Functional medicine
Encyclopedia
Functional medicine is a form of Western alternative medicine
unrelated to the Western biomedical approaches.
It focuses on treating individuals who may have bodily symptoms, imbalances and dysfunctions. Functional medicine seeks to identify and address the root causes of disease, and views the body as one integrated system, not a collection of independent organs divided up by medical specialties.
Functional medicine practitioner
s provide chronic care management
with the belief that "diet, nutrition, and exposure to environmental toxins play central roles in functional medicine because they may predispose to illness, provoke symptoms, and modulate the activity of biochemical mediators through a complex and diverse set of mechanisms."
It was developed and originated by Dr. Helmut W. Schimmel.
approach which involves an analysis of how all components of the human biological system
interact functionally with the environment over time. The Institute for Functional Medicine contrasts this approach with an organ system
biology broken down into modern medical specialties.
Functional medicine, in agreement with modern medicine, holds that the entire "patient story" needs to be heard and understood in context in order to truly help the patient. Where functional medicine differs from mainstream medicine is its willingness to employ treatments and drugs which may not be well evidenced by clinical research , including homeopathy
,
orthomolecular medicine
, and detoxification of unevidenced toxins .
, and Susan Bland founded the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) in 1993. IFM is a nonprofit educational organization
that provides continuing medical education
for health care providers. The Institute for Functional Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education
and achieved its accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education on September 12, 2006 and was awarded the status of Accreditation with Commendation for six years as a provider of continuing medical education for physicians. Stephen Barrett
from Quackwatch
describes it as a "questionable organization".
charged that two corporations led by Jeffrey Bland, HealthComm and Nu-Day Enterprises, had falsely claimed that their diet program could cause weight loss
by changing consumers' metabolism
and cause them to lose weight without exercising so that fat would be lost as body heat
instead of being stored. In 1995, the FTC charged Bland and his companies with violating the 1991 consent order by making further unsubstantiated weight-loss claims for several products, including the UltraClear dietary program, which had been falsely claimed to reduce the incidence and severity of symptoms associated with gastrointestinal problems, inflammatory and immunologic problems, fatigue, food allergies
, mercury exposure, kidney disorders, and rheumatoid arthritis
. The second settlement agreement included a $45,000 civil penalty
. The Institute for Functional Medicine, was created as division of HealthComm division.
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
unrelated to the Western biomedical approaches.
It focuses on treating individuals who may have bodily symptoms, imbalances and dysfunctions. Functional medicine seeks to identify and address the root causes of disease, and views the body as one integrated system, not a collection of independent organs divided up by medical specialties.
Functional medicine practitioner
Practitioner
A practitioner is someone who engages in an occupation, profession, religion, or way of life.Practitioner may refer to:* Medical practitioner* Justice practitioner* Solitary practitioner, in Wicca and Paganism...
s provide chronic care management
Chronic care management
Chronic care management encompasses the oversight and education activities conducted by health care professionals to help patients with chronic diseases and health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, lupus, multiple sclerosis and sleep apnea learn to understand their condition and...
with the belief that "diet, nutrition, and exposure to environmental toxins play central roles in functional medicine because they may predispose to illness, provoke symptoms, and modulate the activity of biochemical mediators through a complex and diverse set of mechanisms."
It was developed and originated by Dr. Helmut W. Schimmel.
Systems biology approach
Functional medicine reflects a systems biologySystems biology
Systems biology is a term used to describe a number of trends in bioscience research, and a movement which draws on those trends. Proponents describe systems biology as a biology-based inter-disciplinary study field that focuses on complex interactions in biological systems, claiming that it uses...
approach which involves an analysis of how all components of the human biological system
Life
Life is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have signaling and self-sustaining processes from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased , or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate...
interact functionally with the environment over time. The Institute for Functional Medicine contrasts this approach with an organ system
Organ (anatomy)
In biology, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in structural unit to serve a common function. Usually there is a main tissue and sporadic tissues . The main tissue is the one that is unique for the specific organ. For example, main tissue in the heart is the myocardium, while sporadic are...
biology broken down into modern medical specialties.
