When you are struggling to make the right decision regarding your health, it is overwhelming. Healthcare strategies that are in existence today are numerous, and that makes it extremely hard to make a choice. Some of the methods include Functional Medicine and Acupuncture.
Acupuncture is based on the postulates of energy circulation within the body, whereas Functional Medicine is based on the holistic approach to establishing the underlying issues of the health problem.
In this blog, we will find out the difference between the two practices so that you can be in a position to find the one that meets your health objectives and needs. So, let us begin!
What is Functional Medicine?
In order to comprehend Functional Medicine, one must consider the body as a whole interconnected system. This approach not only addresses the symptoms but also addresses the cause of health issues.
Functional Medicine providers operate with a holistic approach and take into account such elements as genetics, the environment, and lifestyle in the development of personalized treatment strategies for your well-being.
To have a better and more specific idea of this approach, you can read our elaborate guide to Functional Medicine.
Now, let’s move to acupuncture!
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is one of the traditional practices, which are passed on by traditional Chinese medicine. Practitioners work with delicate needles to shock some areas of your body to revitalize the current flowing in your body, which is referred to as Qi.
Acupuncture is commonly applied in Alpharetta to treat pain, stress, and well-being. It is a non-invasive and natural therapy that may be applied as an addition to other specific methods, or as a single method of healing.
However, to be on the safe side, when you develop such symptoms, it could be adrenal fatigue.
The Principles of Functional Medicine
The principles of functional medicine do not focus on treating the symptomatic problems but the root cause of a health issue. This strategy appeals to lifestyle, genetic tendencies, and environmental conditions in the attempt to increase well-being in general, bearing in mind that the body systems are interrelated.
The Roots of Acupuncture
Acupuncture has had Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as its foundation, which considers the body as an energy system of interconnected pathways for thousands of years. Acupuncture is intended to cure the circulation of this important energy, called qi, stimulating the relevant points in the body, using the assistance of thin needles.
The other interesting thing about Acupuncture is that it is holistic, and hence it views the mind-body relationship and the need to balance the body to ensure optimal health. Acupuncture can be used to eliminate imbalances in the flow of energy, thereby curing different physical and emotional problems.
This is just a handful of basics regarding the medicinal methods. Nevertheless, in this situation, you may be required to understand how these strategies can be employed to address various problems. And now we may consider the mode of treatment of the two.
Treatment Methods
The Holistic Approach of Functional Medicine
Functional Medicine is holistic in your health on your way to wellness. It is geared towards healing the cause of your symptoms and not just decreasing them. Functional Medicine tries to design a unique treatment program by analyzing your lifestyle, genetics, environment, and emotions to treat you in every aspect of your well-being.
Focus on Energy Balance of Acupuncture
The fundamental principle of Acupuncture is energy balance. According to this practice that was practiced long ago, a body is said to have a life-giving energy or qi that flows in meridians. Acupuncture is intended to restore the power balance by inserting small needles into the given points along these meridians to create physical, mental, and emotional harmony.
Holistic Acupuncture does not just treat the physical ailments, but also takes into account your emotional and mental well-being as a constituent component of your health. Acupuncture tries to improve the natural healing capabilities of your body and increase your quality of life by restoring the normal flow of energy in your body.
Conditions Treated
The Broad Scope of Functional Medicine
As of now, Functional Medicine is a full-fledged treatment of diverse health disorders. Chronic pain, stomach trouble, hormones, autoimmune disorders: Functional Medicine is aimed at curing the source of the symptoms and not treating them with drugs. We also have functional medicine in Alpharetta in our clinic that treats such problems.
Acupuncture’s Specialties
In a bid to attend to certain health issues, Acupuncture focuses on curing numerous disorders, including pain management, stress, fertility, and mental illnesses. One of the practices is old-fashioned and revolves around restoring the natural balance in the body and the general wellness of the body through the stimulation of specific points.
