How We Practice Functional Medicine

When searching for a new BHRT Doctor in Denver there are a lot of tag lines that you may run across. Some examples are naturopathic, holistic, functional, traditional, osteopath, or integrative. At AgeWellMD in Denver, we believe Functional Medicine is a powerful tool in our approach to healthcare. What exactly is Functional Medicine and how do we implement it into the treatment of our patients? 

What is Functional Medicine?

While trying to find the root cause of symptoms is not a new approach to health care the term and practice of Functional Medicine was introduced by Dr. Jeffery Bland in 1990.  Functional Medicine is an individualized approach to healthcare. Instead of just treating symptoms, it is looking to find out WHY you are having those symptoms. For example, depression is the symptom but there could be many causes such as Vitamin D deficiency, low thyroid, environment, and unbalanced hormones just to name a few. Yes, depression can be treated without getting the root cause, but will that provide the lasting and meaningful results desired? In addition, Functional Medicine isn’t just about treating chronic disease but actively preventing disease. By optimizing your health now you can prevent issues from arising in the future. 

Proven Method:

The proven method of Functional Medicine is GOTOIT. What does that mean? That means the AgeWell team will Gather, Organize, Tell, Order, Initiate and Track your health information. 

1. Gather: Before your first visit AgeWell MD in Denver requires a blood screening to be done. This not only provides a baseline to track, but also provides guidance on what your body needs. In addition, there is an in-depth conversation about your current symptoms and what you are hoping to accomplish with your visit. 
2. Organize: By taking the time to look at your past and current medical data we form a timeline of your medical journey.
3. Tell: This stage is crucial to our process. Dr. Engsberg will relay back to you what she has heard and seen in your medical record to make sure there is a mutual understanding of your symptoms and goals. 
4. Order: In this stage, Dr. Engsberg will prioritize the next steps to optimize your health. 
5. Initiate:  To fully optimize your health further assessments may be needed. In addition, a referral to another specialist may be necessary.  
6. Track: By tracking where you are and what has happened since your last treatment we can assess the effectiveness of your individual treatment plan. Maybe you need more or less of a specific hormone or maybe a different supplement is needed. 

By utilizing Functional Medicine methods, AgeWell MD is able to help optimize your health not mask symptoms. All the while Dr. Engsberg is educating you about the process and what should be expected. We believe that providing facts and information is imperative in patients making informed decisions about their health. If you are ready to take the next step in your journey call today.