Functional medicine vs traditional medicine, how do they approaches compare? Many people probably have never heard of Functional Medicine, but it is increasing in popularity in the medical field. What exactly is it, and does it work? Keep reading to find out more about how this approach to healthcare is not only growing but works.
Study Comparing Functional Medicine vs Traditional Medicine
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a landmark study about Functional Medicine/Nutrition. The researchers showed this approach provided patients with a significantly better result than those who visited a traditional family healthcare setting. JAMA is one of the most prestigious medical journals!
The study was a 5-year study that compared 1,595 patients who received Functional Medicine care and 5,657 patients who visited a family health center. All patients had a similar range of chronic health problems.
The Results
The Journal summarized that patients under Functional Medicine care showed improvements in their overall quality of life scores and overall symptom relief. These scores were significantly larger than those who visited the family health center. The data points they looked at were at 6 and 12 months.
Yep, you read that right- significantly better outcomes with Functional Medicine/Nutrition! The results of this study are exciting. The cutting-edge approach helps people who are not getting results with conventional medicine.
What Is Functional Medicine/Nutrition?
Functional medicine looks to address the root cause of disease instead of just the symptom. It looks at the body as a whole and how each part of the body affects the others. Conventional medicine usually focuses on treating the symptoms and individual parts of the body rather than the whole person.
Functional Nutrition is the same idea as Functional Medicine. It uses vitamins, herbs, and other nutraceuticals- along with things like diet and exercise to address lifestyle- to help balance the body and restore health.
Which Chronic Conditions Can Functional Nutrition Treat?
The answer to this is MANY! Here are a few:
- Fibromyalgia
- Arthritis
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Hypothyroidism
- Heart Disease
- Hypertension
- Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
- Ulcerative Colitis, Celiac Disease, Crohn’s Disease, and other abdominal diseases
- Eczema, Psoriasis, and other skin disorders
- Autoimmune conditions like Multiple Sclerosis and Lupus
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- And More!
Here at Dody Chiropractic Center for Wholeness, we specialize in Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Arthritis, although we can help with many other conditions as well.
If you, or someone you know, suffers from one of these conditions, please give us a call at 303-794-1737 or schedule a FREE evaluation here.

With over 20 years in the field, Dr. Dody is a seasoned chiropractor specializing in Functional Nutrition, Neurofeedback, and the Koren Specific Technique (KST). His unique ‘whole person approach’ identifies the root causes of health issues, offering patients not just relief but lasting wellness. Recognized for his expertise, Dr. Dody’s treatments often yield dramatic improvements from the very first visit.