Recently, the Journal of American Medical Association published an article showing the effectiveness of a functional medicine model. This is the first-ever retrospective cohort study on the outcomes of functional medicine. The study looked at the quality of life for 7,252 patients aged 18 years or older treated in a functional medicine setting at the Cleveland Clinic and those treated in a conventional model over a 2 year period. Patients were assessed at the 6 month and 12 month marks for their reported quality of life. Overall the patients under functional medicine care reported beneficial and sustained improvements in their quality of life compared to the conventional model.

What is functional medicine, you ask? Functional Medicine is the practice of seeking to address the underlying cause of a symptom or condition using cutting-edge diagnostic tools; then working to address that cause through natural, safe, non-toxic, systems-oriented treatment methods. At Restorative, we utilize functional lab testing such as in-depth, comprehensive blood work, stool testing, saliva testing, urine testing, etc. to objectively gain insight on the function of the body. Then, we use various factors including nutritional therapy, supplementation, detoxification, stress management, and lifestyle changes to bring about restoration of the body.

We believe that functional medicine is the future of medicine. We know this method of healthcare has not only greatly benefited our immediate family, but hundreds of patients at our clinic. This is why we are passionate about offering this type of care to Chester County, Pennsylvania and beyond.

Of course, more research needs to be done on the outcomes of functional medicine vs. a conventional model of healthcare, but we think this is a fantastic first step in the functional medicine research. A big win for functional medicine!