The Health series is presented by AdventHealth
A Conversation with Courtni Parker, APRN, FNP-C, Functional Medicine Practitioner at AdventHealth Whole Health Institute
Every day, we are besieged with information on the one thing, the magic pill, the secret ingredient that could solve all our health problems. Sometimes, that’s all it takes. Yet more complex health challenges, such as autoimmune disease, hair loss, skin issues, chronic fatigue, and hormone imbalances, might require—and respond better to—a multi-faceted whole-body approach.
That’s the role of functional or integrative medicine.
Courtni Parker, APRN, FNP-C, functional medicine practitioner, AdventHealth Whole Health Institute—explains more.
What is functional medicine? How does it differ from—and complement—traditional Western medicine?
Functional medicine is a way of looking at health and disease that tries to find and fix the underlying reasons someone is having symptoms, rather than just treating symptoms, which is the common approach in Western medicine. The foundation of functional medicine is understanding that all body systems are interrelated instead of separate entities. In functional medicine, we may use more in-depth (or different) testing than what is done in traditional medicine to understand the root cause of a disease or symptoms. Imagine your body is like a car and it starts making strange noises. Instead of turning up the music to cover all the noise (which is like treating symptoms), you would want to find out what part of the car is broken and fix it. Functional medicine works like that. It looks at things like what you eat, how much you sleep, your stress levels, your genetics, and many other factors to figure out why you’re not feeling well and what can be done to help you feel better.
How can this approach help adults and children with autoimmune conditions?
In my practice, I use functional medicine to help adults and children with a variety of autoimmune and inflammatory conditions by determining what is causing the body’s immune system to malfunction. The “why” behind this varies widely among patients, so functional medicine practitioners become almost like detectives to uncover the root cause. When you find and treat the cause of the inflammation, it creates a downstream effect that improves symptoms (oftentimes occurring across multiple body systems). Common inflammatory conditions treated with functional medicine include psoriasis, eczema, inflammatory arthritis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, inflammatory bowel disease, anxiety, depression, and pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS or PANDAS).
What might a functional medicine prescription look like?
A functional medicine prescription typically starts with diet changes first, because food is truly medicine, and many things can be improved by adding the “good” and removing what is causing the imbalance. From there, we may recommend supplements, exercise, sunlight, stress management, sleep, and improving social connections. The functional medicine approach is holistic and natural. However, it recognizes the benefits of the Western medicine approach as well and understands the importance of “traditional” methodologies when needed. For example, as a certified nurse practitioner, I’m licensed to prescribe medications, and I do so when I determine that’s what will produce the best outcome for the patient.
Why and how does AdventHealth embrace functional medicine?
AdventHealth was founded on principles that emphasize care of the whole person, including body, mind, and spirit. The organization’s care philosophy suggests that by making healthy changes to your daily routine, you can enjoy better health, more happiness, and a more fulfilling life. This unique approach to health care aligns very closely with the functional medicine approach and connects well with what we cover within our patient visits. At the Whole Health Institute, we have the time to address all aspects of an individual, providing whole-person care through a more natural lens.