What Is Functional Medicine?
A Modern, Scientific Style of Western Medicine
Functional Medicine is a modern, scientific style of Western Medicine that is transforming primary patient care by going beyond the symptoms to treat the underlying cause of disease.
Functional Medicine doctors like Dr. Grasser understand that each person has biochemical individuality which includes not only his/her genes, but also the unique way in which these genes are affected by their environment. This philosophy of modern medicine views the body as a web of interconnected systems that should be supported and treated as a whole rather than as a patchwork of separate organs and organ systems. Functional medicine focuses on understanding the patient above the disease, and acknowledging the dynamic balance among internal and external factors that affect health.
Functional medicine aims to close the gap between the emergence of research pointing to new treatments and their adoption by physicians to help patients—particularly in the area of cutting-edge nutritional and dietary interventions. In Functional Medicine, as in Ayurveda, health is always viewed as a positive vitality rather than merely the absence of disease. As a result, we are skilled in developing proactive treatment plans that improve overall health and balance, guiding patients to make subtle life shifts that have enormous health impacts.
Personalized Lifestyle Medicine
The emergence of Personalized Lifestyle Medicine is especially exciting to doctors like Dr. Grasser, because it resonates with the ancient teaching of Ayurveda, which recognizes a person’s uniqueness and tailors the healing approach to match the individual.
Genomic Medicine
Since the completion of the human genome project in 2003, the field of Genomic Medicine has emerged and is evolving rapidly. Through the use of specialized testing, Dr. Grasser can investigate your unique genetic variation and interpret how this can impact your health. This may include assessment of your risk for developing certain diseases, your ability to metabolize certain drugs and/or herbs and compounds, or your ability to detoxify certain substances, including environmental toxins. Genomic medicine is the wave of the future and has enormous potential to assist an individual on their path to health and vitality.
“I came to Dr. Grasser with digestive ailments that I had suffered with for many years and was skeptical, because I had already been to a number of doctors. He put me on a plan that met with success for something I thought I’d never find an answer for. This had been a problem throughout my whole adult life! A huge difference in my life! ”
