Integrated & Functional Medicine
Using an evidence-based approach, integrative medicine considers the whole person by integrating conventional approaches with complementary therapies and views the patient/practitioner relationship as a partnership in wellness.
Dr. Anstead is the only fellowship-trained Sinus Surgeon in the world who has also completed a 2-year fellowship in Integrative Medicine with Andrew Weil, MD at the University of Arizona. She is also a Certified Practitioner with the Institute of Functional Medicine. Discover what Integrative Medicine (IM) and Functional Medicine is and how Dr. Anstead implements it in her practice below.
What is Integrated Medicine?
Integrative Medicine focuses on and considers the whole person rather than focusing on the illness or disease only. IM looks at all the different possible treatments, from nutritional to mind-body medicine, and massage therapy to acupuncture, using a combination of therapies and lifestyle changes for healing and wellness.
The primary difference between Integrative Medicine and Functional Medicine is their approach. IM’s goal is to understand the whole person, using different therapies and techniques to heal the mind, body, and spirit. Functional Medicine’s goal, on the other hand, is to identify and treat the underlying cause of a condition. Dr. Anstead uses both Integrative Medicine and Functional Medicine to help her patients achieve their wellness goals.
A physician that practices integrative medicine will work to understand the underlying cause of the symptoms and condition by remaining committed to the specific principles of IM:
- The patient and practitioner are partners in the healing process.
- All factors that influence health, wellness, and disease are taken into consideration, including mind, spirit, and community, as well as the body.
- Appropriate use of both conventional and integrative methods facilitates the body’s innate healing response.
- Effective interventions that are natural and less invasive should be used whenever possible.
- Integrative medicine neither rejects conventional medicine nor accepts alternative therapies uncritically.
- Good medicine is based in good science, is inquiry-driven and open to new paradigms.
- Alongside the concept of treatment, the broader concepts of health promotion and the prevention of illness are paramount.
Where is Integrative and Functional Medicine Applied?
To be clear, Integrative and Functional Medicine is not meant to replace your primary care physician or a specialist. An IM doctor works with your healthcare team to achieve your healing and wellness goals.
Nutritionists
Massage Therapists
Acupuncturists
Chiropractic Doctors
Physicians
Animal-Assisted Therapy
Yoga Teachers
Chronic Conditions Treated
Integrative medicine can help with relief and working through chronic conditions as well, such as:
- Chronic and acute pain
- Breathing disorders
- Headaches and migraines
- Autoimmune diseases
- Menstrual issues
- Obesity
- Sleeping issues
- High blood pressure
- Cancer-related side effects
- Chronic fatigue
- Digestive disorders
Where is Integrative and Functional Medicine Applied?
To be clear, Integrative and Functional Medicine is not meant to replace your primary care physician or a specialist. An IM doctor works with your healthcare team to achieve your healing and wellness goals.
Benefits of Integrative and Functional Medicine
The primary benefit of implementing Integrative Medicine into a practice is that the techniques support the body’s natural healing processes. The various methods used can help reduce stress and promote greater relaxation that helps the body’s overall health. Having been trained in both Integrative Medicine and Functional Medicine, Dr. Anstead is deeply familiar with root cause medicine and looking outside the box for solutions to health issues.
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