a root cause approach: defined
I talk about “a root cause approach” and “functional medicine” allllll the time over here. Well, recently, someone in my DMs asked, “what's a root cause?” & it dawned on me that, while I may use these terms everyday, these terms mightttt have others who are “new” to this space scratching their heads.
If that's you, allow me to explain. 😉
Functional medicine is a practice that's aimed at addressing the “why” vs the “what”.
It's a practice that emphasizes the importance of listening (actually listening) to the patient's FULL story & prioritizes the patient feeling validated & heard.
It's a practice that understands that all of the systems of the body work together and that your symptoms are never isolated to a single organ.
It's a practice aimed at finding and addressing root causes of symptoms vs. covering them up with bandaids.
Imagine you're a tree. You walk into your doctor's office & they only see the leaves and the branches of your tree – things they can diagnose, like anxiety, hypothyroidism, acne, infertility, IBS, etc…
When you walk into my practice, I see the roots and the soil of your tree – what's going on beneath the surface allowing those problems in the leaves and the branches to manifest in the first place.
A tree cannot flourish if it's got rotten soil and broken roots.
To better help you understand the difference between conventional medicine & functional medicine (or a “root cause approach”), I wanna share some common problems I see in my practice & how they're commonly addressed in a conventional setting vs how I address them from a root cause perspective.
irritable bowel syndrome:
So, lets say you have IBS. Maybe it's bloating, maybe it's diarrhea, maybe it's constipation. You go to your doctor & you're likely offered one or more of the following:
antacids
antibiotics
anti-diarrheals
gas-x
miralax
unrealistic diet restrictions
Heck, you may have tried ALL of these things & still have symptoms. And while you feel desperate for answers, all your doc can offer you is an IBS diagnosis and an anti-depressant. Sound familiar??? If so, it's likely your doctor has neglected examining the roots & soil of your tree. In my practice, this may look like:
supporting your metabolism
replenishing mineral deficiencies
deep testing to rule out thyroid problems
nervous system support
stool testing to rule out pathogens & poor digestive function
supporting gallbladder/bile function
acne:
Maybe you have chronic painful acne, so you go to your dermatologist. You've tried allllll the things:
prescription topicals
antibiotics
spironolactone
birth control
accutane
diet restrictions
…but your acne just won't budge. What's missing is often addressing deeper imbalances in the body. Things like:
skin barrier support
replenishing mineral deficiencies
balancing blood sugars
eating enough to support metabolism
nervous system support
gut & digestion support
detox pathway support
hypothyroidism:
Maybe you have hypothyroidism, so you've been prescribed thyroid replacement medication to take for life. But did your doctor ever consider why your thyroid became dysfunctional in the first place? Psssst…there are ways to restore thyroid function even if you've been told you'll have to take a pill for the rest of your life. Things like:
ensuring adequate fuel from food
replenishing minerals
addressing iodine deficiencies
nervous system support
stool testing to assess & heal the gut
blood sugar supportive diet
addressing inflammation in the body
I hope this helps paint a clearer picture of what I do in my practice with 1-1 clients. If this type of work is something you’re interested in, click here to apply for 1-1 coaching & we'll chat through if it's a good fit for you on a free discovery call.
xo, jenny