Functional Medicine
Functional medicine is a systems biology-based approach that focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of health concerns — the “why is this happening?”
To answer that important question, I take the time to get to know you, not just your illness. Functional medicine looks at the whole person rather than an isolated set of symptoms. This approach considers the connections between your health history, lifestyle, environment, stressors, nutrition, sleep, hormones, digestion, and overall wellbeing.
At Will Koopal Functional Medicine, we work together in a therapeutic partnership to create a personalized plan that supports the mind, body, and spirit.
All new patients begin with a Discovery Session.
This first appointment allows me to better understand your health history, symptoms, lifestyle, previous labs, goals, and the underlying factors that may be contributing to your current health concerns before recommending a care path.
Your Discovery Session helps us determine the most appropriate next step, which may include further investigation, functional or conventional lab testing, lifestyle strategies, nutrition support, supplement recommendations, or ongoing functional medicine care.
New Patients Start With a Discovery Session
Functional medicine is an investigative process that looks for the root cause of symptoms and disease. Rather than focusing only on symptom management, we look at the full picture of your health and how different systems of the body may be connected.
Your personalized plan may include recommendations related to diet, sleep patterns, stress management, hormonal health, digestion, nutrition, movement, supplements, and other lifestyle factors.
I provide guidance along the way, and your plan is further individualized as we learn more about what your body needs. This is how we work to rebuild health, restore balance, and support long-term wellness.
For full details about the first appointment, visit the Discovery Session page.
What To Expect
Functional medicine may be a good fit for:
Individuals who are looking for answers to lingering health issues despite conventional therapies.
Those with chronic or complex symptoms that have not been fully addressed by standard care.
People who want to better understand the root causes of their symptoms or disease.
Individuals dealing with fatigue, digestive issues, hormonal concerns, inflammation, autoimmune conditions, metabolic issues, brain fog, or other ongoing health concerns.
Health-conscious people who want to prevent disease, optimize wellness, support longevity, or maintain health as they age.
Athletes or active individuals looking for a competitive edge.
Highly motivated patients who are willing to take an active role in their health and make serious lifestyle changes.
Who Is This For?
Conditions Treated
Many patients come to functional medicine because they are looking for answers to lingering symptoms or complex health concerns. Because symptoms are often connected across body systems, we look at the full picture rather than treating each issue in isolation.
Explore the conditions commonly addressed through a root-cause, whole-person approach.
All new patients begin with a Discovery Session. This comprehensive first appointment helps determine the most appropriate next step for your care.
Ready to Get Started?
The Functional Medicine Matrix
Because illness does not occur in isolation, I look at the interconnectedness between every body system. An imbalance in one can affect the others.
The Functional Medicine Matrix is a framework that integrates multiple clinical disciplines and seeks to identify the root cause of disease. This comprehensive matrix helps me to organize and prioritize seemingly unlinked factors to build a comprehensive picture. It connects all the dots.
One condition may have multiple causes, just as one fundamental imbalance may be at the root of many seemingly separate conditions.
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Antecedents
These are events that occur before the onset of a disease, which could potentially contribute to its development. These include family history, birth history and your genetic predisposition.
Triggers
These include both internal (like genes or hormones) and external factors (like diet or environment). The trigger is typically the event that a patient can pinpoint and state “that is when I started feeling bad”. Covid, an infection or trauma are often triggers.
Mediators
These are categorized into sleep & relaxation, exercise & movement, nutrition, stress, and relationships. They can influence the biological systems and contribute to the patient's illness. Mediators are what perpetuate the problem and often include the standard American diet and stress.
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Assimilation
How your body breaks down the foods you eat and the water you drink and then converts the breakdown products into energy and nutrition for your body.
Biotransformation & Elimination
Your body’s liver and kidneys, as well as your lymphatic and cardiovascular systems which move molecules throughout the body.
Defense & Repair
Your immune system’s role in your overall health. Autoimmune conditions are when the body attacks itself.
Structural Integrity
A complex component of your health includes everything from the musculoskeletal system to organ function, cellular structure, and even the integrity of the body's various barrier systems like the gut lining or blood-brain barrier.
Communication
This is your whole body hormone system. All hormones are made from LDL cholesterol which is often referred to as the “bad cholesterol”. Functional Medicine takes a comprehensive approach and realizes that LDL cholesterol is absolutely necessarry to proper hormone production and function. There is a fine balance between the communication system and the cardiovascular system. If LDL is too high it can increase cardiovasulcar complications. If LDL is too low then you cannot create the necessarry hormones.
Energy Transport
Energy in the body is produced by mitochondria, which captures the energy from the breakdown of nutrients and transforms it into energy used by the body.
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Sleep & Relaxation
Your sleep quality, quantity, hygiene, and disorders
Exercise & Movement
Your goals, obstacles, and level of fitness
Nutrition
When you eat, how you eat, what you eat
Stress
Your stressors and coping methods
Relationships
Your support system, communication, and community
100% Tailored to You
Functional medicine is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Your symptoms, history, lifestyle, environment, and goals are unique, and your plan should reflect that.
It is not enough to simply manage symptoms. You deserve to understand the root causes of your health concerns and have a plan designed to support long-term, sustainable health.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association demonstrated that the functional medicine model of care achieved better health-related quality of life scores than standard medical care in a traditional family health center.