Functional Medicine
Functional Medicine
What Is Functional Medicine?
Integrative Care or popularly known as Functional Medicine is a systems biology - based approach that focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of disease. Each Symptom or differential diagnosis may be one of many contributing to an individual's illness.
Functional Medicine recognizes a diagnosis can be the result of more than one cause. For example, Chronic pain can be caused by many different factors, including inflammation. Likewise, a factor such as inflammation may lead to a number of different diagnoses, including chronic pain.
The precise manifestation of each cause depends on the individual's genes, environment, and lifestyle. Only treatments that address the right cause will have lasting benefit beyond symptoms suppression.


Even after the first adjustment I noticed a big difference in how I felt
I started coming to see Dr. Rob because I was having chronic neck and back pain from an auto accident a few years ago. Even after the first adjustment I noticed a big difference in how I felt. Since continuing care I have noticed over time how the neck and back pain have resolved. It has been a really great experience.
Functional Medicine Vs. Traditional Medicine
Despite notable advances in treating and preventing infectious disease and trauma, the sick-care model that dominated 20th century medicine has not been effective in treating and preventing chronic disease.
Our current sick-care model fails to confront both the causes of and solutions for chronic disease/ pain and must be replaced with a model of comprehensive care geared to effectively treating and reversing this escalating crisis. This transformation requires something different than is usually available in our very expensive healthcare system.
The Functional Medicine Doctor
The functional medicine doctor organizes and prioritizes each patient's health issues, by a thorough personal, family, social and medical history. This is akin to a web decoder - it organizes what seems to be disparate issues into a complete story to help the doctor gain a comprehensive perspective of the patient and subsequently facilitate discussion of complex, chronic disease with the patient and a pathway towards natural recovery.
To battle chronic health conditions, the Functional Medicine doctor uses two scientifically grounded principles:
Plainly put, your body naturally wants to be healthy. But things needed by the body to function at its best might be missing, or something might be standing in the way of its best functioning. Using the Functional Medicine model the doctor first identifies the factors responsible for the malfunctioning. Then deals with those factors in a way appropriate to the patient's particular situation.
Free Special Report

See what it is like to work with Dr. Ramirez
Dr. Ramirez offers a free 30-minute phone case review. He will consult with you and review any past medical records you have, just as if you were an established patient. You will see firsthand if he is the right doctor for you.

Very often Functional Medicine doctors use advanced laboratory testing to identify the root cause or causes of the patient's health problem. Old-fashioned medical diagnosis helps too, in the form of listening carefully to the patient's history of symptoms and asking questions about his or her activities and lifestyle. For treatment, Functional Medicine doctors use a combination of natural agents (supplements, herbs, nutraceuticals and homeopathics), nutritional and lifestyle changes, spiritual/emotional counseling, and pharmaceuticals, if necessary to prod a patient's physiology back to an optimal state. In addition, educating the patient about their condition empowers them to take charge of their own health, ultimately leading to greater success in treatment.
Learn More
See the examination process Dr. Ramirez will take you through to determine how to help you recover from chronic pain and other conditions.
