Category: Wellbeing

I’ll be completely honest; I’d actually never heard of functional medicine before I began my research for this piece. But as someone who’s dealt with chronic muscle pain for several years with few answers from conventional medical practitioners, I was eager to learn more.
In case you aren’t familiar with it, functional medicine is considered an alternative to the current model of healthcare and has been touted by Mark Hyman, MD—functional medicine authority and former advisor to the Clintons—as the future of medical care in the United States.
But just what is functional medicine? We spoke to experts and functional medicine practitioners to find out everything you need to know prior to your first consultation.

What is functional medicine?

In short, functional medicine strives to look at the body as a whole, considering how the affected organs function together to devise a treatment plan for patients.
Now, you may be thinking, Wait—isn’t that how traditional medical care is supposed to work?
Well…sort of. While medical practitioners know that certain parts of the body interact with one another, conventional medicine typically focuses on alleviating a patient’s individual symptoms.
For example, if you visit your general practitioner because you suspect you have heartburn, your doctor will probably prescribe antacids to alleviate the symptoms and send you home. A doctor of functional medicine, on the other hand, wants to know what’s going on in other parts of your body that may be causing your heartburn to flare up. They may determine that an underlying issue is the cause of your heartburn—one that can be treated without requiring you to take antacids.
There’s nothing wrong with either treatment method, as the goal of both conventional and functional medicine is to help patients get well.
Still, if you’ve suffered from chronic illness or are looking for an alternative to your current medical care, functional medicine might be for you.
“Functional medicine is helpful for anyone, but it is most useful for people who have been to many doctors, tried a lot of possible solutions, and are no closer to solving their health challenges,” says Amanda Malachesky, a functional nutrition coach based in Petrolia, California. “And while people often want to go straight to treating the root causes, functional practitioners begin always with the foundations of health: diet, sleep, exercise, stress reduction, and blood sugar management.”
Doctors of functional medicine are real doctors who have been to medical school and are licensed medical practitioners. In fact, functional medicine is built on the foundation of conventional medicine and is more a philosophy of care than a totally different healthcare field. There are three principles that guide doctors of functional medicine, Malachesky explains.
“Functional medicine works towards root-cause resolution, works to use tools and frameworks to help us identify these root causes … and honors each client or patient as a truly unique individual, and tailors recommendations and treatments to the individual.”
[pullquote align=”center”]“Functional medicine is helpful for anyone, but it is most useful for people who have been to many doctors, tried a lot of possible solutions, and are no closer to solving their health challenges.”
—Amanda Malachesky, Functional Nutrition Coach[/pullquote]
Doctors aren’t the only professionals who can leverage functional medicine’s principles. Almost any licensed healthcare provider, like a chiropractor, registered nurse, or dietitian, can practice functional medicine as it applies to their field of care.
These principles ensure that patients are always first, and while you may not get a quick fix for what’s ailing you, a quality functional medicine practitioner will be dedicated to finding the root cause of your healthcare concern.

Are functional medicine and integrative medicine the same thing?

“Functional medicine is an extension of integrative medicine,” says Clayton Bell, MD, a physician at the University of Tennessee Medical Center who specializes in integrative medicine. “The two fields are more of a continuum than two distinct medical entities.”
“Integrative medicine is a mind-body-spirit holistic approach to healing that incorporates the best of Western medicine along with ancient healing traditions of the East,” Bell continues. “Anything that relates to a person’s health, wellness, and vitality would be an instrument of healing through integrative medicine. When one optimizes their nutrition, stress resiliency, physical activity, and sleep, all conditions have a better opportunity to heal.”
Both integrative medicine and functional medicine take a holistic approach to treating patients. In addition to finding the root cause of an illness, functional medicine focuses heavily on building healthy lifestyle habits to improve patient outcomes.
“The goal of functional medicine is simply understanding underlying issues and contributing factors and addressing healthcare holistically,” says James Greenblatt, MD, medical director of Walden Behavioral Care.  
Bell adds that functional medicine is a science- and evidence-based field that takes more of a systems-based approach to medical care that’s uniquely personalized to the patient, focusing on the patient’s genetic background as a key to finding the root of a patient’s illness.
And, though there aren’t a lot of studies that specifically research functional medicine outcomes, Malachesky says there’s plenty of research to back up functional medicine’s science-based claims:

There are thousands of articles and publications studying the science of gut health, the role of inflammation in the development and management of chronic disease, and immune signaling and its role in chronic disease conditions. Functional nutrition and medicine practitioners view health problems through these and other related lenses, and I believe that we will find the approach fully validated as new studies are completed.

Are functional medicine practitioners real doctors?

