I am often asked what kind of doctor are you? I sometimes respond an Integrative Medicine physician. The look on their face is puzzling. I am trained in conventional internal medicine with a subspecialty in Cardiology. However in addition to the Fellowship in Cardiology I completed a Fellowship in Integrative Medicine. Back then it was called Holistic, Alternative or Complimentary Medicine Today it is Integrative Medicine or Functional Medicine. I have been practicing Functional Medicine before there was a Fellowship . This type of medicine encompasses the best of conventional and the best of complimentary medicine.
This week the Journal of the American Medical Association (one of the very top medical journals in the world that Health Care Practitioners count on for authoritative guidance) published the first comprehensive 5-year study on the effectiveness of Functional Medicine.
When comparing 1,595 patients seen at the Functional Medicine Center at the Cleveland Clinic with the results of 5,657 patients with a similar range of chronic health problems, seen in the Family Health Center at the Cleveland Clinic
The results were published In summary , taking a functional medicine approach to chronic conditions has significantly better results than one of the best traditional family health centers in the country.
I love the type of medicine I practice. I am good at it —No, I am great at it. I love talking to patients, being the detective to their problems and most of all- I listen to the patients.
Until tomorrow…