COMPENDIUM ON FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE - Flipbook - Page 67
● Urine Dipstick Analysis & Functional Urinalysis by Dicken
Weatherby, ND & Scott Ferguson, ND
Additional Optional Reading:
● In-Office Lab Testing
● Signs & Symptoms From A Functional Approach
● Complete Practitioner Guide To Take-Home Testing
Defining Functional Medicine
Origins and Foundational Philosophy
Functional medicine is a systems-based, patient-centered
approach to healthcare that seeks to identify and address the
root causes of disease rather than merely treating symptoms.
Unlike the reductionist model of conventional medicine, functional
medicine views the body as an interconnected whole where all
systems interact dynamically. It integrates modern biochemical
science with lifestyle and nutritional interventions, aiming to restore
optimal physiological function.
The term "functional medicine" was popularized in the early 1990s
by Dr. Jeffrey Bland, often referred to as the father of functional
medicine. He co-founded the Institute for Functional Medicine
(IFM) in 1991, establishing a formal educational and clinical
framework for practitioners.
Bland’s background in biochemistry and nutritional science laid
the foundation for a medical model that emphasizes metabolic
individuality, systems biology, and the role of environmental
triggers in chronic disease.
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