Integrative Vs Functional Medicine

Is integrative medicine the same as functional medicine? This is one of the frequently asked questions that patients and people from all walks of life often ask. Although they share a fair bit of similarity, they are fundamentally different.

Integrative medicine is a healing-focused field of study that considers the whole person (body, mind, and soul). Integrative medicine, as its name suggests, combines different science-based health systems from across the world with Western medicine, the form of medicine taught in American medical schools and applied in the U.S. and other industrialized nations.

Integrative medicine is described as a combination of conventional medical treatments and alternative therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of effectiveness and safety.

Good science is the foundation of good medicine. All elements influencing health, well-being, and disease are considered. Integrative medicine incorporates the use of complementary medical systems like traditional Chinese medicine, as well as Indian or Ayurvedic medicine.

Interventions and treatments that are as natural as they can be, that support the body’s natural healing process, and that take into account the whole person.

Chinese herbal medicine. Origins are 2500 years old and have Taoist roots. has provided us with a variety of ideas, including those related to nutrition, herbal remedies, the yin-yang principle of balance, cupping, acupuncture, chi gong, tai chi, movement, mindfulness, relaxation, and breathing.

The practice of Ayurveda. The name, which translates from Sanskrit as “the science of life,” was given to this medicinal system more than 5000 years ago. Meditation, aromatherapy, massages, concepts of stress alleviation, cleaning, and yoga, to name a few, have all benefited from an improved understanding of how nutrition and foods affect the physical being brought about by ayurvedic medicine.

In circumstances where there has never been a clear benefit and where the treatment may do more harm than good, alternative medicine is the use of unproven therapies. Examples include using vitamins, colonics, radio waves, or other therapies, like those used to treat cancer.

Alternative medicine is not what is meant by integrative medicine. It is a significant issue that the scientific world is coming to acknowledge and accept.

Functional Medicine is based on scientific evidence. acknowledges the unique genetic and biological makeup of every person. Instead of using medications to treat the person’s current medical condition, we take a historical look at the events that led to it from the beginning of the person’s existence.

It acknowledges the impact that a person’s nutrition, emotional and physical stressors, antibiotics, pollutants, family, and community have on how a disease develops.

Functional medicine covers a wide range of topics, including the cutting edge of genomics, the modulation of gene expression by lifestyle variables, and the significance of maintaining good gut flora through diet and nutrition.

It explains that even though some people may be born with genes that could lead to specific diseases, just because a gene is malfunctioning doesn’t guarantee that it will be activated and result in that condition.

Although functional medicine theories have been around for more than 20 years, mainstream medicine has only just begun to accept them.

Western medicine and integrative medicine are enhanced by functional medicine. It incorporates the most cutting-edge medical research in an unbiased manner.

The American medical and health sector is currently all about business and profit, with very little of it having to do with the health of the patients. As a result, many practitioners will identify as holistic, integrative, and functional medicine specialists, doctors, or physicians even though they have never received formal training. Do your research. Instead of making a decision only on Google evaluations, consider your education and experience. Find a person who will talk to you and adequately respond to your inquiries. Be wary of anyone who offers a variety of goods and services. 

The body has the intrinsic capacity to heal itself, as every Integrative Medicine and Functional Medicine practitioner is aware of. Our job is to step aside and let the patient choose their path to wellness.