Acupuncture is employed to cure a wide variety of ailments, all of which have been treated for thousands of years. Acupuncture can help soothe a great variety of illnesses since it can be applied to relieve migraines, insomnia, anxiety, and depression, to name a few. Acupuncture has a way of treating the body by focusing on the energy channels or meridians, which are said to optimize physical and emotional well-being, making you feel balanced and harmonized.
We will discuss the way and what both approaches treat, and we will tell you what role the practitioner has in each of these approaches.
Practitioner Roles
The practitioner is included in functional medicine.
A functional medicine practitioner is holistic in their approach to your health, where they investigate the underlying factors of your problems. They listen to the tailored treatment plans, assuming the application of diet, lifestyle changes, supplements, and medications in case of necessity, and geared towards the overall health maximization. There is also the most experienced functional medicine practitioner in Alpharetta who cannot only cure you of these problems but also coach you to live a better life.
The Mastery of the Acupuncturist.
Acupuncture holds the potential to restore balance and blockages in the energy circulating in your body and thus, healing and curing various conditions otherwise poisonous to the human body. You should also receive acupuncture to have additional benefits, together with functional Medicine.
It also should be pointed out that Acupuncture is not simply about piercing the skin with needles. The bargain is that acupuncturists are very qualified personnel, and they know the intricate system of flow of energy and meridians within the body. They can be stimulated by the use of needles at the precise points of the body so as to harmonize the energy of the body and thus allow the body to heal itself.
You have heard of the two kinds of medicine. Nonetheless, you may also be suspecting whether the two approaches are compatible. Yes, we say, you may apply both of these methods to ameliorate a number of health disorders and lead a healthier life.
The Integration of Functional Medicine and Acupuncture
It turns out that many people can also combine both Functional Medicine and Acupuncture and have a holistic approach to their health and wellness. Functional medicine aims at discovering underlying conditions of health problems by offering a specific treatment plan, and acupuncture takes care of the energy flow imbalances in the body. They are able to provide a holistic and integrative treatment of healing.
Under what circumstances should you use either of them?
When making your health journey, you must ensure that you know when to use Functional Medicine instead of Acupuncture and vice versa. As an example, Functional Medicine can be more useful in case you have some chronic conditions, such as autoimmune or digestive disorders, since it focuses on the biochemical functioning in the body.
Instead, when you want to get rid of pain, stress, or insomnia, the emphasis of acupuncture on flowing energy and balance can be your solution. Or you can steal the two to steal holistic healthcare. It will all depend on you anyway. If you are seeking functional medicine in Atlanta, then you can choose our clinic to receive holistic care.
Summing up
Keeping these aspects in mind, one should bear in mind that both Functional Medicine and Acupuncture provide specific ways of curing health conditions. Functional Medicine functions on the overall body system, whereas Acupuncture consists of the recovery of balance in the energy flow of the body. To select the one that is correct for you, consider your health goals, tastes, and the comfort you have with the different treatment options. The consultations with the practitioners in the two fields will also enable you to make an informed decision depending on your specific needs and wellness experiences.
FAQs
Q: What is the difference between Functional Medicine and Acupuncture?
A: Functional Medicine views the body as a complete system that includes lifestyle, genetics, environment, and so forth, and acupuncture aims at the restoration of the energy, referred to as Qi, movement through body pathways.
Q: What method is superior in case of chronic health problems?
A: FM is commonly suggested in cases of chronic medical problems because it aims at diagnosing the root causes of the problem and treating them, which, in turn, results in long-term solutions instead of managing symptoms.
Q: Which one is better to choose between Functional Medicine and Acupuncture in Alpharetta?
A: Reflect on your health-related issues and objectives. You need to go to a clinic where you can be taken care of in all areas of your health, and then the solution is Functional Medicine. Acupuncture might be more appropriate for you if you want to overcome stress or pain. It is possible to engage the practitioners of functional medicine and acupuncture and arrange a consultation to make a wise choice.
