Find out how functional medicine specialists could help you improve your health and wellbeing.

Do you feel rushed whenever you go to the doctor’s office these days? Do you feel like there is less of a focus on preventive care and more on just treating problems once they surface? Do you feel like the traditional medications and treatments you’ve been given just aren’t helping you get your health under control? If you find yourself saying “yes” to these questions, know that you aren’t alone. Our St. Louis, MO, functional medicine doctor Dr. Tipu Sultan wants to provide patients with a better and more comprehensive approach to healthcare.

What is functional medicine?

Functional medicine doctors focus on providing patients with a comprehensive, individualized and integrative approach to medicine. This means not just helping patients prevent health problems but also detecting the root cause of your symptoms rather than just trying to manage the symptoms themselves. Our St. Louis functional medicine doctor takes all aspects of your life into consideration when determining what might be causing your symptoms including,

• Lifestyle and habits
• Your environment
• Genetics/heredity
• Socioeconomic status

By understanding a person’s family, social, personal and medical history, our team can provide a more complete and customized treatment plan that helps people deal with everything from acute diseases to complicated and serious chronic disorders. A functional medicine doctor can treat any and all conditions that your regular family doctor can; the only difference is the approach to treatment and care.

How does functional medicine work?

When you come into the office expect our doctor to go through your medical history and to ask you detailed questions about your symptoms and health. The more information we can receive the better. From there, we may perform certain tests including blood work, urine samples, imaging tests and more to diagnose and rule out certain disorders.

Once we have a diagnosis, we will map out a treatment plan that may provide a mix of complementary, alternative and traditional treatments and therapies. A lot will depend on the condition you are dealing with and the root cause; however, common treatment plans may include,

• Dietary changes
• Regular exercise/physical activity
• Stress management
• Certain supplements, vitamins and botanicals
• Hormone regulation
• Detox programs
• Counseling or therapy
• Medication
• Acupuncture
• Massage therapy

Environmental Health Center in St. Louis, MO, provides comprehensive functional medicine to children, teens, adults and seniors. If you are looking for a doctor that will provide a whole-body approach to treating your health with a focus on prevention, then call us today at (314) 921-5600 to schedule an evaluation.