Doctors who practice integrative medicine focus on prevention and holistic healing, rather than symptom management to treat illness or disease. Integrative medicine practices are becoming more popular in the United States as people become more aware of whole-body therapies that can help them feel healthy by getting to the root causes of health concerns. If you’re thinking about visiting an integrative physician for treatment, then read this blog post to learn what you can expect when it comes time for your visit!
Why should I schedule a Functional Medicine visit?
If we are feeling ill, we normally visit a doctor to get a diagnosis and then receive treatment or medication. Most people are used to seeing a doctor only when problems with their health arise.
While in fact, an integrative medicine approach aims to optimize your body’s potential to create health–instead of merely treating disease and its symptoms after they occur (1). Though functional medicine providers can and do help you navigate health problems, if you want to create a longer, healthier life for yourself, integrative medicine provides the tools to be proactive.
Learn more about our treatment approach.
Functional medical visits have grown increasingly popular since this approach aims to evaluate the health of the whole person. This includes your physical health, as well as mental and emotional wellbeing, and environmental factors like nutrition, stress, and movement.
Prepare for your next health check by following the tips below.
What to expect during a Functional Medicine visit
At CentreSpringMD, our team of board-certified providers pulls from multiple systems of medicine, using a functional and integrative approach to get to the root causes of your symptoms. Led by our internationally-known founder, Dr. Taz Bhatia MD, our team has brought healing to more than 20,000 patients using our unique diagnostic process to find you the right answer.
During your visit with a functional medicine practitioner, you can expect professional medical advice from compassionate and knowledgeable providers to help you overcome health challenges as well as meet your long-term health goals.
Longer appointment times
Building a relationship with your integrative provider is important to improve treatment, and to make sure your concerns are properly addressed. You can expect:
- Thorough initial visits (up to 3 hours for new-patient appointments, if necessary)
- Unhurried appointments (average appointment time of 30-45 minutes)
- Detailed medical history and exam
An individualized approach
To get to the root cause of any health issue, it’s crucial to have a care plan to address your unique chemistry and needs. Other areas of personalization include:
- Supplement and nutraceutical matching
- Nutrition and dietary counseling
- Medications management
- Integrative care team, including a holistic nutritionist, acupuncturist, craniosacral therapist, and integrative health coach
Related: Experience a Craniosacral Therapy Session
Innovative testing + diagnostics
To provide the best medical care with a holistic approach, integrative medicine relies on detailed health history, as well as biofeedback from:
- Standard and integrative testing
- Hormone testing
- Gut function analysis
- Nutritional status and deficiency
- Genetic testing
- Detoxification ability
- Traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic analysis
Read more: How to Get the Right Functional Lab Tests
Commitment to your health
The integrative medicine approach prioritizes your well-being in and outside of the doctor’s office. We know that being a partner in your health requires building a trusting relationship with your providers. At CentreSpringMD we’re continuing to meet your needs with:
- Coordination of care (testing and diagnostics, supplements, outside referrals)
- Direct provider email access – unlimited email access ensures your questions are always answered
What’s the new patient experience at CentreSpringMD? Start here!
Practitioners combine complementary therapies with traditional Western medicine
The path to feeling your best can be quite the journey, taking many twists and turns, and always looking differently for each person. With that said, it means employing the modalities of various disciplines helps a greater number of people reach their goals.
The integrative medicine approach employs the use of mind-body therapies like energy healing and stress management, as well as lifestyle modifications like healthy eating and evaluating sleep patterns. Therapies recommended include those from Eastern medicine to acupuncture, to traditional medication (2).
Every integrative medicine therapy is evidence-based, safe, and effective for patients.
View our menu of services and learn more about optimal wellness.
Conditions treated
Integrative medicine is uniquely poised to address many modern health issues which conventional medicine struggles with. That is, health issues that are complex can be difficult to treat, and that don’t respond well to treatment with medication.
Integrative medicine can help prevent, manage, and reverse many chronic health conditions, like (3):
- Type 2 diabetes
- Autoimmune disorders (rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s, MS)
- Hormone imbalances and infertility
- High blood pressure
- Cardiovascular issues
- Crohn’s and colitis
- Lyme disease or mold exposure
Functional methods have also been shown effective to drastically improve symptoms of (4,5):
- ADHD
- Depression, anxiety, and mental health
- Chronic fatigue and myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)
- PANS/PANDAS
- Endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
The above is far from a complete list of conditions treated with integrative medicine. For more, explore this page to learn about the many conditions we treat.
What should I expect during my first visit?
If it’s your first time at an integrative medicine clinic, your experience might look a little differently than you’ve experienced before.
- After a detailed health history and exam, your physician will discuss any symptoms you’re feeling.
- Your doctor will then examine potential root causes of your symptoms, and explore treatment options best suited for you.
- Your care team can also help you identify the emotional, environmental, physical, social, and spiritual factors that hinder your healing process.
- Your doctors will then work together to create an individually customized treatment plan for your needs and goals.
Have more questions? Check out our FAQs page!
More common questions about integrative medicine
Can integrative doctors prescribe?
Both integrative medicine and conventional physicians are licensed to prescribe medications. At CentreSpringMD we can help you manage your medications as well as examine supplements and natural methods that support or maximize their effectiveness.
Do you see patients who have cancer?
When a patient is diagnosed with cancer, we work to support the primary treatment plan in place and rely on our extensive network of partnerships with top cancer centers, experts, and researchers across the country.
One study showed patients undergoing breast cancer treatment with integrative medicine were more likely to have an improvement in appetite, fatigue, cognitive and emotional functioning, pain, anxiety, sleep, and overall global health (6).
At CentreSpringMD, we’ll help you identify individual risk factors for various types of cancer through tests, including digital thermography (breast or whole-body), stool testing for colorectal cancers (noninvasive alternative to colonoscopy), cancer biomarkers through blood panels, and reproductive health screenings. Additionally, we focus on preventative measures by managing body alkalinity, inflammation, and nutritional status.
Is my Integrative Medicine appointment covered by insurance?
We are pleased to now be able to file your claim forms from your visits with us. Although we do not participate in any insurance plans currently, we are able to directly file your claims for reimbursement from your insurance company. Claims are filed within 72 hours with reimbursement expected within 30-60 days. Payment for visits is due at the time of service.
Functional and Integrative Medicine at CentreSpringMD
Integrative medicine is a holistic approach to health care that takes into account the many factors of your life and environment, including physical, mental, emotional, and social health. By providing comprehensive care for you as an individual–rather than one diagnosis at a time–our team has helped thousands of patients find answers to their health issues.
We’ve been able to find solutions for those who struggle with chronic pain or complex medical issues by looking beyond symptoms on the surface. If this sounds like something you want in your own medical care journey too, give us a call today! Our team will work hard to provide quality personalized care so we can meet your needs head-on.
Resources
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/integrative-medicine
- https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/acu.2015.1120
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3833660/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3950373/
- https://www.additudemag.com/integrative-medicine-adhd-holistic-health-wellness-guide/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28247032/
