The table below summarizes the differences between functional and conventional medicine.
| Functional Medicine Is… | Conventional Medicine Is… |
|---|---|
| Investigative. It treats symptoms by addressing underlying cause of the problem, which leads to more profound and longer lasting results. | Superficial. Masks or suppresses symptoms, but does not address underlying cause, which creates “patients for life”. |
Holistic. Treats the body as an interconnected whole, and recognizes the importance of these connections in health and disease. |
Dualistic. Views the body as a collection of separate parts, each of which has its own doctor (i.e. cardiologist, podiatrist, etc.) |
Safe. Treatments have mild or no side effects, and other unrelated complaints often improve spontaneously. |
Dangerous. Treatments often have serious side effects and complications, including death. |
| Patient-centered. Treats the patient, not the disease. Treatments are highly individualized based on patient needs. | Disease-centered. Treats the disease, not the patient. Patients with the same disease get the same treatment, regardless of their differences. |
| Participatory. Patient is respected, empowered, educated and encouraged to play active role in healing process. | Autocratic. Patient’s opinion is often discounted or ignored, little time is spent on education, and patient may be discouraged from playing active role. |
Integrative. Combines the best of both modern and traditional medicines and emphasizes importance of diet and lifestyle. |
Limited. Relies almost exclusively on drugs and surgery, in spite of their risks and complications. |
Restorative. Tests and treatments designed to promote optimal function, prevent and reverse disease, and improve quality of life. |
Palliative. Tests and treatments designed to prevent death and manage serious disease, without dealing with the underlying cause. |
Preventative. Guided by the ancient Chinese saying, “The superb physician treats disease before it occurs.” |
Reactive. Focused on managing disease after it has already reached an irreversible state.. |
Evidence-based. Based on the latest research from peer-reviewed medical journals, and uncorrupted by corporate and political interests. |
Profit-driven. Based on outdated research and heavily influenced by profit-driven pharmaceutical and insurance companies.. |