking medical care. That's why I choose to do things differently and provide a more compassionate and effective approach to treating my patients.
What are the biggest mistakes in functional medicine?
Although I have faith that the majority of healthcare providers have genuine intentions to assist their clients, it's important to acknowledge that not everyone has received the same level of high-quality training. Moreover, not all healthcare providers approach testing and investigations with equal respect for their patients' financial resources.
This brings us to the top mistake I see functional medicine practitioners making: too many tests.
Mistake 1: Too Much Testing
Functional medicine tests are valuable tools that can help identify underlying deficiencies and dysfunctions, guide treatment, and shorten the healing journey. However, these tests can be overwhelming and expensive if not conducted in the proper order.
One common problem in functional medicine is that providers often order all of the tests at once rather than testing in a way that makes sense. It's impossible to work on gut health, adrenals, hormones, and food sensitivities all at once. Therefore, it's important to follow a logical order of testing that treats system imbalances in the right order. Ordering every test simultaneously can lead to being overwhelmed and having too many interventions thrown at you, which can eventually lead to burnout.
Functional medicine tests can be incredibly useful in identifying key underlying deficiencies and dysfunctions, shortening the length of the healing journey, and providing more immediate symptom relief.
What I do differently:
In my practice, I approach functional medicine testing with precision and care. Rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach, I strategically utilize tests such as HTMA, GI Map, SIBO, DUTCH, and mold/mycotoxin testing. By judiciously selecting tests based on your unique needs and health concerns, we can accurately pinpoint underlying deficiencies and dysfunctions.
I prioritize the order and timing of these tests to ensure a logical and systematic approach to treatment. Understanding that addressing gut health, adrenals, hormones, and food sensitivities requires a strategic sequence, I guide patients through a tailored testing protocol that treats system imbalances in the most effective order. This prevents overwhelm and ensures that your interventions are targeted and meaningful, rather than haphazard or excessive.
With this approach, we can streamline your healing journey, expedite symptom relief, and empower you to achieve lasting improvements in health and well-being. It's about harnessing the power of functional medicine testing to uncover the root causes of health challenges and pave the way for transformative healing.
Mistake 2: Lack of Follow-Up
In functional medicine, practitioners often have fully booked schedules, which can leave patients without the essential support and timely interventions they deserve. This situation can result in prolonged adherence to ineffective treatments, wasting both time and money. When you have to wait for weeks or even months for a follow-up appointment, you may feel lost in your health journey, unsure of whether you’re on the right track or if adjustments are necessary.
This lack of immediate support can lead to frustration and disengagement, hindering progress and worsening symptoms. Also, without regular check-ins and updates, you may unknowingly prolong your suffering, unaware that better options or alternatives exist.
What I do differently:
To ensure that you receive the best care possible, I limit the number of patients I see. This allows me to provide personalized attention and timely care. I customize appointment times based on your needs to create a flexible framework that accommodates varying levels of support required. Whether you require weekly check-ins or monthly updates, I prioritize accessibility to ensure you never feel stranded on your health journey.
In addition, I offer unlimited messaging to my patients, which provides a direct line of communication for questions, concerns, and clarifications.
This proactive approach empowers you to navigate your protocols confidently, make necessary adjustments, and progress toward optimal health without unnecessary delays.
Mistake #3: Overly Restrictive Diets
It's all too common for individuals experiencing symptoms to immediately assume that a particular food is to blame. This mindset often leads to the adoption of highly restrictive elimination diets such as low FODMAP or low histamine diets. While these diets may offer temporary relief for some, they can also come with significant challenges. The complexity and restrictiveness of these diets can leave you feeling overwhelmed, unsure of what you can eat, and constantly worried about inadvertently consuming a triggering food.
Also, relying solely on elimination diets to manage symptoms may overlook other important factors contributing to your health issues, such as microbial growth in your gut, intestinal permeability, stress, or environmental factors. It also predisposes you to nutrient deficiencies, which further disables your body’s innate ability to heal and leaves you feeling tired and weak.
What I do differently:
My goal in working with you is to keep your diet as liberalized as possible. Instead of vilifying foods or blaming food for every symptom, we begin by supporting your body in its own ability to process food. This starts by supporting mineral balance, digestive support, gut healing, and eating in a way that nourishes the body, rather than depriving it.
