Functional medicine is known for taking the approach of figuring out what is causing particular health issues rather than simply treating the symptoms. This medical approach deals with chronic pain in the exact same way. By conducting a thorough examination of the patient’s medical history – as well as a number of other factors – functional medicine can get to the root causes of chronic pain. 

The medical history is only one factor, as this process will also how an individual’s lifestyle, genetics, and environmental factors could be causing the chronic pain, as well. When working with Denver functional medicine, there are a number of different ways that the process can help alleviate or relieve chronic pain. 

Identify Triggers From Nutrition

Functional medicine understands that diet plays a critical role with inflammation and pain. Your doctor may involve creating personalized nutrition plans that can help. This can include recommendations for anti-inflammatory foods that can help reduce pain, or they may address other deficiencies in an individual’s diet. Certain foods may be triggers that cause the chronic pain, and your doctor will likely be able to uncover some of those through their assessment of your diet. 

Your gut health can also be a contributor to chronic pain, and this can also be improved through diet. Probiotics can also help with some gut issues, and they can also positively impact conditions of chronic pain. Your diet might not solve everything, but it is a great place to start when trying to uncover the causes of your inflammation or pain. 

Adjusting Lifestyle & Getting More Balance

Lifestyle changes are a common emphasis of functional medicine. Implementing regular exercise and proper sleep are important aspects in reducing chronic pain. Exercise can increase muscle strength and flexibility, which reduces stiffness and improves overall joint function. It can also help improve circulation, which gets more oxygen and important nutrients to tissues. Exercise also promotes weight loss, which can take some of the pressure off impacted areas. 

Along with getting more exercise, another lifestyle change suggested by functional medicine can be the implementation of mind and body techniques. This includes things like meditation or mindfulness, which can help address some of the psychological aspects that go along with chronic pain. Functional medicine can also address hormonal imbalances that can cause chronic pain. These can be addressed with supplements or other therapy. 

Collaboration With Other Professionals

It’s common for functional medicine practitioners to work with other healthcare professionals to take a comprehensive approach to managing chronic pain. They’ll work together with everything from physical therapists and chiropractors to mental health specialists to make sure all bases are covered when creating a plan for treating chronic pain. How these other professionals have been treating you can go a long way in helping the functional medicine practitioner develop a proper course of care. 

This personalized approach to medicine can be effective for managing chronic pain, as functional medicine aims to get to the core of what’s causing the pain. Not everybody’s treatment will be the same, and identifying the proper treatment is very individual. For more information on how functional medicine can help with your chronic pain, reach out to the experts at the Center for Functional Medicine today.