What to Expect on your journey:

Step 1: Discovery Session

We start with a free discovery session. After completing a brief health history form, we schedule a 20 minute long functional medicine consultation during which we can review your case, discuss your goals, determine which level of care is the best option for you, and answer your questions. To understand the levels of care, and their pros and cons, click here. The rest of these steps apply to level 2 and 3 care.

Step 2: Detailed History, Medical Records

If you decide you want to move forward, we will send you a much more detailed health history form, and request your records from your other doctors. Requesting records from your doctors requires you to complete a quick records request form. The goal here is to get as much information about your health as possible. Please note: The detailed health history form is very long. We know it is cumbersome, but we would rather give you more homework to do on your time than have to ask you all of the many questions ourselves and bill you more for our time. We are aiming for the most cost-effective way to gather the information we need.

Step 3: “Basic” Labs

Next we will get you to complete initial lab work before your first exam. These labs are meant to screen for, or rule out, several common issues and give us a “look under the hood” of your health. We call these “basic” labs, because they are different from functional labs (see below). They are still much more in-depth than a standard set of labs. We work with several lab companies to order labs in your area and then you can choose from a variety of local sites to have your blood drawn, or have a mobile service come to your house and collect your blood. Then it all gets sent off to the lab and we get the results.

Step 4: Physical Exam

After reviewing your history, records, and lab tests, we will have a good list of possible issues, but there are some things we may need to rule in or out with a physical exam. Luckily (because all of our services are remote) we can usually get all of the info we need over webcam or with pictures, etc. We will perform a physical exam tailored to your needs via telehealth and if there are other tests needed to treat you safely and effectively, we will work with your local providers to get the info we need.

Step 5: Functional Labs

If any advanced labs are needed to properly understand your condition, we will order them at this stage. These are much more complicated specialty labs and they tend to be more pricey, so we make sure to only order the ones we need so keep your costs reasonable and get the information we need to treat you effectively.

Step 6: Treatment Plan

Once we have a comprehensive view of the factors impacting your health, we sit down with you and work together to design a treatment plan involving lifestyle changes, diet changes, and targeted supplementation to improve the function of your body and get you back on track. This is your path back to health, and it is different for every person.

Step 7: Follow-Ups

Once you have your treatment plan, it is time to start making changes! We follow up periodically to check on your progress with the treatment plan, answer questions, and make changes to the plan as needed. We will also do follow-up lab tests to make sure you are progressing as expected. The frequency of these follow-ups and the amount of time they take varies according to your needs and goals. Our goal in working with you is not to keep you coming back, we want you to get better as fast as possible and stay better without needing us on a regular basis, although we will be available for ongoing support if needed.

The honest Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Functional Medicine works. It is highly effective for improving a variety of chronic metabolic conditions that conventional medicine can “manage” but not really “cure.”

  • It provides a drug-free option for people who struggle with side effects of prescription medications or who want a drug-free option.

  • It is more effective at figuring out uncommon or complex disorders. If you have been feeling sick and tired and have seen several different doctors and none have been able to give you a diagnosis, there is a good chance you are in the right place.

Cons:

  • Functional Medicine takes time. We are aiming to change the underlying causes of the condition and change takes time. Depending on your condition it may take months or even years to fully meet your goals.

  • Lifestyle change is hard. Changing your diet, schedule, lifestyle, environment, etc. takes a lot of work and motivation. If you are not willing to make changes, then you may be wasting your money.

  • Functional Medicine is expensive. Technically, we actually charge less per hour than your family doctor, but because insurance does not cover Functional Medicine, the patient bears more of the cost. Including the cost of labs, functional medicine patients can expect to pay between $3,000-$10,000 over the course of their treatments depending on the amount of care they need, and the complexity of their condition.

The takeaway: You get out of it what you put into it. Functional Medicine is not quick, easy, or cheap and there are no shortcuts. For highly motivated patients who can’t get answers elsewhere and are willing to work hard to get to the root cause of their problem, it is very, very worth it.

If you are not motivated to get to the root cause of your problem, but are still looking for an alternative model, see our care options here to find your best path.