or exposure to toxins can lead to multiple chronic conditions, functional medicine focuses on systems, rather than organs, and origins, rather than diseases. “It’s about listening to the patient’s story in a different way, where the objective is not simply about arriving at a diagnosis,” explains Bland.
Ferreting Out Key Clues Key to discovering the underlying origins of a health issue are a host of new gene, blood and gut health tests. “They allow us to look under the patient’s ‘metabolic hood’ at the genetic and biochemical factors infl uencing health,” says Naturopathic Doctor Kara Fitzgerald, who heads up a functional medicine clinic in Newtown, Connecticut. For instance, certain genes infl uence
how a person burns and stores fat. Depending on which variant a patient has, based on a genetic test, they might be guided toward a higher- or lower- fat diet. Those genetically prone to diffi culty in metabolizing the amino acid homocysteine (an excess of which can raise the risk of heart disease) might be advised to take folic acid supplements.
If a patient displays intractable gut problems, rather than simply look for blood or pathogens in the stool, Fitzgerald also looks at the DNA of their gut microbiome, mapping out which strains of good bacteria are present or absent and prescribing prebiotics, probiotics or whole foods to promote a healthful balance. For another patient with thinning hair and aching joints, she might use specialized blood tests to look for micronutrient defi ciencies, signs of allergies or certain autoantibodies—
proteins produced by the immune system that mistakenly attack one’s own tissues—that might herald a brewing autoimmune disorder. “Research shows that predictive autoantibodies can show up in the blood 10 or even 20 years before an autoimmune disease such as Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis makes itself known,” says Fitzgerald, pointing to a seminal review published in 2007 in Scientifi c American: “If a patient with mild, early-stage symptoms is proactive
Lobby for Change
To lobby for consistent insurance coverage of more complementary therapies, check out these resources. CoverMyCare (
CoverMyCare.org). This national grassroots advocacy campaign, a project of the Integrative Healthcare Policy Consortium, aims to support the proper full implementation of Section 2706 of the Affordable Care Act, which states that insurers cannot leave licensed practitioners like naturopaths, chiropractors, massage therapists or Oriental medicine practitioners out of their provider networks. It still lacks enforcement at the state level, although Oregon and Rhode Island recently passed legislation to fi x the existing loophole; California, Hawaii, Minnesota and New Mexico are working to do the same. American Sustainable Business Council (
Tinyurl.com/Integrative
Reimbursement). The organization recently launched a campaign to urge insurers to cover integrative practices.
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