Types of therapy
At Paracelsus Recovery, functional medicine is at the heart of all our treatment programmes. The aim of functional medicine is to identify and address the root cause of disease and restore health through personalised, holistic treatment.
What is functional medicine?
Functional medicine aims to restore health by facilitating the body’s natural healing process. It works by addressing the root cause of a disease rather than the symptoms it produces. A functional medicine doctor works holistically, considering mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being to get a full picture of an individual’s health. This is in contrast to a conventional medicine approach, where specialists focus on each area of the body as a separate part and treat imbalances or diseases with drugs or medical procedures. Functional medicine practitioners, on the other hand, focus on the body as a whole; an interconnected system of parts. The treatment they provide is 360-degree and comprehensive, targeting and addressing all imbalances in the body. Functional medicine involves asking deep questions to uncover the root cause of the illness or pain: ‘why does this problem exist in the first place?’, ‘what function has been impaired?’ and ‘what needs to be done to restore function?’.
In other words, functional medicine practitioners aim to understand how the interplay between environmental, genetic, historical and lifestyle factors have led to physical or mental ill-health. This means they go to great lengths to learn all about your medical history, family history, diet and lifestyle etc so they can provide patient-centred care. They will gather information about nutrition, exercise habits, stressors, sleep habits, relationships and emotional well-being. They also run various tests, such as blood tests, genetic tests and allergy tests. Once they have a global understanding of your symptoms and holistic health and well-being, they will curate a personalised health plan to facilitate your body’s natural healing process and restore inner equilibrium. This will include recommendations of treatments to improve diet, exercise, stress levels and sleep as well as medication or conventional medical procedures when required.
What is functional medicine helpful for?
There are many benefits of functional medicine. It is comprehensive and holistic in nature, blending conventional treatments with alternative treatments and lifestyle and diet changes. Such a 360-degree approach gives you the best possible chance of a robust, long-lasting recovery. As does the rigorous testing undertaken to uncover and treat the root causes of your pain. It also offers you the chance to take control of your own health through making sustainable changes to your diet and lifestyle alongside receiving various treatments. Another benefit is that a functional medicine approach is patient-centred, helping clients feel seen and heard. Placing each individual client at the centre of their own recovery journey also recognises that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to healing. In line with our treatment ideology at Paracelsus Recovery, functional medicine emphasises that each person’s circumstances are unique therefore treatment must also be tailor-made for each individual.
Functional medicine is helpful in treating a variety of mental and physical health conditions, especially those which are complex. It is particularly effective in treating chronic illnesses and pain. This is due to the fact that, instead of focussing on alleviating symptoms one by one, functional medicine tirelessly focuses on uncovering the root cause. For example, a functional medicine practitioner may identify that a cluster of seemingly unrelated symptoms is caused by an autoimmune condition. A functional medicine approach is also key to treating substance abuse disorders and mental health issues. This is because it looks to address the root physiological imbalances, for example nutritional deficiencies, that can manifest as addiction or mental health conditions. Due to its various benefits, functional medicine is a key feature of all of our treatment programmes. It forms the backbone of our bespoke, comprehensive and all-encompassing approach to recovery.
Is functional medicine evidence-based?
Research into a functional medicine approach is promising and growing. The emerging clinical evidence confirms the benefits of functional medicine across a wide-range of conditions. For example, one study found significant improvements in health-related quality of life for individuals with chronic diseases. Another study found a functional medicine approach, which focused on lifestyle interventions, to be effective in boosting health outcomes in type-2 diabetes patients.
In addition, functional medicine’s emphasis on a personalised, lifestyle-centred approach to treatment aligns with much of what evidence suggests is beneficial for health. For example, one of the core aspects of a functional medicine approach is applying diet and lifestyle modifications. A large body of evidence supports the benefits of dietary modifications, regular physical activity, stress management and adequate sleep for managing and preventing chronic diseases. For example, stress management techniques, such as mindfulness and meditation, are known to reduce cortisol levels and improve immune function and mood. Another example is the functional medicine focus on gut health. Research increasingly demonstrates the link between gut health and various conditions, including mental health issues. For example there is a growing body of research into using dietary changes to treat depression.
While various principles of functional medicine are well-supported by evidence individually, more research is needed to validate the integration of these principals, the comprehensive functional medicine model as a whole.
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