Finding the right healthcare provider in 2024 can feel like an impossible uphill climb. It can also feel challenging to know what sort of treatment you need from your doctor, how they will prescribe it, and if they have your best interests at heart.
Most doctors I know genuinely want to help people. Yet many encounter time and resource limitations due to their conventional training and the constraints placed on them by delivering care deemed appropriate by the insurance companies.
Answering This Question With Questions
So, Do You Need to Work With a Functional Medicine Doctor? Well, it depends. First, we must dig a little deeper into your current situation. If you’re unsure whether or not the functional medicine approach is right for you, I’d recommend asking yourself the following seven questions as a starting point.
Do I feel my very best?
Most conventional doctors view optimal health as “acceptable” numbers. They consider their job complete as long as you fall somewhere within that range. However, functional medicine does not stop there. I want you to feel the very best you can. Arriving as close to optimal as possible (and staying there) is where you and I want you to be.
Is my current physician hearing my concerns?
When talking, the doctor often listens for keywords, assigns a diagnosis, and begins to think quickly and easily about treatment options. They are busy and have a lot of patients to see as effectively yet promptly as possible. They scan the words you’re saying to figure out the best solution based on what your insurance will cover. The problem is that many patients will end up with a diagnosis that labels the problem but doesn’t fix the root cause.
Is my current physician offering all options available to heal my body?
Most conventional medicine physicians are doing the best they can. Still, unfortunately, under the constraints of insurance-based care and traditional training, they may not offer you all available options. What does this mean? It means some testing will not be available.
Do I feel like I’m getting to the root cause of my health problems?
So often, we treat the symptoms of our discomfort without actually addressing the root cause of the issue. It’s like putting a bandaid on a bullet wound.
Is my only solution at this time to take more medication?
While some medication is a medical miracle (i.e., antibiotics) and sometimes unavoidable, you can take other steps before coming to this last resort. Functional medicine explores other options thoroughly and remains cautious when determining medication as the only solution.
Why are all my numbers “normal,” but I still feel awful?
In conventional medicine, doctors choose tests based on the symptoms you‘re experiencing. But sometimes, these tests are not the best ways to determine the root cause. Also, the lens doctors use to interpret them is looking for normal but not optimal. There are so many tests out there that I didn’t know about until I expanded my training from conventional medicine to functional medicine. I never purposely withheld this knowledge–I just didn’t yet know about it.
Am I ready to invest in myself and take my life back?
Up-leveling your health is not something you can experience with the snap of your fingers. Instead, it takes dedication and partnership with your doctor to change your lifestyle, mental health, diet, and physical activity.
How to Find a Functional Medicine Doctor
Once you’ve had the opportunity to answer the seven questions above, it’s time to move on to find your doctor. If functional medicine seems like the right fit for you, I recommend two methods to finding a Functional Medicine Practitioner.
The Institute for Functional Medicine Website
The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) is the gold standard for educating and endorsing medical professionals in functional medicine. I believe in this organization and its training so much that I became a Certified Practitioner myself!
On their website, you’ll find an index of certified practitioners across the United States based on a specific location. In addition, you can dive deep into practitioners’ training and backgrounds and view their contact information on their profile page. You can find this index at Find a Practitioner.
Consult with Your Dietician, Chiropractor, or another healthcare professional
Many other healthcare professionals, such as dietitians and chiropractors, are familiar with functional medicine, and some incorporate the fundamentals into their practice. If you’re unsure where to start and are hesitant to do the research, start by asking your local dietician, nutritionist, chiropractor, or personal trainer for recommendations.
Now that you’ve found a functional medicine doctor, where should you go next?
Determining Your Path
As I’ve shared in this blog post and many previous ones, having the freedom and ability to choose how to partner with your physician is one of the most significant benefits of functional medicine. In fact, at Best Life Functional Medicine, I have built four different options for clients to work with me based on where they’re at in their health journey.
Standing on the Shore
New to the functional medicine world and not quite ready to commit? I invite you to join my network! You can:
- Follow me on Facebook or Instagram for helpful information, inspiration and encouragement.
- Check out my blog to learn about functional medicine in more depth.
- Stay in the know by joining my mailing list for the latest news and offerings. Sign up at the very bottom of my website in the footer.
Toe in the Water
If you’re looking to take that first step toward reclaiming your health, I recommend taking my free adrenal quiz. Optimal adrenal health is foundational for optimal health, and most people have less-than-optimal adrenal glands. The quiz is quick and free, and it’s a great place to start!
Take the quiz here.
Wading in the Water
If you want to make more extensive changes in your life and get to the root cause of why you feel the way you do, I recommend signing up for one of my programs. I offer three core programs as part of my Silver Plan. You can start with ANY of them! I promise, there are always things to optimize.
Diving In
If you’re looking for personalized one-on-one care, I recommend signing up to work with me one-on-one. To ensure I give each patient the best experience, I only accept a small number of patients each month to work with individually.
No One-Size-Fits-All
Starting this journey may initially feel overwhelming, but I want you to know that many other medical professionals and I are in your corner, rooting for you. As a unique individual, finding the best for your health will take time, trial, and error. But be confident that you have already completed one of the most challenging hurdles: taking that first step!
I’m here for you if you have any questions. You got this!
In health,
Dr. Libby