The short answer: Yes!
“All well-trained physicians of functional medicine are licensed medical professionals that have taken additional training not taught in medical school,” says Greenblatt.
The Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM) is currently one of the few training centers for functional medicine. To become certified in functional medicine, a healthcare provider must have already received a healthcare degree from an accredited university and hold up-to-date licensure in their area of practice.
To become a certified functional medicine practitioner, accepted IFM applicants must complete coursework in six areas: gastrointestinal, detox, immune, hormone, cardiometabolic, and energy. Students must also complete a case study and take a written exam to complete the course. To maintain certification, functional medicine practitioners must retake the written exam and provide up-to-date licensure information every six years.
[pullquote align=”center”]“The goal of functional medicine is simply understanding underlying issues and contributing factors and addressing healthcare holistically.”
—James Greenblatt, MD[/pullquote]
Ultimately a doctor of functional medicine certified by IFM will be an MD and be qualified as a conventional medical provider. Other healthcare workers like registered nurses, acupuncturists, and registered dietitians may also become certified in functional medicine, but they can only apply functional medicine to their specific fields.
Greenblatt says that, like every field of care, there are some functional medicine professionals who are more qualified than others, and that unfortunately there are sometimes imposters who aren’t licensed or certified. When looking for a functional medicine practitioner, Greenblatt suggests patients make sure their certification is from IFM or another reputable functional medicine certification program. If someone is calling themselves a doctor of functional medicine and they don’t have the proper licensure or hold a degree, then they’re likely not certified as real doctors of functional medicine.
In other words? Do your homework just as you would before seeing any new healthcare provider, and don’t be afraid to verify their credentials before attending an appointment or receiving treatment if you feel at all uncomfortable.

Functional Medicine Treatment

When making an initial appointment with a functional medicine doctor, be prepared to spend quite a bit more time at the visit than you would with your general practitioner. A functional medicine provider is going to take a detailed personal and family medical history and take into consideration your answers to questions about your symptoms and overall experience of health prior to prescribing any treatments.
Using IFM’s database, it’s easy to find a certified functional medicine provider. You can search by location, certification, and specialty to find the provider who’s right for you and your needs.
Part of functional medicine is building a trust-based relationship between provider and patient, so don’t be afraid to speak up, ask questions, and be an advocate for your own health. Not sure what to ask? Here’s a list of questions to get you started.
One of the hallmarks of functional medicine is a treatment plan that is totally individualized to the patient. Still, after your initial consultation, you can expect extensive lab work and genetic testing that will be an integral part of determining whether you have any underlying issues.
Greenblatt describes an example of crafting a care plan with patients: “if a patient is suffering from a mental health issue, we would do extensive testing to uncover whether or not an underlying issue might be affecting how they feel, like a gut imbalance”—a method that demonstrates functional medicine’s understanding of the mind–body connection. “Then, we’d work to treat those issues holistically rather than prescribing medication to treat the symptoms, like depression or anxiety, of the underlying issue.”
Typically, a functional medicine (much like an integrative medicine) care plan will focus on helping patients alleviate their health issues through lifestyle changes first. This treatment might be as simple as changing your diet, going for a daily walk, or participating in yoga and meditation. If these non-invasive treatments don’t work, then your doctor might consider medication or surgery.

Does insurance cover functional medicine?

Most of the time.
“Visits to most certified functional medicine physicians fall into the category of good medical care,” Greenblatt says. But because functional medicine relies on extensive testing, some costs, like lab work or other testing, may not be covered by your insurer.
Additionally, if you are seeking treatment with a functional medicine practitioner who is a healthcare professional in another field, like a chiropractor or a nutritionist, treatment may not be covered by your insurance.
[pullquote align=”center”]“If a patient is suffering from a mental health issue, we would do extensive testing to uncover whether or not an underlying issue might be affecting how they feel, like a gut imbalance.”
—James Greenblatt, MD[/pullquote]
The best thing to do?
Check with your insurance provider before scheduling an appointment with a functional medicine provider so there are no surprise out-of-pocket fees.

So is functional medicine right for you?

If you’re looking for a quick fix to a health problem, then functional medicine probably isn’t going to be a good fit. But if you’re really interested in understanding how your body’s genetics and biology work together, then functional medicine just may provide the answers to your medical concerns.

Can I get pregnant on my period? If you’ve ever asked yourself that question, don’t worry: You’re not the only one wondering.
Whether you’re trying to conceive or actively trying to avoid conception, knowing when you’re fertile enough for sperm to meet egg and make a baby can be confusing. Even if you got an A+ in health class, our bodies are all different, and that means the cycle of one woman, transgender man, or non-binary person can be ever-so-slightly off from their peers, making that exact moment when you might experience a pregnancy different from your best friend.
The short answer? Yes, it is entirely possible to get pregnant on your period.
If you are flashing back to health class and thinking hey, wait a second, we hear you. The longer answer is yes, but…

Can you get pregnant on your period?