In my approach, we work together to find a diet that is as liberalized as possible, allows for flexibility, and avoids demonizing specific foods. Instead of immediately blaming food for every symptom, we focus on supporting your body's natural ability to break down food and absorb nutrients. This involves ensuring proper mineral balance, providing digestive support, promoting gut healing, and prioritizing nutrient-dense foods that nourish the body. By fostering a positive and balanced approach to eating, you can be empowered to optimize your health and well-being without unnecessary restrictions.
Mistake #4: Too Much Reliance on Supplements
The supplement industry is massive, with sales of over 40 billion dollars in 2023 alone and projections indicating that figure will nearly double by 2030. It's a staggering amount and reflects the widespread use and belief in the potential benefits of supplementation.
Think about it—how many people do you know who aren't taking some form of supplement? From vitamins to herbal remedies, the options are endless, promising everything from improved health to enhanced vitality. And let's be clear: supplements aren't inherently bad or wrong. In fact, they can play a crucial role in supporting health and addressing specific needs.
The problem is, that the world of supplements in functional medicine has, in many ways, replaced a pill for every ill in the conventional world. How many times have you brought a new concern to your doctor, only to walk out the door with a prescription in hand? I think it’s how doctors feel like they are doing their job, and it’s obviously faster than spending time (which doctors don’t have) delving into the real root cause of your concern.
As someone deeply immersed in functional medicine, I both use and advocate for supplements, recognizing their potential to complement and enhance holistic healing protocols. There have been times when I've relied on multiple supplements myself, particularly during intensive gut-healing protocols.
What I do differently:
Supplements can be very helpful but need to be used strategically. I feel it’s crucial to approach supplementation strategically and to take most supplements for a defined length of time - not forever. This ensures that you’re not simply relying on a supplement as a crutch but rather utilizing a supplement as a targeted intervention to address a specific symptom or need.
I advocate for a more thoughtful approach to supplementation—one that emphasizes strategic use, ongoing monitoring, and individualized assessment. This means leveraging lab testing and monitoring your symptoms to determine if a supplement is working and is necessary. This ensures that you are taking the necessary supplements aligned with your unique needs and goals. In working in this way, I want patients to feel empowered to optimize their health without unnecessary reliance on supplements or overlooking the deeper root causes of their health challenges.
Mistake #5: Not Looking Upstream of the Upstream
In my practice, I prioritize looking upstream from the upstream—the foundational work that uncovers the root causes of health challenges. This involves meticulous detective work to identify nutrient deficiencies, thyroid dysfunction, gut infections, digestive issues, and hormonal imbalances—all of which contribute to underlying dysfunction.
But beyond addressing these immediate factors lies a more profound question:
But the most important question is what created those conditions in the first place.
What I do differently:
This is where true healing occurs - by looking upstream from the upstream.
To truly address underlying dysfunction in the body and life, a holistic approach that looks upstream from the upstream is necessary, including delving into the metaphysical connections that create illness.
To truly understand and address dysfunction, we embrace a holistic approach that goes beyond surface-level symptoms. This means delving into the metaphysical connections that shape our well-being—such as trauma, chronic stress, and disconnection from ourselves and others. Factors like lack of purpose, nature deprivation, excessive screen time, and sedentary lifestyles all contribute to our present state of health.
By uncovering these foundational elements, we unravel the origin story of where we are today and pave the way for genuine healing and transformation. It's about addressing the root causes and restoring balance to the body, mind, and spirit for long-lasting well-being.
Key takeaways
Functional medicine, when conducted by a healthcare provider with a thoughtful process, is undeniably powerful. It offers a holistic approach to healthcare, addressing the mind, body, and spirit to uncover and heal the root causes of dysfunction.
If you're seeking true healing that goes beyond symptom management, a holistic approach is essential. By embracing functional medicine strategically, you can receive the personalized care needed to achieve optimal health.
I'm passionate about partnering with you to delve into the upstream of your body's imbalances—this is where true healing and thriving begin.
Are you ready to work with a skilled practitioner and see real results, or risk wasting time and money with someone underqualified? If you're committed to seeing results, take the first step and Book a Discovery Call.
During this call, we'll determine the best initial steps for your healing journey and create a customized action plan just for you. From there, you'll receive the support and guidance needed to achieve your health goals.
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