Dr. med. Sophia Wachner is internist and functional medicine practitionerShe runs a practice for functional medicine, orthomolecular medicine and nutritional medicine and is a partner in the MoleQlar-counseling program.
The numbers are worrying: In Germany, 40 percent of the total population currently suffers from one or more chronic diseases. Almost one in three of them lives with these illnesses for 20 years or more (study by the Health Knowledge Foundation, 2021). Almost every second resident of Germany is now affected.
The number of people suffering from complex, chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular or autoimmune diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis) and mental disabilities continues to rise - not only in Germany, but globally. While other countries have a mediocre health system, the German equivalent is one of the best in the world. This raises the legitimate question of how this can happen? The answer is as simple as it is frightening:
Our way of life is increasingly less in line with what our human body actually needs.
imbalance between body and environment
We are not designed to be stressed, surrounded by toxins, inflamed, infected, undersupplied with important micronutrients and unrested. Nevertheless, we expect (also driven by our society) to be full of energy, to grow, to reproduce, to be slim, to feel good, to eat whatever we want, to digest perfectly and to have great sex. A combination of wishes that is a contradiction in itself.
All organisms on earth are adapted to a specific living environment. Maladaptation occurs when when this environment changes dramatically and the organism has no time to adaptThis mismatch between our genes and our modern lives is the main reason why chronic diseases have become the huge problem they are today.
The conventional approach
The conventional approach of our health care system focuses on curation - treating disease and individual symptoms. Instead of promoting real health, conventional doctors simply diagnose a disease and try to suppress the symptoms (mostly) with prescription drugs. These drugs rarely address the root cause of the problem. Instead, they often only suppress symptoms at the expense of vital body functionsTo treat these unintended side effects, medications are increased, creating a vicious cycle of medication for the rest of a patient's life without addressing the root cause of the disease.
The Eternal Recipe Cycle
To illustrate this, let's take a quick look at an everyday example of conventional healthcare: A person with high blood pressure comes to the GP for a 10-minute appointment. The GP measures the blood pressure and then the patient goes home with a prescription for a new medication. After that, she is on her own until her next appointmentIn this case, she will probably only be given a follow-up prescription, perhaps without even seeing her GP. The causes of their complaints in terms of diet, lifestyle and environment would be completely ignoredAnd thus the opportunity to work with health advisors and other trained professionals to create an individual treatment plan for their cardiovascular health that would not only alleviate symptoms but actually bring about the desired healing.
The functional approach
Functional medicine takes this approach, focusing on the cause of a disease rather than relying on drugs to suppress symptoms. It corrects the imbalance between our body and our environment through dietary and lifestyle measures.
In short: functional medicine is our best weapon against chronic diseases.
It views the body as an interconnected system, not as a collection of individual organs that are assigned to medical disciplines. And functional medicine treats the whole system, not just the symptoms. It deals with the underlying causes of disease, pursuing a systems-oriented approach that focuses on the interaction of the body system (metabolism, nutrition, routines, ...) and the environment and involves both the patient and the treating physician in a therapeutic partnership.
Functional Medicine for the 21st Century
Functional medicine is an evolution of the prevailing academic medical practice that is much more in line with the needs of 21st century healthcare. Practitioners take time for their patients, listen to their story and examine the interactions between genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that can influence health and disease. The goal is to achieve a deep understanding of the complex relationships, to enable the patient to take responsibility for his or her own health.
Acute care is pointless for chronic diseases
The medicine practiced by most doctors is primarily focused on acute care, that is, the diagnosis and treatment of injuries or illnesses that are short-lived and require urgent attention. Anyone who has had appendicitis or broken a leg, for example, can attest to this. Doctors act according to specific, prescribed guidelines and treat with medication or surgery aimed at treating the immediate problem or symptom. Unfortunately, acute medicine does not have the appropriate methods and instruments for the prevention and treatment of complex, chronic diseasesIn most cases, neither the unique genetic makeup of each individual nor factors such as exposure to environmental toxins and aspects of today's lifestyle that have a direct impact on the increase in chronic diseases in modern Western society are taken into account.
Only a few doctors work functionally
There is a large time gap between medical theory and medical practice. The time span between the findings of the latest basic research and their integration into medical practice is enormous. Sometimes up to 50 years, especially in the area of complex, chronic diseases. Most doctors are therefore not adequately trained to identify the causes of such diseases and to apply strategies such as nutrition, diet and exercise to ultimately treat and prevent them.
Holistic instead of symptomatic
Functional medicine deals with the development, prevention and treatment of complex, chronic diseases based on patient-centered treatment. The focus of functional medicine is on promoting health in the form of optimal quality of life and vitality and not just striving for the absence of disease.
By listening to the patient and learning his or her entire story, the doctor involves him or her in the treatment process and puts together a therapy concept that is tailored to the patient's individual needs. This creates an integrative, science-based approach to health.
Functional medicine practitioners look “upstream” to consider the complex web of interactions in the patient’s medical history, physiology and lifestyle that can trigger diseaseEach patient's unique genetic makeup is taken into account, as well as internal (body, mind and spirit) and external (physical and social environment) factors that affect overall function.
Innovative and traditional
Functional medicine integrates the best medical practices. It combines traditional Western medical therapies with what is sometimes called "integrative" medicine, which focuses on prevention through diet and exercise, the use of cutting-edge laboratory tests and other diagnostic techniques, and combinations of prescription and/or herbal medications, nutritional supplements, therapeutic diets, detoxification programs, or stress management techniques.
Healing the System – Rethinking Medicine
Our society is spending more and more money on "health care," yet we have less and less health to show for it. Today's healthcare industry has largely resigned itself to the belief that managing or alleviating disease is the best we can do. But now it is time to wake up and rethink medicine:
Good medicine, which can provide real healing, maximizes functional health and consequently minimizes disease by restoring human vitality, potential and balance. And that is precisely why functional medicine must be the approach that will accompany us into the future.
