Mainstream medicine traditionally views an individual as a passive recipient in a “fix-me” mode with their health practitioner. Based on an acute care model formed around the diagnosis of the disease, treatment is aimed at suppression of symptoms. This does not address the root causes and can often lead to a spiral of adverse effects.

Functional medicine questions how and why illness occurs with the goal of understanding the origins, prevention and treatment of chronic disease for each individual.   By personalising lifestyle, nutritional and environmental factors, a practitioner can hone in on key triggers that directly impact an individual’s gene expression.

It also places the individual at the centre of the narrative to be an active participant of their health journey in partnership with their practitioner, ultimately empowering them to achieve and maintain their health goals.