Have you struggled with an unresolved health issue for months or years? Do certain symptoms or ailments keep coming back (e.g. recurrent warts, cold sores i.e. fever blisters, ovarian cysts, PMS/ pre-menstrual symptoms, infections, eczema, diarrhea/ loose stool, etc.)?
If so, it’s time to take a deeper look at the various factors that contribute to both health and disease. Finding a licensed healthcare practitioner who is trained to find the root causes of complex illnesses is key. Functional medicine practitioners such as licensed naturopathic doctors have specialized training to investigate multiple factors that may be causing a certain condition. Considering things such as diet, genetics, environment, hormonal imbalance, psycho-emotional state, stress and other lifestyle components, they work holistically and consider the full picture of your physical, mental and emotional health. They understand that what happens in one part of the body may affect the entire being. This is why functional medicine practitioners often solve complex and multifaceted health issues. But even if you don’t have a severe illness, you can still seek the help of a functional medicine practitioner to help you stay healthy and prevent illness. Here are the top reasons why people see a functional medicine practitioner:
- You want to consider the full picture of your health (or disease). You want a trained healthcare practitioner to do a thorough investigation and treat the whole person, not just one aspect. You understand that you, as a being, are made up of different parts/components that are connected as a whole. Many people with “unexplained” conditions are disheartened when conventional lab tests come back “normal” and they are told that everything is OK. One example is unexplained fertility. If a successful pregnancy is only about an egg and sperm joining together, then IVF procedures should be 100% successful but in reality, IVF procedures are only 20% to 40% successful. Why is that? A fertilized egg is only one part of the whole picture. Click here to read about Dr. Yik’s natural fertility enhancement program.
- You have a chronic illness or an unresolved health issue. You want a trained healthcare practitioner to investigate the causes of chronic disease using a variety of techniques (e.g. comprehensive lab testing like DNA/ genetic tests, hormonal tests, nutrition status tests, heavy metal tests, GI-map test, etc.), and not just treat the symptoms. Click here to read the case of disappearing eyebrows. Click here to read the case of bleeding through the skin (pores). Click here if you experience bloating or excessive gas/ burping after meals.
- You want longer appointments with your doctor. Functional medicine practitioners spend more time with you because they want to know all the details of your health history. The more they know, the more likely they are able to put together the different pieces of your “disease” puzzle and solve it. Dr. Yik spends one hour with her patients in the initial consultation.
- You want a personalized approach to healthcare. Each person is unique, and the reasons you’re unwell are unique, too. Dr. Yik can help guide and figure out which specific treatments are right for you.
- You are open to alternative, integrative treatment. Treatments like nutraceuticals, herbal medicine, nutritional therapy, exercise and stress-reducing techniques may be prescribed to correct, rebalance and replenish your body.
Dr. Ardyce Yik ND 