Functional Diagnostic Medicine or FDM is an organized system to assess and treat the underlying cause of many chronic diseases that people commonly suffer with.
FDM is patient focused and NOT disease focused model. Example: A FMD practitioner encounters a patient who presents with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) they don’t “treat” the patient’s RA, but instead assess the weaknesses and imbalances in that patient’s physiology to try to understand why the patient got RA in the first place. The FDM practitioner is discovering and correcting the underlying cause of a disease process or dysfunction so the body can return to a state of health and wellness.
Goals of FDM:
1. Prevention of disease and dysfunction.
a. Identify risk factors
b. Make patient aware that they have risk factors for developing disease process
c. Helping patient avoid, reduce and modify risk with focused and individualized treatment
2. Early detection of disease and dysfunction through the use of:
a. Focused history
b. Functionally oriented physical exam
c. Functionally oriented laboratory testing
3. Advanced patient specific treatment techniques:
a. Lifestyle modification
b. Therapeutic exercise
c. Structural Support
d. Diet
e. Nutritional Support
f. Stress Reduction
g. Other treatments (as appropriate)
h. Referral and/or co-management with specialist(s)
4. Aim of Treatment Protocols:
a. Address the underlying cause(s) as revealed by examination and testing
b. Respect biochemical individuality
c. Focus on restoring the patient’s physiological function
d. Cause no harm to the patient
People who may benefit from FDM:
1. Those who want to lose weight or change body composition
2. People the energy issues like fatigue or weakness
3. Individuals suffering with inflammatory conditions
a. Obesity
b. Arthritis
c. Muscular inflammation
d. Atherosclerosis
e. Type II Diabetes
f. Auto-immune (ex: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, etc.)
g. Gastrointestinal Inflammation (Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Crohn’s disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Gastritis, etc.)
4. Individuals with blood sugar deregulation:
a. Metabolic Syndrome
b. Type II diabetes
c. Insulin sensitivities eg. Hyperinsulinemia which is associated with the following conditions:
i. Atherosclerosis
ii. Obesity
iii. Hypertension
iv. Hyperlipidemia
v. Predisposition to certain cancers especially bowel, breast and prostate
vi. Alzheimer’s disease
vii. Premature aging with the problem of Advanced Glycosylation End Products (AGE’s)
5. People with cardiovascular disease and dysfunction:
a. Hypertension
b. Hyperlipidemia
c. Atherosclerosis
d. Congestive heart failure
e. Vascular insufficiencies
6. Stress Related Issues
7. Hormonal conditions:
a. Decreased libido
b. Menstrual problems: endometriosis, PMS
c. Menopausal issues
d. Infertility (male & female)
8. Dermatological Conditions
Are you tired of masking your symptoms with drugs? Call your Maitland Chiropractor for a FDM evaluation today 407-629-5333.
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