No matter what your high school best friend always said, there is no one time of the month when it’s 100 percent guaranteed that you can have unprotected sex with no repercussions. The risk of sexually transmitted infections aside, there is a risk of pregnancy—albeit a slight one—that comes with period sex.
If you’re wondering how it can happen, it all has to do with the timing of your menstrual cycle.
A “normal” (meaning typical of most folks) cycle lasts anywhere from 27 to 35 days, says Mary Fleming, OB-GYN and attending physician at Einstein Medical Center Montgomery in East Norriton, Pennsylvania. Day one of a menstrual cycle is considered the first day of your period (or the day you start bleeding). Your cycle then continues for that 27 to 35 days until a new cycle begins with the arrival of your next period.
For most people, a period lasts about three to seven days, Fleming says. Counting ahead, in most folks, ovulation occurs about two weeks later (anywhere from 10 to 17 days into the cycle). “Ovulation is the process of the ovary releasing the egg and its migration through the fallopian tubes,” Fleming explains.
Of course, it takes an egg for someone to get pregnant, as conception happens when a sperm and egg come together and form an embryo. That period of ovulation is also referred to as your fertile window, the one time in your cycle when you are most likely to get pregnant.
Do a little math, and it seems hard to imagine how someone could possibly get pregnant during their period, right? Ten days, which marks the early end of a fertile window for the average person, is at least three full days after the seven-day mark, which again marks the outset for most women’s cycles! Well, this is why it’s rare to get pregnant on your period.
But rare doesn’t mean it never happens, Fleming says. The most likely reason for someone to get pregnant during their period? A menstrual cycle that’s different from the norm.
“The most likely explanation for those women who conceive when they are on their period is that those women are not having regular ovulatory cycles,” Fleming says. “These women may bleed sporadically, have intermittent spotting, or bleed for long periods of time. This typically means they are not ovulating or ovulating unpredictably.”
Even in women who do have regular menstrual cycles, studies have found that estimating your fertile window may not be as easy as counting ahead 10 days after the menstrual cycle begins. According to one study performed by the Biostatistics Branch of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, “In only about 30 percent of women is the fertile window entirely within the days of the menstrual cycle identified by clinical guidelines—that is, between days 10 and 17.”
In other words, it can fall earlier, putting fertility closer to the period when someone is still bleeding.
Getting pregnant “during your period” may also happen when you confuse your period with bleeding from some other condition.
For example, Fleming says, cervical or endometrial polyps may cause bleeding from the vagina, as can cervicitis (an infection of the cervix) or vaginitis (an infection of the vagina such as yeast or bacterial vaginosis) or even micro-tears in the vagina due to vaginal dryness.
If someone assumes that they’re bleeding because of their period but has not actually reached that point in their menstrual cycle, the risk of pregnancy from unprotected sex goes up.

How to Avoid Pregnancy on Your Period

If your goal is to prevent pregnancy, there are a number of birth control options to consider, all of which should be used straight through your period.
The IUD, birth control pill, and other contraceptives can all make period sex safer—at least when it comes to pregnancy risk. To protect against STIs, always use a condom.

What if you want to get pregnant?

If you are trying to conceive, skipping birth control is a big start, but don’t depend on period sex to get you there, Fleming says. Because it’s rare, she still recommends determining your fertility window and having sex more often during that time.
“You will need to determine when you ovulate by keeping a menstrual calendar with a mobile app, basal body temperature charting, or a commercial ovulation predictor kit,” she suggests. “The first day of bleeding is day one. Once you know the length of your cycles (day one to day one), count backwards 14 days.”
Have fun!

Every woman experiences menstruation a bit differently regardless of whether she’s using a period tracker. The luckiest ones have light, regular periods that come and go like clockwork. For many others, menstruation is somewhat of a mystery. Some months are heavy, crampy nightmares, while your period hardly makes an appearance in others.
But if there’s one universal experience, it’s having your period show up at the worst possible time—at the beach when you’re wearing a white bikini, on an airplane when you forgot your tampons, or maybe when you’re on a run a couple of miles from home. Ugh! The only way to get some sense of when Aunt Flo is coming to town is by using a period tracker.
Yes, period tracking: that thing most of us were encouraged to start doing when we got our first period, but we got annoyed with (or even embarrassed by) making little red dots on a calendar and gave it up entirely. I’ll admit it—I’ve become a sex-positive, health-conscious woman who still bashfully shrugs at the gyno’s office when she asks the date of my last period and who scrambles to find a tampon when my period shows up seemingly out of nowhere. Not an ideal situation—and let’s not even get into the pregnancy scares that can happen if you aren’t tracking your menstrual cycle.
Fortunately, getting a handle on your cycle isn’t that hard. A range of period tracking methods—from high-tech apps to old-school, pen-and-paper calendars—can help you learn when to expect the crimson tide and how long it will take to ride it out. We asked Diana Ramos, MD, a board-certified OB-GYN and chair of the National Preconception Health and Health Care Initiative, to share the best ways to track your period and the benefits of being disciplined about it, once and for all.

