Functional Medicine

A form of “Integrative Medicine”, functional medicine focuses on the core issues of illnesses and diseases. A certified practitioner will look at the interactions between the environment and the patient’s immune, gastrointestinal, and endocrine systems and then develop an “individualized” treatment plan that’s specific to each patient. The primary approach is finding out the “how and why” an illness occurs in an individual patient, then restore their health by treating the root cause(s) of the disease or issue.

In treating the root cause and not just addressing the patient’s symptoms, qualified practitioners are able to determine the different causes of the patient’s ailment. They are also then able to see how one cause can then result in many different conditions. Through this rigorous process, Functional Medicine treatments can then target certain manifestations of a disease in each individual patient.

Advocates of functional medicine question, and at times oppose, the established medical communities’ knowledge and accepted models. Instead, they adopt a model of a disease that’s centered on the concepts of “antecedents”, “triggers”, and “mediators”. Antecedents correspond to the disease’s underlying causes, triggers to the immediate causes, and mediators to the specific characteristics of an individual patient’s illness. A functional medicine practitioner takes these factors all into consideration and then devises a “matrix” from them that becomes the foundation for the individualized patient’s treatment plan.

Many men who constantly experienced symptoms such as stress, fatigue, insomnia and “brain fog” have found that a well-trained and qualified Functional Medicine Physician & Program offered the perfect solution for their issues.

History of Functional Medicine

The practice was basically started in 1991 when introduced by its founder, chemist Jeffrey Bland. Along with Susan Bland, Jeffrey founded the Institute for Functional Medicine in 1991 as a division of his HealthComm Company that specialized in the manufacturing of metabolism and weight loss products. Initially they were met with resistance from various established medical experts and institutions as a “pseudoscience” whose basic concepts, treatments, and practices were generally not supported by medical “evidence”. However, after numerous documented patient successes and testimonials, plus the establishment of Centers for Functional Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and at George Washington University, the practice quickly gained widespread acceptance throughout the majority of medical professionals and practitioners in the US.

The Kalish Institute of Functional Medicine

The Kalish Institute, founded in 2006 by Dan Kalish, DC, IFMCP, is the “Gold Standard” of training programs and is dedicated to building Integrative and Functional Medicine practices via clinical experience and courses. Since its inception, the Kalish Institute has developed practice models for 1,000+ practitioners world-wide. Kalish Institute graduates include practitioners ranging from the Director of Integrative Medicine at Mayo Clinic to physicians at the Cleveland Clinic.

The Kalish Method™ focuses on The Three Body Systems™ – Neuroendocrine, GI and Detox. There are three types of lab tests, a precise series of natural supplements, patient communication techniques, and practice management tools that enable practitioners to manage their patient’s common chronic health conditions.

The Kalish Institute became the most respected name in Functional Medicine education and practice procedures after aligning with the Institute of Functional Medicine. Bruce Sloane, MD, FACS of Philadelphia Urology Associates is just one example of a renowned physician who went through their extensive training program. Dr. Sloane is certified by the Kalish Institute to practice Functional Medicine in the Philadelphia area.

Dr. Sloane of Philadelphia Urology Associates is a nationally renowned specialist in Men’s Health issues and Age Management Medicine. Throughout Philadelphia County and the surrounding areas like Delaware County, patients seek his expertise and advice to treat their urological problems, such as erectile dysfunction and other sexual performance issues. Using state-of-the-art equipment and having extensive specialized education and training, Dr. Sloane will find the treatments and solutions that will work for you. We urge you to contact us now online or call us at (215) 563-1199 today to discuss how we can help you!