Chronic pain can be frustrating, and ineffective solutions can cause physical and emotional damage. Functional medicine is an alternative, evidence-based approach to medicine that can help with pain relief. It seeks to identify and treat the underlying cause of symptoms rather than simply masking pain.
What Exactly is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine is a whole-body approach to medicine that seeks to treat the root causes of an illness. It acknowledges that one condition can result from multiple causes and that one cause can point to numerous potential diagnoses. Therefore, it’s essential to treat each patient as unique to find the root of the particular symptom.
This patient-centered approach to medicine is not about managing symptoms or categorizing patients into rigid treatment plans based on their diagnosis. A functional medicine practitioner will emphasize the importance of an individual’s particular circumstances. A treatment plan will be developed considering a patient’s values, preferences, habits, and environmental factors.
The practitioner views the whole body as an interconnected system using a holistic approach. Rather than isolating each organ system into specialties, it is more open to the idea that a symptom in one part of the body may not indicate a corresponding problem in the same area.
How Does Functional Medicine Impact Pain Relief?
Functional medicine can help alleviate chronic pain by addressing underlying issues that might be causing it. These issues can often be addressed by lifestyle, nutritional, or environmental changes. Although it doesn’t focus on pain relief as a goal, it still tends to be effective.
Because its goal is to identify the root cause of an illness, it can be more effective at reducing pain. Some hidden causes of chronic pain do not indicate an issue with that area of the body. For example, organ-referred pain is when pain in a musculoskeletal region results from impairment in a corresponding organ. Although conventional medicine is aware of this phenomenon, these systems are separated into different medical specialties, and this pain would often be treated as a musculoskeletal issue. On the other hand, a holistic approach would be able to find and treat the underlying problem, alleviating the pain.
Functional medicine seeks to improve wellness and bring an individual’s body into a better operating state. This improved functioning helps reduce the need for pain management.
This is important because many pain management treatments come with harmful long-term side effects. For example, NSAIDs can be effective in the short term, but over time can cause organ damage and increase risk factors for heart attack and stroke.
What Should Someone Suffering from Chronic Pain Know About Functional Medicine
Because functional medicine differs from the approach taken by most conventional medicine practitioners, there are some things that someone suffering from chronic pain should keep in mind.
Functional medicine gets to know each individual. A practitioner will seek a detailed background for each patient, asking about medical history, mental health, lifestyle, and diet. They may find out if a patient has been exposed to toxins. They may also order targeted lab tests covering blood chemistry, hormone balance, food sensitivities, and genetics. This helps generate a picture of an individual’s unique ecosystem.
The ultimate goal is not “pain-free” but restoring wellness. Treatment plans will aim to create lifestyle adjustments that balance and optimize a patient’s body function.
Functional medicine focuses on long-term solutions rather than quick fixes. While conventional medicine typically uses pain management, medication, and surgery, functional medicine typically involves nutritional supplements, dietary and lifestyle changes, and other subtle adjustments.
Many people struggling with unexplained chronic pain find relief with functional medicine. With its holistic, patient-centered approach, practitioners can root out underlying issues and create a tailored care plan to return each patient to healthier functioning.
Author Brittany Cotton
Published by International Pain Foundation, Team iPain, iPain Blog
