Therapist Pick | Heal: A Nine-Stage Roadmap to Recover Energy, Reverse Chronic Illness, and Claim the Potential of a Vibrant New You
One trend I’ve noticed in my 17 years of being a physical therapist is the rising number of patients who have chronic medical issues like allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, frequent infections and illness, fatigue and autoimmune disorders. A large number of my patients are taking medication for these issues, as well as for conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression, and anxiety.
If you suffer from any of these chronic conditions and you aren’t satisfied with how you feel, you could benefit from working with a functional medicine doctor.
Functional medicine doctors work extensively with each patient to find a root cause of the chronic issue. Most of the time, the solution comes in the form of lifestyle changes.
Managing what goes in our body, how we move, how we sleep and how we think and react to the world around us can reduce inflammation, regulate blood sugar and hormone levels and so much more. By naturally regulating these basic body functions we have the power to control how our body works, which will impact how we feel.
We all know we need to eat better and be more active in order to be healthy but these changes can be complicated and overwhelming for some to accomplish alone. A functional medicine doctor will give you a specific plan and work with you to make each goal achievable. They can pinpoint what issues in your body are a higher priority to address and give you recommendations on where to start.
The success stories of functional medicine are amazing. Countless stories of people of all ages and illnesses regaining their energy, health, and happiness.
We have two excellent functional medicine MDs in the Iowa City area.
Karyn Shanks, MD works at The Center for Medicine and Healing Arts in Iowa City.
Julia Buchkina, MD works at Upstream Functional Medicine in Iowa City.
I also recommend Lisa Scranton who is a Functional Nutrition Specialist. Lisa works with Dr. Shanks at The Center for Medicine and Healing Arts in Iowa City.
Another fantastic resource to learn more about functional medicine is the new book, Heal: A Nine-Stage Roadmap to Recover Energy, Reverse Chronic Illness, and Claim the Potential of a Vibrant New You, written by Karyn Shanks, MD. “Heal” is a nine-stage roadmap that reveals how and why small changes in our day to day life can make a profound impact on our health and wellness.
Give it a read, and let me know what you think.
– MOLLY CAMACHO
Physical Therapist, Certified Athletic Trainer, Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, Orthopedic Clinical Specialist