Insight Integrative Health

What does the future hold for functional medicine? I had the pleasure of joining Dr. Justina Tseng for a conversation summarizing our takeaways from the annual international conference for The Institute For Functional Medicine. This year’s topic was Stress, Pain and Addiction.

Stress, Chronic Pain & The Opioid Epidemic

During the conference, we covered all sorts of topics exploring stress, chronic pain and other types of pain, and the opioid epidemic in the U.S.

Stress is a trigger for autoimmune flares. It also contributes to hormonal changes, cortisol changes, gut issues, and has significant effects on the immune system. It is one of the primary issues we both see in our practices.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed or get lost in the process of managing stress in a fundamental way. Managing stress effectively can lead to a significant improvement in our quality of life, but it’s not always easy.

Connection and Presence for Healing

Dr. Tseng and I share an excitement for new advancements in combating stress. Throughout the conference, we both noticed an emphasis on connection and presence as ways to manage, heal, and transform stress, pain and addiction.

One key theme at the conference was being present in our lives and for our patients. As providers, we challenge ourselves to expand the foundation of motivational inquiry, meeting each of our patients where they are at. This is one way in which Functional Medicine excels.

Dr. Tseng shared how over the course of her career, she has changed how she shows up. Rather than telling patients what they are doing wrong or what they should be doing, she recognizes where the patient is at, what their current toolkit looks like, and what they’re able to do to modify various things in their lives. This looks different for every patient! Factors like food, economic status, and ability to implement change can drastically change her recommendations from patient to patient.

Healing vs. Being Cured

We also discussed the significance of Healing – not being cured – but healed. It’s essential that we recognize what healing looks like for our patients. At each session with every single patient, the energy we bring into the room and our connection made is part of the process of healing. Without a connection, we can actually impede the change the patient is trying to make.

As providers, we aim to pair intellect and intimacy. During the conference, we examined how to continue to improve our authenticity, focusing on quality and not quantity in patient relationships. This means whole-person healing and treatment, encompassing mental, emotional, and spiritual connection.

Find out more about Functional Medicine and schedule an appointment by clicking here.

Find more from Dr. Justina Tseng at https://amoramed.com/index.html.