What is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine is a systems biology-based approach that focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause, the “why this is happening?”. To answer this important question, we take the time to get to know you and not just your illness. We address the whole person, and not just an isolated set of symptoms. The functional medicine approach engages both the patient and practitioner in a therapeutic partnership to tailor treatments that address the patient’s unique needs and take charge of his/her mind, body and spirit.
At Will Koopal Functional Medicine
Before your Discovery Session appointment, you will fill out a comprehensive medical history and lifestyle assessment which allows us to organize what seems to be an isolated and unrelated set of symptoms into a complete story.
We also utilize functional lab tests to measure biomarkers which are not routinely measured by traditional labs. These can include blood, stool, urine, hormone, and genetic. All testing is completely non-invasive, natural, and safe.
You will receive a personalized plan and discuss next steps on your journey. Your personalized treatment plan can include making some changes to your diet, sleep patterns, stress management, hormonal health, and nutrition. I provide all the guidance you need, and your plan will be further individualized along the way to ensure healing and restore balance. This is how you rebuild your health.
Health and wellness is a lifelong journey. Your initial program of care is only the beginning. We encourage routine check-ins to protect your gains and promote health and wellness from within. After your initial treatment plan, I typically see patients two to three times per year.
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, Your Body, and Your Life
Functional Medicine is what healthcare should be - a holistic, patient-centered, collaborative approach. You get to take an active role in your healing. It is not enough to just manage your symptoms, you should know and understand the root causes of your issues. You deserve long term sustainable health.
A Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) study 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.