Functional Medicine is an approach to healthcare that focuses on identifying and addressing the root causes of health issues, rather than just treating the symptoms. Here are some key aspects of Functional Medicine: Holistic perspective: Functional Medicine views the body as an interconnected system, where various factors like diet, lifestyle, environment, and genetics can all influence an individual's health. It looks at the "whole person" rather than just isolated symptoms or conditions. Root cause analysis: Instead of just managing symptoms with medications, Functional Medicine practitioners aim to uncover the underlying reasons why someone is experiencing certain health problems. This may involve comprehensive testing and analysis of various biomarkers. Personalized care: Functional Medicine recognizes that each person is unique, so the approach to treatment is highly individualized. Practitioners work closely with patients to develop a customized plan that addresses their specific needs. Integrative therapies: In addition to conventional medical treatments, Functional Medicine often incorporates lifestyle changes, dietary modifications, nutritional supplementation, mind-body techniques, and other integrative therapies to support the body's natural healing processes. Prevention-focused: A key goal of Functional Medicine is to prevent the development of chronic diseases by addressing imbalances and dysfunctions early on, before more serious conditions manifest. Overall, Functional Medicine takes a systems-oriented, patient-centered approach to healthcare, with the aim of restoring optimal function and wellness. It's become increasingly popular as an alternative or complement to traditional disease-focused medical models.

In the conventional model, doctors are trained to make a diagnosis and provide treatment to manage the relative symptoms. Where a cause can be identified, medication is given to eliminate the cause and therefore restore health. When the cause cannot be identified, as is often the case with chronic disease, the main objective is to improve the patient’s symptoms, in other words to manage the end product of that disease. The underlying root cause is usually not sought. The functional medicine model, conversely, is specifically suited to the management of chronic disease, because it addresses its root causes, which derive from lifestyle choices, environmental exposures, and genetic influences.

Functional medicine gives Dr Hula the clinical decision-making tools that is required to navigate the landscape of illness by exploring all relevant mechanisms. Your personal treatment plan is backed by scientific research. Part of this research involves selecting the most appropriate tests to get the best possible results that are relevant only to you.