Wherever I turn these days, I encounter articles discussing the gut microbiome. This makes sense to me as a functional medicine and integrative medicine clinician. From day one in functional medicine education, we learn: “All disease begins in the gut.” This statement is attributed to Hippocrates, the father of medicine, from around 2,000 years ago. Amazingly, this message still rings true today. When the gut microbiome is disrupted, processes regulated by the gut, such as immunity and brain function, are impaired. This ultimately may lead to the development of chronic conditions such as autoimmune disease, metabolic dysfunction, and mental health issues, among many other health problems.

Unlike a traditional physical exam, an annual physical from the functional medicine perspective includes a personalized whole-person assessment, rather than just a one size fits all approach. Functional medicine looks to find the root cause of imbalances or dysfunctions within core body systems and is less concerned about determining a diagnosis for which to prescribe medication. Functional assessments guide the evaluation process, and we work with each patient to address these imbalances naturally.