With incredible advances in healthcare technology, emergency care, lifesaving operations, and a big budget for the health sector, you would think that the United States has one of the best healthcare systems in the world. In fact, Maryville University details how healthcare in America is a trillion-dollar industry, and the demand for professionals has continued to rise steadily in the past few years. Yet despite this seemingly flourishing image, the U.S. actually faces some deep-seated problems across different levels in mainstream healthcare.
In reality, the healthcare system in the United States is a source of stress and frustration for the average American. It has repeatedly been the topic of endless political debates and has been called out for its numerous flaws, which continue to affect countless lives around the country. Despite budget increases and proposed reforms, most people would agree that there is something seriously wrong with the system, as America has one of the worst healthcare outcomes and lower life expectancy compared to other developed countries. In addition, Business Insider reports that it has the third-worst mortality rate by nutritional deficiencies among all developed nations.
This status quo in healthcare has continued to fail Americans, creating a need for more effective remedies — enter, functional healthcare. We previously defined functional healthcare here on Align Brooklyn and detailed how it “focuses on enabling the innate healing intelligence of the human body to decrease the signs and symptoms of disease and declining health.” This kind of healthcare is revolutionizing the way people view and treat their bodies, and is en route to becoming the way forward for a number of reasons.
Customized Treatments
In mainstream healthcare, it’s easy to label someone with a disease and then offer a one-size-fits-all remedy based on previous knowledge. Functional healthcare takes a different approach by offering customized treatments for different patients. People who practice with this in mind understand that human beings are all designed differently and have varying needs and experiences. Those in functional healthcare take time to understand your situation in order to customize a treatment program for your unique individual needs.
Embraces Natural Remedies
Functional healthcare looks through all available options for a patient depending on their specific needs. It doesn’t overlook the benefits of natural remedies like exercise and a good diet. For instance, a functional healthcare practitioner may recommend yoga for a person recovering from an injury, or advise that someone avoid meat to reduce symptoms of gout. Although researchers from the University of Exeter point out how the increasing popularity of herbal medicines and other natural remedies come with certain risks, all that’s needed is more thorough investigation and to careful apply certain methods. Functional healthcare’s methods are better than most, as they focus on complementing the body’s natural ability to heal itself and offers numerous ways to help patients achieve this.
Holistic Approach
Too often, the traditional approach in healthcare entails treating symptoms rather than their underlying causes. Functional healthcare takes into account that the body is an ecosystem, and symptoms are a sign that something is wrong with this system. In other words, there are no isolated signs. A functional healthcare practitioner will ask why something is happening rather than just treating the symptoms. Preventative action is also part of this holistic approach, which empowers patients to have a healthier lifestyle in general rather than just continually putting out fires.
As more problems arise from mainstream healthcare, it can be expected that more people will turn to functional healthcare methods for their illnesses. And why wouldn’t they? An approach that values their overall condition and takes into account their holistic needs, all while providing them with multiple solutions and pathways — it undoubtedly has the clarity and concern missing in today’s systems, and is the way forward into the future of healthcare.
Article by Carrie Woods