Period Tracking: What’s the point?

It’s thought of as a tedious task that requires discipline and a willingness to tune in to your body on a daily basis. Why should you even bother with period tracking?
“One of the most important benefits of period tracking is getting to know your body—this is especially important if you’re of reproductive age and you’re trying to become pregnant or avoid pregnancy,” Ramos explains.
Using a period tracker can help you notice disruptions in your menstrual cycle. You might realize that your period has become irregular or changed in frequency, which could be symptoms of bigger health concerns.
“Sometimes a woman’s period is happening more often and for longer duration—signs that something could be abnormal. Heavier bleeding might also indicate a hormone imbalance, fibroids, or an underlying disease. Unless you know what’s normal for your body, you’re not going to know when something’s potentially wrong,” says Ramos.
And of course, one of the main benefits of period tracking is knowing when you should throw a couple of tampons in your purse. Who doesn’t want that peace of mind?
But despite all of these benefits, most women still haven’t figured out how to track their periods. Ramos estimates that only about a third of women use a period tracker—the rest of us are in the dark about our menstruation and ovulation. Yikes!

How to Track Your Period the Old-School Way

You don’t need to get fancy when it comes to tracking your period. The old-school approach of using pen and a calendar has helped women track their periods for centuries (maybe longer)—and can give you a better understanding of your body.
Start by putting a mark on the calendar on the first day of your period. That signifies the start of your menstruation cycle, says Ramos, and it’s the date gynecologists want when they ask when your last period was. Continue marking every day that you bleed with a red dot or whatever symbol resonates with you (a heart, a skull and crossbones, a frowny face—we don’t judge). Then, start the process again the next time you menstruate.
Your calendar should also include information about how much you’re bleeding, Ramos says. You could measure it based on how many pads and tampons you’re using or by giving your flow a loose estimate of light, medium, or heavy.
Other symptoms, like your emotions, cramps, and overall health, can also be noted on your period tracker, depending on how much information you want to include. After about three months of tracking your period, you will learn the length of your cycle (typically 21 to 35 days), roughly when you’re most fertile (usually the mid-point between periods), and other patterns related to your menstruation.
“The longer you do it, the more you can learn,” says Ramos. “Period tracking should be a lifelong habit and can give you something to refer to if your body changes.”

Bringing Period Tracking Into the 21st Century

Technology has made a lot of things easier for us—including period tracking. Monitoring your cycle has gone modern with a range of femtech apps that can help you track everything from your flow and period length to your moods, weight, and birth control use. Here are three of our favorite digital period trackers:
Dot: Rated 4.7/5 stars in the App Store, Dot Period & Fertility Tracker “works like a weather forecast for your menstrual cycle.” All you have to do is record the first day of your flow, and the period tracker gets to work predicting your likelihood of getting pregnant any day of the month, when you’re going to ovulate, and the date of your next period. You can note your moods, period symptoms, and sexual activities right in the app. Dot’s pretty smart—it’ll let you know if your cycle is off and you might need medical attention.
Clue: Clue has earned high marks for its accuracy, features, and functionality. Its intuitive design makes it easy to track your period, the heaviness of your flow, and even the types of menstrual products you use. Clue also encourages users to log their birth control, cramps, sleep, skin and hair conditions, and tons of other health-related symptoms. The more information you provide, the better Clue becomes at analyzing the state of your reproductive health.
Flo: While it brands itself as an ovulation and period tracker, the Flo app does much more than just record the days of your cycle, although it’s great at that! It’s an overall lifestyle monitor that allows you to record your weight, travel, stress levels, sex drive, sleep duration, water consumption, and just about every other healthy lifestyle activity you could imagine—earning it an average of 4.8 stars from more than 200,000 people who’ve rated it in the App Store.
While digital tools have taken the guesswork out of period tracking for many women, the pen-and-paper method is still perfectly acceptable. Healthcare professionals just want you to track your period in whatever way works best for you so they can be aware if something’s amiss.
“Period tracking is a good habit to get into as young as possible, but you can start any time,” Ramos notes. “The most important thing is that if you notice something abnormal, go see your healthcare provider. Don’t try to guess what might be happening.”
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