What is Functional Medicine?
In functional medicine, we are interested in looking for the root or source of your health problems (instead of just masking or treating symptoms) so you get well and stay well.
Our Approach
Who are our patients?
We treat patients with a wide range of chronic health problems, from low back pain, to neck and shoulder pain, to headaches and migraines, to pinched nerves, to sciatica, to arthritis, to numbness and tingling. Patients who do best under our care:
- Don’t want to rely on unnecessary drugs or medical intervention for the rest of their lives
- Are interested in finding out the underlying cause of their symptoms or health problem(s)
- Are willing to take an active role in changing their diet and lifestyle behaviours to achieve the best result for themselves
- Are motivated to continue to fine tune their diet and lifestyle behaviours in the long run to optimize their health and performance.
How do we work with patients?
Think of us as doing detective work for you in order to get you to a state where you are happier, full of energy, focussed, clear, on purpose, strong, a healthy body weight, and are more productive. Our job is to work with you to find out what’s preventing you from reaching a higher level of health and performance. Often times, it’s necessary to refer you to other health care practitioners.
We use a variety of tools to assess you including detailed questionnaires, a thorough health history and examination, and comprehensive laboratory tests (blood, urine, stool, and saliva testing). This approach allows us to focus on finding the root or source of your health problems, rather than just masking or treating symptoms. Deep and lasting healing is only possible when the root causes of your health problems are addressed.
We then have to restore your health by using nutritional therapy, herbal medicine, supplements, stress management, detoxification, and lifestyle changes. As mentioned, often times, it’s necessary to refer you to other health practitioners including your medical doctor.
By understanding how all of the pieces and systems of your body are interconnected, and how their function can be restored or “rebuilt”, many chronic health problems can be prevented and even reversed.
When you approaching your health problems in this way, you can help rebuild yourself so you are the perfect picture of health.
What is our treatment philosophy?
FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE IS:
- Investigative. Addresses the underlying or root cause of your health problems which leads to optimal healing and long lasting results.
- Holistic. Understands the systems and parts of the body and our environment are all interconnected and recognizes the importance of theses connections in health and disease.
- Safe. Treatments have mild or no side effects, and other “untreated” complaints often improve.
- Patient-centered. Treats the patient, not the disease. Treatments are highly individualized based on the patient’s needs. Not a “cookie cutter” plan.
- Participatory. Patients are educated, empowered, and encouraged to take an active role in their healing process.
- Integrative. Multiple treatment approaches are often used and emphasizes importance of diet and lifestyle.
- Restorative. Tests and treatments are designed to zero in on the underlying problem and optimize function, and improve the quality of your life.
- Preventative. Treatments always entail that you engage in lifestyle and dietary changes that can help prevent chronic illness.
- Evidence-based. Based on the latest research from peer-reviewed medical journals, and uncorrupted by corporate and political interests.
What conditions do we treat?
Conventional medicine will have specialist for each body part: cardiologists for the heart, podiatrists for the feet, dermatologists for the skin, gastroenterologists for the digestive system, and neurologists for the brain and nervous system. But in functional medicine we see all body parts as an interconnected whole, within a larger environment. So when we treat one area of the body we understand that it will have an effect on all of the other parts of the body.
If we were to work with you as a patient, we would look at the big picture, look at the common patterns, look at the lab results, and zero in on treating the most important system or systems in your body that would have the greatest impact on your overall health. This approach tends to help you recover fast and more completely and allows us as functional medicine practitioners to treat a wide variety of health problems, including (but not limited to):
- Arthritis
- Fatigue, low energy, and poor sleep
- Migraines and headaches
- Back pain
- Sciatica (pronounced ‘sigh – attic – kah’)
- Pinched Nerve
- Disc bulges and herniations (“Slipped” Discs)
- Arthritis and Disc Degeneration
- Back Surgery (Problems from)
- Neck pain
- Whiplash
- Migraines and Headaches
- Dizziness and Vertigo
- Hip, leg, and foot problems (Arthritis, Bursitis, Plantar Fasciitis, Heel Spurs)
- Shoulder, arm, and hand problems (Rotator Cuff Tendinitis, Bursitis, Tennis Elbow, Repetitive Sprain/Strain injuries)
- Numbness and/or tingling (Neuralgia)
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- TMJ (Jaw problems)
- Scoliosis
- Posture Problems
- Accidents
- Sports Injuries
- Gut problems and food intolerances related to chronic pain
What conditions do we specialize in?
While Dr. Collins is confident he can help most people with the conditions listed above, he does have particular interests and training in the following:
- Persistent joint and muscle pain
- Improving strength and athletic performance
- Gut problems and food intolerances related to chronic pain
- Fatigue, low energy, and poor sleep
