Functional Medicine
We must look at each patient's health concerns from a broad perspective, taking into account all of the contributing factors throughout their entire life, from the moment of conception and how healthy their mother was to their childhood, young adulthood and all contributing antecedents, triggers and mediators that have altered their health throughout the years.
Every system of the body, every organ has the potential to heal itself and to reset to normal, healthy, physiological functioning - each system just needs the right guidance with an individualized Functional Medicine health journey.
We create these plans by listening to each individual story, knowing that every layer of physical, physiological, chemical, mental, emotional, and spiritual trauma or suffering has led to the health systems the patient is experiencing currently. Only by addressing these underlying root causes are we able to fully put the pieces of the puzzle together to create a path filled with solutions to restore function and optimal health.
Schedule Telehealth or In-Person Visits
What is Functional Medicine?
Functional Medicine determines how and why illness occurs and restores health by addressing the root causes of disease for each individual. The Functional Medicine model is an individualized, patient-centered, science-based approach that empowers patients and practitioners to work together to address the underlying causes of disease and promote optimal wellness. It requires a detailed understanding of each patient’s genetic, biochemical, and lifestyle factors and leverages that data to direct personalized treatment plans that lead to improved patient outcomes. By addressing root cause, rather than symptoms, practitioners become oriented to identifying the complexity of disease. They may find one condition has many different causes and, likewise, one cause may result in many different conditions. As a result, Functional Medicine treatment targets the specific manifestations of disease in each individual. Definitions from Institute of Functional Medicine Four factors that are of high importance in functional medicine care are: 1. Determining where the failure in the physiological system and/or body lies. 2. What contributing factors have triggered or are mediating the health condition or symptom? 3. What would be the right alterations from food messengers to introduce into the body via strategic food plans? 4. Do we need to add in supplementation to gain the desired health results? What is our goal to remove these from the health plan? 5. How to we most effectively and strategically help restore healthy physiological function so every patient can live their life vibrantly. From every stressor their mother experienced while in her womb to every disconcerting thought they had throughout each phase of their lives, every chemical they consumed to the purity of the water they drink and the air they breathe has impact on total chemical load and the health of each organ system. Every bump on the playground growing up or the injury of a joint can affect neurological signaling from the body to the brain and from the brain back to each function in the body again. Every event throughout their lives has had an impact on their current health condition. We must take all these into account and correct for each and every one of the insults to health to fully restore health and functioning.
Bio: Dr. Doolittle's Training in Functional Medicine
Dr. Leila Doolittle has received extensive training in Functional Medicine from several renowned institutions of Institute of Functional Medicine and Functional Medicine University as well as direct clinical mentorship from brilliant clinician leaders in the field such as Dr. Datis Kharrazian, Dr. Margaret Christiansen, Dr. Brandon Brock, and Dr. Luke Arnett. Dr. Doolittle is an Institute of Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner (IFMCP). The Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM) sets a gold standard for the education, training and clinical practice of Functional Medicine globally. IFM uses solid scientific foundations to translate breakthroughs in scientific understanding into clinical practice in real-time. IFM is on the forefront of presenting the latest evidence-based medical research to convert to the most cutting-edge effective practices. The most prevalent health issues are mostly caused by the interactions between genetics, lifestyle choices, and environmental exposures and the treatment of these requires understanding not only these interactions in detail, but also how to efficiently design appropriate treatments that are personalized to each individual. Dr. Doolittle has specialized in genetics and nutrigenomics throughout her training during the past 14 years. She has a passion for helping create healthy epigenetic changes. She also has had extensive training in Functional Endocrinology, and works to create wholistic and healthy alterations to hormones to help balance the hormone and neurotransmitter systems of the body. Additionally, Dr. Leila Doolittle is certified through Functional Medicine University (CFMP). She learned many techniques of how to better apply combined advanced laboratory testing, how to help intensive chronic health conditions, how to reverse resistant chronic conditions such as arthritis, chronic fatigue, diabetes, heart problems, insomnia, depression, mysterious pains and many more. Furthermore, Dr. Leila has attended over 75 seminars that present various aspects of Functional Medicine and Nutrition, helping her to have a very in-depth perspective as a whole of the most efficacious health plans for her patients.
What does a Functional Medicine Evaluation Consist of?
A Functional Medicine Evaluation addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms. Rather than an in-person exam, Dr. Doolittle will go into further details based on system implications of symptoms and indications of the telling signs. Dr. Doolittle spends time with her patients, listening to their histories and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease. This helps her to gain a more integrative perspective of her patients health concerns to better fill in the pieces of their health puzzle, including the neurological connection to hormone production, to cardiovascular function, to cortisol and stress reactions in the body, to proper immune responses, etc. In this way, Functional Medicine supports the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual.