Functional Medicine Doctor in Pflugerville, TX

Just as the practice of conventional and functional medicine has their differences and similarities, so do the practitioners.  First and foremost, practitioners in both fields hold the health and welfare of their patients as their main priority.  However, the approaches do differ and some of the distinctions between the two are:

• Diagnosis vs Identification

A conventional doctor will first want to know about the symptoms and from there will diagnose the problem and either prescribe medication or a medical procedure, to alleviate or eliminate the illness. Functional medicine goes one step further by continuing to peel back the layers to identify the source of the illness; the doctor will spend more time with their patient, collecting detailed information about the disease, their medical history, and their overall lifestyle.

• Treat vs Restore

A conventional doctor will treat the illness; the functional medicine doctor will restore health to the body as a whole to eliminate the illness.

• Generalized vs Personalized

A conventional doctor takes a generalized approach to diagnosis and treatment, treating all patients with similar symptoms alike; a functional medicine doctor like Dr. Kevin Fite MD takes a more personalized approach, seeking their patient’s input and formulating an individualized treatment plan.

• Medication vs Lifestyle

A conventional doctor relies primarily on medication, procedures, and surgery to treat illness; a functional medicine doctor will use various methods such as weight loss, nutritional education, and lifestyle changes.

• Outside In vs Inside Out

Conventional medicine works from the outside in, treating the illness by dealing with the external symptoms; functional medicine treats from the inside out, dealing with the underlying, internal, causes of illness.

• Passive vs Active

A patient receiving conventional treatment does so passively, taking their medications as prescribed etc.; the patient receiving functional treatment takes an active role in the diagnosis and treatment, which can often require environmental and lifestyle changes.

Dr. Kevin Fite MD is able to deal with all manner of illness and disease and is particularly well suited to treat chronic illness, digging deep to find the underlying causes and treating them accordingly. So, if you are open to alternative treatments, in addition to prescription drugs, such as acupuncture, herbal remedies, or meditation; if you want to spend more time with a doctor exploring your medical history in depth; and if you want a treatment plan that’s personalized to you and to which you have been encouraged to contribute, then a visit to Dr. Kevin Fite MD is definitely worthwhile!

Functional medicine doctors go through traditional medical school training and can then choose to get additional certification in functional medicine if they wish to do so, although this is not mandatory.

Most functional medicine doctors deal with complex health issues such as depression, chronic pain conditions like arthritis, and inflammatory diseases like Celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In addition to helping people manage the daily symptoms of chronic disease, many functional doctors also focus on preventative care.

If you would like to know more about functional medicine or are looking for a functional medicine doctor near you, contact us today! Call us for more information or to request an appointment today! We are conveniently located at 701 FM 685, Ste 125 Pflugerville, TX 78660. We Serve Patients from Pflugerville TX, Austin TX, Round Rock TX, Hutto TX, Georgetown TX, Cedar Park TX, Taylor TX, and Manor TX.