Functional medicine, in agreement with modern medicine, holds that the entire "patient story" needs to be heard and understood in context in order to truly help the patient. Where functional medicine differs from mainstream medicine is its willingness to employ treatments and drugs which may not be well evidenced by clinical research , including homeopathy
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine in which practitioners claim to treat patients using highly diluted preparations that are believed to cause healthy people to exhibit symptoms that are similar to those exhibited by the patient...
,
orthomolecular medicine
Orthomolecular medicine
Orthomolecular medicine is a form of complementary and alternative medicine that seeks to maintain health and prevent or treat diseases by optimizing nutritional intake and/or prescribing supplements...
, and detoxification of unevidenced toxins .
The Institute for Functional Medicine
Jeffrey Bland, PhDPHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
, and Susan Bland founded the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) in 1993. IFM is a nonprofit educational organization
Educational organization
Educational organization has multiple meanings according to the field and setting in which it is being applied.In educational psychology, educational organization is organization within the scope of education...
that provides continuing medical education
Continuing medical education
Continuing medical education refers to a specific form of continuing education that helps those in the medical field maintain competence and learn about new and developing areas of their field. These activities may take place as live events, written publications, online programs, audio, video, or...
for health care providers. The Institute for Functional Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education
Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education
The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education sets and enforces standards in physician continuing education within the United States...
and achieved its accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education on September 12, 2006 and was awarded the status of Accreditation with Commendation for six years as a provider of continuing medical education for physicians. Stephen Barrett
Stephen Barrett
Stephen Joel Barrett is a retired American psychiatrist, author, co-founder of the National Council Against Health Fraud , and the webmaster of Quackwatch. He runs a number of websites dealing with quackery and health fraud. He focuses on consumer protection, medical ethics, and scientific...
from Quackwatch
Quackwatch
Quackwatch is an American non-profit organization founded by Stephen Barrett with the stated aim being to "combat health-related frauds, myths, fads, fallacies, and misconduct" and with a primary focus on providing "quackery-related information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere."...
describes it as a "questionable organization".
Criticism
In 1991, the FTCFTC
FTC may refer to:- Organizations :* Federal Trade Commission, a US agency for consumer protection* Ferencvárosi TC, a Hungarian sports club* Financial Training Center Limited, a training institution in Tanzania...
charged that two corporations led by Jeffrey Bland, HealthComm and Nu-Day Enterprises, had falsely claimed that their diet program could cause weight loss
Weight loss
Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health or physical fitness, is a reduction of the total body mass, due to a mean loss of fluid, body fat or adipose tissue and/or lean mass, namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon and other connective tissue...
by changing consumers' metabolism
Metabolism
Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that happen in the cells of living organisms to sustain life. These processes allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories...
and cause them to lose weight without exercising so that fat would be lost as body heat
Body heat
Body Heat is a 1981 film by Lawrence Kasdan.Body Heat may also refer to:*Body heat or thermoregulation, the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries*Body Heat...
instead of being stored. In 1995, the FTC charged Bland and his companies with violating the 1991 consent order by making further unsubstantiated weight-loss claims for several products, including the UltraClear dietary program, which had been falsely claimed to reduce the incidence and severity of symptoms associated with gastrointestinal problems, inflammatory and immunologic problems, fatigue, food allergies
Food allergy
A food allergy is an adverse immune response to a food protein. They are distinct from other adverse responses to food, such as food intolerance, pharmacological reactions, and toxin-mediated reactions....
, mercury exposure, kidney disorders, and rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks synovial joints. The process produces an inflammatory response of the synovium secondary to hyperplasia of synovial cells, excess synovial fluid, and the development...
. The second settlement agreement included a $45,000 civil penalty
Civil penalty
A civil penalty or civil fine is a term used to describe when a state entity, government agency, or private party seeks monetary relief against an individual as restitution for wrongdoing by the individual. The wrongdoing is typically defined by a codification of legislation, regulations, and decrees...
. The Institute for Functional Medicine, was created as division of HealthComm division.