Part 4: Understanding Functional Medicine: A Holistic Approach

I have been questioned many times about my beliefs when it comes to medicine and treatments. Although I call my approach to medicine more Holistic, I do incorporate many practices from the Alternative method as well, so I guess you would have to say my beliefs are a hybrid.

While alternative and holistic healing are often mentioned together, they represent distinct approaches to health and wellness. Here’s how they differ:

Holistic Healing

• Philosophy: Focuses on treating the whole person—body, mind, spirit, and emotions. This is important to me as the whole person needs to be in sync completely. Although I do not practice yoga, I do believe in meditation (Prayer and having a conversation with God), and exercise.
• Approach: Seeks balance and harmony across all aspects of life.
• Treatment Style: May combine conventional medicine with complementary therapies like nutrition, meditation, yoga, massage, and spiritual counseling.
• Goal: Promote overall well-being and prevent illness, not just treat symptoms.

Alternative Healing

• Philosophy: Uses non-conventional therapies instead of standard Western medical treatments. I have used acupuncture as a pain treatment and also currently use ozone therapy as a treatment for many ailments like
• Approach: Often rooted in traditional or ancestral practices.
• Treatment Style: Includes acupuncture, herbal medicine, homeopathy, Ayurveda, chiropractic care, and energy healing.
• Goal: Provide a different pathway to healing, often outside the scientific mainstream.

Key Difference

• Alternative medicine replaces conventional treatments.
• Holistic medicine may include alternative therapies but also embraces conventional care when beneficial.

So, holistic healing is more about the perspective—seeing health as a whole system—while alternative healing is about the methods used.

Summary of Key Differences

Feature	Holistic Healing	Alternative Healing
Philosophy	Whole-person care	Non-mainstream medical approach
Use of conventional medicine	Often included	Typically excluded
Focus	Integration and balance	Replacement of standard treatments
Examples	Meditation (Prayer/converse with God) medication + counseling	Herbal remedies instead of antibiotics

We do a lot of supplements and herbs, along with things like acupuncture and ozone (Hydrogen water and IV), all recommended from our functional doctor. Also, may use a bio-identic (compounding) pharmacy for specific compounding of medicines dedicated to our specific needs.

What is a functional doctor and medicine

A functional medicine doctor is a healthcare provider who focuses on identifying and treating the root causes of illness rather than just managing symptoms. Functional medicine is a patient-centered, science-based, and holistic approach to healthcare that integrates conventional medical practices with lifestyle and nutritional interventions.

What Functional Medicine Is

• Root Cause Focus: Instead of asking “What disease does this person have?”, functional medicine asks “Why is this person ill?”
• Whole-Person Approach: It considers genetics, environment, lifestyle, diet, stress, sleep, and emotional health.
• Personalized Care: Treatment plans are tailored to each individual’s unique biology and circumstances.
• Integrative Tools: Combines lab testing, nutritional therapy, stress management, detoxification, and conventional medicine when needed.

What a Functional Medicine Doctor Does

• Detailed History: They spend more time with patients to understand their full health story.
• Comprehensive Testing: May use advanced diagnostics to uncover imbalances in hormones, gut health, inflammation, and more.
• Lifestyle Coaching: Helps patients implement changes in diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management.
• Collaborative Care: Often works alongside conventional doctors, nutritionists, and mental health professionals.

Common Conditions Treated

• Autoimmune disorders
• Digestive issues (IBS, leaky gut)
• Chronic fatigue
• Hormonal imbalances
• Anxiety and depression
• Metabolic syndrome and diabetes.

Functional medicine is especially helpful for chronic conditions that don’t respond well to conventional treatments alone.

Holistic Healing Practices

These focus on treating the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—and often integrate conventional medicine along with more non-traditional medicine:

• Mindful Eating: Paying attention to how and what you eat to improve digestion and emotional connection to food.
• Meditation & Mindfulness: Reduces stress and improves mental clarity.
• Energy Healing (e.g., Frequencies): Balances the body’s energy fields to promote healing.
• Nutritional Wellness: Using food and supplements to support overall health.
• Massage Therapy: Relieves tension and promotes relaxation.
• Spiritual Counseling: Addresses emotional and existential concerns as part of healing.

Sources: Perennial Recovery, San Francisco Meditation Center, FHE Rehab

Alternative Healing Therapies

These are typically used instead of conventional medicine and are rooted in traditional or non-Western systems:

• Acupuncture: Inserting needles at specific points to balance energy flow.
• Homeopathy: Using highly diluted substances to stimulate the body’s healing.
• Ayurveda: Ancient Indian system using herbs, diet, and lifestyle for balance.
• Chiropractic Care: Adjusting the spine to improve physical function. You would be surprised at the amount of health issues that can be controlled/healed with a good chiropractor.
• Aromatherapy: Using essential oils for emotional and physical healing.
• Reflexology: Applying pressure to feet/hands to affect other body parts.
• Balneotherapy: Healing through bathing in mineral-rich waters. This is important for anyone dealing with pain through inflammation.
• Biofeedback: Learning to control bodily functions like heart rate through monitoring.

Sources: Greatist, Johns Hopkins Medicine

So, as you can see, we do follow most holistic practices but will delve into alternative as needed or directed through our functional doctor. It is not that we will never use any traditional medicine, we just research and make our mind up instead of just having blind faith in a system that does not have our best interest in mind. Too many doctors today are driven by profit and who can blame them for taking advantage of a system that cost them several hundred thousand dollars to become a part of!

Check out our first four posts on this ongoing research:

My Journey Through Biblical Wellness in Holistic Medicine

J.D. Rockefeller Transformed American Healthcare

Part 2: J.D. Rockefeller and the Transformation of the Healthcare System

Part 3: Alternative Medicine in Healthcare: Evidence and Implementation

Don’t forget to keep an eye out for our newest book on our Journey through Holistic Medicine