Home » Functional Medicine
Vibrant Health Center
Functional Medicine
We don't treat symptoms — we treat people with Integrative Functional Medicine. Your journey to optimal health begins here.
Fortunately, with the proper healthcare approach, our bodies are capable of remarkable healing and immense vitality.
BOOK A CONSULTATION
Or Call: 954-530-0125 →
Our Approach
Beyond Symptoms, Beyond Disease
Symptoms are clues our bodies give us when something is wrong, but too often conventional Western medicine treats symptoms while ignoring the underlying cause. As a result, many of us walk around each day wondering why we don't feel "quite right."
In our Functional Medicine practice, we look beyond symptoms to gain a deeper understanding of the functioning of the entire person. We work in close partnership with our patients to uncover how every aspect of their lives — from genetics and environment to nutrition and stress — intertwines to affect long-term health and wellness.
Our integrative approach utilizes the latest scientific research and diagnostic testing to obtain unique insight into the function of the body. We use the most modern and advanced testing methods available.
Personalized Treatment Plans
The knowledge and understanding we gain from our patients, combined with our research-based diagnostic approach, enables us to tailor a personalized treatment plan targeted specifically to address the underlying causes of disease and enable the patient to return to a state of optimum health and vitality.
We even offer telemedicine — in-person consultations or evaluations from the privacy and safety of your own home!
LEARN ABOUT TELEMEDICINE
Understanding The Approach
What is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine is a holistic, collaborative approach to healthcare that places the patient front and center. Rather than only managing disease, functional medicine seeks to address the root causes of poor health.
The discipline was founded by Dr. Jeffrey Bland, a biochemist, in 1990. He recognized that our "pill for an ill" conventional medical system was not effectively addressing the underlying causes of disease, and saw a need for a more comprehensive, systems-biology approach to the prevention and management of chronic disease.
A recent study published in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association reports that the functional medicine model of care may have the ability to improve global health in patients.
The Garden Analogy
Think of your body as a garden. You need to feed the soil, keep pests away, and control weeds. The conventional approach sprays the pests and weeds with pesticides — they may vanish short-term, but often come back stronger. Functional medicine strengthens the entire system, improves the terrain, and pulls the weeds of disease up by the roots. We promote a healthier garden — and a healthier you — for the long-term.
Our Principles
The Three Pillars of Our Practice
1
Patient-Centered
In conventional medicine, doctors spend a mere 15 minutes with patients. Our functional medicine approach frequently involves spending an hour or more thoroughly getting to know you.
We want to know everything from when you were in your mother's womb until the moment we meet, gathering a comprehensive medical history to connect the dots.
2
Individualized
Root causes of illness differ from person to person based on diet, lifestyle, genetics, biochemical individuality, and environmental exposures.
There is no single cause of any given disease, and there cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach. We treat each patient as an individual with a personalized treatment plan.
3
Evidence-Based
It takes approximately 15-17 years to translate emerging scientific research into clinical practice. Functional medicine dramatically reduces that gap.
In 2014, the Cleveland Clinic opened the Center for Functional Medicine — the first within an academic medical center in the U.S. — validating this approach at the highest levels.
Your Personalized Treatment Plan May Include
Nutrition Prescriptions
Sleep & Exercise Plans
Gut Health Treatments
Hormonal & Adrenal Support
Stress Management
Lyme & Co-Infection Treatment
CIRS & MCAS Solutions
Brain Retraining
Comprehensive Care
Conditions We Treat
We focus on 12 central health domains to systematically address the root causes of your illness using our broad functional medicine toolkit.
Digestive & Gut Health
The gut is home to over 70% of your immune system. Our comprehensive gut health focus takes a deep dive into testing and treatments to restore microbial, immune, and inflammation balance.
IBS
GERD/Reflux
SIBO
Crohn's
Colitis
Dysbiosis
Bloating & Gas
Parasite Infections
Food as Medicine
Food and nutrition can be used as a key therapeutic intervention, enabling your body to reset, decrease inflammation, and reduce immune activation. Optimizing nutrition is a core part of our practice.
