Functional medicine

This approach views the human body as a complex system in which various biological, genetic, environmental and lifestyle-related factors interact with one another to influence health and wellbeing. Functional medicine has the following characteristics and principles:

Cause-oriented: functional medicine always looks for the roots of health problems instead of just treating symptoms. The fundamental causes of illness should be understood and addressed.

2. Holistic: the approach considers the body as a whole and takes into account the interactions between different body systems, including nutrition, hormone balance, the immune system, sleep and environmental influences.

3. Individualised: functional medicine places value on personalised treatment plans. Practitioners take into account a patient's genetic predisposition and unique health history in order to develop tailored therapeutic approaches.

4. Preventive: functional medicine emphasises the importance of preventing illness. The goal is to prevent health problems before they arise by identifying and reducing risk factors.

5. Patient-centred: involving the patient in the healing process is a central element of functional medicine. Patients are encouraged to take an active part in their healthcare and to implement lifestyle changes.

The areas of application of functional medicine can be diverse and include: chronic illnesses, digestive problems, hormonal problems, weight management, mental health and prevention/anti-ageing.

It is important to note that functional medicine is regarded as a complementary or alternative medical approach and is not always endorsed by conventional medicine.