Functional Medicine
“Your physiology is the genetic expression of your lifestyle choices. Therefore, wellness is the removal of interferences to and the supply of raw materials for genetic expression of health.” Dr. James Chestnut
We are told by modern medical practices that our genetics determine our health. This is simply not true. Over the last 1000+ years, genetics have not changed, but our lifestyle has changed dramatically. We need to actively change our lifestyle to achieve wellness. Our Functional Medicine division is carefully designed to evaluate the root of physiological imbalance and work in partnership with clients to achieve balance and restore health.
What is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine (FM) is a field of health care emphasizing on homeostasis, or balance. It is science or evidence-based form of medicine that focuses on the person as a whole rather than disease and views each system of the body as a web of connections, all relating to one another for vitality and balance.
In FM a person’s uniqueness is taken into account. The body is viewed as an integrated whole, not simply an isolated set of parts. The emphasis is placed more on identifying functional disorders, normalizing physiological pathways and restoring homeostasis (balance) to the entire body, rather than naming pathology. FM is an important component of the whole body approach to care at Your Wellness Connection, emphasizing the need to restore health to body chemistry.
Your Wellness is our Goal
Our short-term goal when caring for clients is to bring the body back to homeostasis utilizing whole foods diet, body cleanse or detoxification, and nutritional therapies. Our body naturally creates homeostasis when toxins are removed and deficiencies are accounted for and re-introduced to the body.
Our long-term goal is to guide clients toward adopting lifestyle habits that supports homeostasis. Like the adage goes, “Give a man a fish and you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish and you have fed him for a lifetime”. Supplements can stabilize our body for the short-term and some rely on them for life, but changing our lifestyle and reducing our reliance on supplementation serves our body best and leads to true wellness.
Personal Assessment
In Functional Medicine a person’s level of homeostasis, or balance, is measured with comprehensive laboratory work, review of symptoms and case history, and lifestyle factors. We meet our clients where they are at on their wellness journey and assist them in determining which tests are appropriate for their needs and wellness goals.
BIA (Bio Impendence Analysis) is a method of assessing your “body composition” (the measurement of body fat in relation to lean body mass, fluid inside and outside a cell, etc). The BIA also measures cell health, from cell membrane health to longevity of the cells, hydration levels inside and outside a cell and much more. This gives us an accurate, inexpensive way to monitor your progress with certain lifestyle changes ($25).
Functional Laboratory Testing
All laboratory blood testing is obtained in-office by our certified phlebotomist. Other testing involves urine, stool, hair, or saliva sample looking at a large array of different entities. We offer over 500 tests from 7 different laboratories. Commonly requested testing includes:
Wellness Panels: panels designed to get a comprehensive look into a person’s general chemistries. We look at blood sugar management, liver function, kidney function, glimpse into immune function, Vit assessment; thyroid, inflammation and much more. If you are not sure where you want to start this gives a great insight into your physiology and is able to give the doctor confidence in the direction you may need to head for therapeutic protocols or further assessments (ranges from $60-$320).
AMAS Testing: Cancer is the 2nd cause of death in the USA today. This test provides accurate cancer detection by screening the immune system for specific antibodies. The AMAS test is probably the most sensitive cancer screen we have available today. This test is well referenced in over 25 Peer Review Journals with accuracy detection over 95% on the initial assessment. If a confirmatory test is needed there is over 99% accuracy. The AMAS provides a unique tool for monitoring people whose cancer is in remission along with those that suspect there may be a potential proliferative disorder going on allowing the potential for identification before other forms of analysis can identify a problem. This allows for a more pro-active approach to the health challenge vs. being forced to be extremely reactive. This test should not be used as a screen in the late stages of cancer, however it is one of the best markers before a tumor, cell or tissue is discovered($284).
Yeast, Fungal and Bacterial Testing is essential for many people as this can alone be the key contributing factor to many chronic issues. We have multiple ways of assessing for infectious microbes from blood to stool. The correct test can be determined through a conversation with one of our doctors. We have found that many people in our society struggles several years to an entire lifetime with chronic infections of different etiologies. These chronic infections are ultimately the potential source for many chronic complications. Therefore, this approach of assessment often is a useful tool for the client and practitioner in establishing a treatment plan for correction (ranges from $70-$300).
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