Paleo
Gluten-Free
AIP
FODMAP
Anti-Inflammatory
Ketogenic
Low Histamine
Elimination Diet
Hormonal Balance
Your body's hormone systems are deeply interconnected and in constant communication. Comprehensive testing, nutrients, supplements, and lifestyle factors play a significant role in recovery.
Adrenal Hormones
Thyroid
Sex Hormones
PMS & Menopause
PCOS
Infertility
Metabolism
Poor food choices, toxins, stress, and inflammation contribute to metabolic imbalance and diseases responsible for the majority of chronic illnesses. Metabolic interventions decrease inflammation and restore function.
Cardiovascular
High Blood Pressure
Obesity
Diabetes
Metabolic Syndrome
Cholesterol
Brain, Neurology & Emotional Healing
Cognitive and neurologic conditions are complex and multifactorial. Brain disorders can be triggered by imbalances in other body systems, and improved by focusing on gut, hormones, toxin exposure, and infections.
Anxiety
Depression
Cognitive Decline
Brain Retraining
Neuroplasticity
Focus Issues
Inflammatory Disease
Inflammation is a central pathway through which most illnesses can be exacerbated or improved. Unresolved chronic inflammation takes a tremendous toll on all parts of your body and brain.
Arthritis
Eczema/Psoriasis
Asthma
Chronic Fatigue
Fibromyalgia
Allergies
Undetected Infectious Disease
Disease is frequently triggered by microbial imbalance or pathogens. Human cells are outnumbered by bacteria, fungi, and viruses by a ratio of 10 to 1. Imbalances lead to inflammation and immune dysregulation.
Viral Infections
Chronic Sinusitis
Parasites
Reactivated Infections
Mycoplasma
Immune Dysfunction
With a steep rise in complex immune-mediated illnesses, many patients have turned to functional medicine for treatment. Due to our broad toolkit, treating autoimmune patients is some of the most rewarding work we do.
Autoimmune Diseases
Immune Deficiency
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Psoriasis
Immune Balance
Tickborne Diseases
Lyme and other tickborne diseases cause complex, multisystem illness that can be difficult to diagnose and treat. With over 400,000 new cases of Lyme disease each year, careful expertise is needed for recovery.
Lyme Disease
Bartonella
Babesia
Rickettsia
Relapsing Fever
Environmental Toxins
Exposure to toxins can be disruptive to your gut, brain, hormone, and immune systems. We identify current sources of exposure and help support your body to best eliminate accumulated toxins.
Mold Illness
CIRS
Heavy Metals
Pesticides
Pollutants
Sleep
Insufficient or poor-quality sleep increases your risk of almost all health issues — from immune imbalances and inflammation to metabolic diseases, brain dysfunction, and even cancer.
Sleep Disorders
Insomnia
Chronic Fatigue
Fibromyalgia
Genetics & Epigenetics
We believe "zip code is more important than genetic code." We teach you the role lifestyle and environmental exposure plays in turning genes on and off, and the ways you can control your health.
Genetics
Epigenetics
Methylation
Specialized Care
Long-Haulers & Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC)
As many as 30% of COVID-19 patients — even those with mild or asymptomatic infections — are at risk of ongoing health problems. With symptoms affecting almost every organ system, PASC management requires a multidisciplinary approach.
🔄
Nonuniform Symptoms
The nearly 200 possible symptoms experienced by long-haulers can be dynamic, relapsing, and unpredictable — unique for almost every individual.
💪
Impact on Daily Life
COVID-19 and PASC affect all body systems and can be a burden on activities of daily living, with varying degrees of disability.
🎯
Specialized Treatment
We leverage your personal experience with lab findings, wearable technology data, and the latest research to create a personalized care plan.
This is Integrative Functional Medicine
HEALTHCARE FOR THE 21st CENTURY
At Vibrant Health Center, we believe that science and technology are our allies — powerful forces that must simultaneously be married to evolutionary knowledge respecting the ancient needs of our body, mind, and soul.
Ready to Start Your Healing Journey?
Take the first step toward optimal health and vitality. Schedule a consultation with our functional medicine team today.
