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What is Functional Medicine and Why Should it Be a Part of Your Autism Game Plan?

September 26, 2020 by Joya Van Der Laan

One of my greatest passions is functional medicine. Here I’ll let you know how you can use functional medicine in root cause identification and resolution to help create Your Autism Game Plan.

What is Functional Medicine?

Practicing within the functional medicine model means addressing the root causes of symptoms. Functional medicine asks:

  • Why is this a problem?
  • Why is this symptom occurring?
  • Is there a root cause that can be addressed to solve the problem?

Functional medicine uses a highly individualized approach to answer those questions. Assessments, various tests, and in-depth interviews can help an individual understand the root cause of their symptoms, while lifestyle changes and supplementation (among other treatments) can address those root causes.

You may also hear the terms biomedical treatments or biomedical therapies when you’re researching functional medicine. Biomedical treatments or biomedical therapies are often used as a part of the functional medicine approach.

Functional Medicine Gets to the Bottom of the Problem

Functional medicine looks to solve the underlying cause of a problem while conventional medicine often uses “band-aids” to treat the problem. Here’s an example that shows how conventional medicine and functional medicine might be used to treat high blood pressure.

  • Conventional medicine: High blood pressure is typically treated with blood pressure medication. While you’re taking the medicine, your blood pressure drops. But, when you stop taking the medicine, your blood pressure rises again. The root of the problem has not been addressed.
  • Functional medicine: To treat high blood pressure we would look at what underlying problems might be causing the elevated blood pressure (diet, medications, nutrient deficiencies, inflammation, overactive adrenal glands, etc.) and treat those issues. The root of the problem has been addressed and high blood pressure should no longer be a concern.

Functional Medicine Uses a Holistic Approach

When addressing problems from a functional medicine point of view we understand:

  • There may be one problem that requires multiple solutions.
  • There may be multiple problems that can be resolved with one solution.

There’s not always a one to one correlation.

How Can Functional Medicine Help You Create Your Autism Game Plan?

There are many bothersome symptoms that can occur with autism. It can be helpful to take a functional medicine approach with common autism symptoms like:

  • Insomnia
  • Aggression
  • Anxiety
  • Constipation
  • Seizures
  • Meltdowns

Functional medicine addresses the potential root causes of these common autism symptoms such as:

  • Inflammation
  • Intestinal bacteria imbalance
  • Sleep issues
  • Diet imbalances

A functional medicine approach can help you develop a highly individualized autism game plan that’s right for your child and helps your child live their best life.

Functional Medicine Approaches That Have Worked For Our Family

  • Laser therapy
  • IV chelation therapy
  • Chiropractic neurology
  • Various supplements and nutrients

Be gentle with yourself. You’re doing a great job.

I hope this information has been helpful to you as part of creating Your Autism Game Plan.

Do you have a topic you’d like to learn more about? Email me at joya@yourautismgameplan.com

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michelle says

    October 1, 2020 at 12:41 pm

    I sincerely hope you as a medical provider plan to pair the potential benefits of CAM/functional medicine with the potential safety issues for each. While it is imperative parents have information on all treatment options, having them provided in isolation without research-based findings and/or potential safety risk is harmful. Medical literature affirms this (Akins et Al., 2010). Parents deserve to have all the information easily available for all treatments.

    • Joya Van Der Laan says

      October 1, 2020 at 9:58 pm

      Thank you for your comment. I agree, and recommend research-based interventions whether they land more on the functional medicine end of the spectrum or on the more traditional side.

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Meet Joya

I’m a parent of a daughter with autism, and I’m skilled in both conventional and integrative medicine. I want to empower you with information and confidence as you develop Your Autism Game Plan. Read More…

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