#8 Functional Medicine: Return to the basics, personalize care and enhance your practice

May 30, 2016 | By Matthew Watto, MD

In this episode Dr. Yousef Elyaman from the Institute of Functional Medicine schools us on how the biochemistry and pathophysiology we have forgotten from medical school can be used to cure illness. FODMAP diet and Antibiotics to cure restless legs syndrome? Melatonin to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease?  This is just a little taste of the knowledge food served up on this introduction to Functional Medicine.

Take home points from Dr. Elyaman:

1. Father of Modern Medicine, Avicenna, said, “In dealing with sickness and health, you ought to know the root cause of sickness and health” (paraphrase)
   1. Know/understand the pathophysiology
   2. There may be alternative therapies to those recommended in the guidelines
2. It’s not just Genes – it’s Genes AND Environment.
   1. There is an optimal lifestyle or diet for every patient. Work with them to find it.
3. Take advantage of other like-minded physicians out there practicing Functional Medicine.

Clinical Pearls:

• Restless leg syndrome: try treating the patient for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) to improve iron absorption.
• GERD: use melatonin to cause constriction of the lower esophageal sphincter as you wean off the patient’s proton pump inhibitor.

Links from the Show:

FODMAP
FODMAP Diet Handout PDF from Stanford
http://www.siboinfo.com/diet.html

Melatonin Gastric Ulcer
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21362032

Check out these resources from the Institute of Functional Medicine
Sign up for the 5 day Functional Medicine Foundations Course
Visit Dr. E’s website for Absolute Health
https://www.functionalmedicine.org
Intro To Functional Medicine by Dr. David Jones and Sheila Quinn

Here’s a link on mesotherapy. Check with your malpractice insurer first!
http://www.mesotherapy.com
New Episode!