Functional Medicine For Seniors

How many times have you expressed concern to your doctor only to be told, “That’s just what happens as we age”? Hypertension, muscle weakness, fatigue, high blood pressure, chronic pain, and cognitive decline have become widely accepted in the conventional medicine system as inevitable side effects of growing older.

The truth is that we should enter retirement feeling energized, spry, and healthy. However, most conventional doctors rely on prescription medications to mask your symptoms rather than getting to the root of what is causing those symptoms to begin with.

Today we’ll talk about why just diagnosing and prescribing medications is not an effective healthcare strategy, and how functional medicine for seniors can improve your quality of life well into your golden years!

Traditional Medicine For Seniors

Traditional medicine views age-related deterioration as an inevitable part of growing older. We accept aches and pains, memory loss, and low energy as just part of the aging process rather than asking why these symptoms appear in the first place.

To keep up with the ever-growing list of symptoms for each patient, most traditional doctors rely on a diagnose/prescribe method to treat them. The doctor compiles a list of the patient’s symptoms and uses those ailments to provide a diagnosis. They use this diagnosis to determine which prescription medication would be most appropriate, then send the patient home with a prescription and a follow-up appointment in three to six months.

While this method may provide temporary relief, it offers minimal benefits in the long run. This is because prescription medications are only masking the symptoms rather than treating their underlying cause.

For example, a patient who complains of acid reflux will often be prescribed an acid blocker. Unfortunately, these acid blockers do not address the root cause of acid reflux. Sometimes acid reflux is caused by low stomach acid, in which case taking an acid blocker would exacerbate the issue over time. As a result, doctors will simply increase the medication dosage as their condition worsens since the medications are only suppressing the symptoms rather than healing them at the source.

This is where functional medicine comes in!

Optimize your Health & Live Longer

Our Longevity E-book Will Explain Recent Developments That Make How We Age Entirely Up To Us. Yes, you read that right.

Functional Medicine For Seniors

The key to aging well is correcting harmful lifestyle habits, addressing the underlying causes of chronic conditions and symptoms, and healing your body rather than masking your pain or symptoms.

Most traditional doctors over-prescribe medications, which often ends up doing more harm than good. Each new prescription comes with its own unique set of side effects. These side effects are sometimes even worse than the original symptoms, and some patients find that they need more medication just to manage the side effects of other medications! Many patients find themselves in a never-ending cycle of follow-up appointments, new diagnoses, and new prescriptions.

Functional medicine doctors believe that there is a better way to treat seniors and combat the effects of aging. While we cannot stop the body from aging completely, we can ensure that it remains strong and healthy for many years to come. Functional medicine for seniors focuses on two key elements: nutrition and physical activity.

Nutrition For Seniors

As food science progresses and seniors become more health conscious, we’re learning more about how healthy eating habits contribute to longevity and quality of life. As a result, the demand for healthier food options and more functional foods has skyrocketed. Functional foods are enriched with essential nutrients to correct nutritional deficiencies in seniors. Nutritional deficiencies are at the root of many chronic, age-related conditions, and are often the first step in treating chronic conditions.

In many cases, a functional medicine doctor will encourage senior patients to adopt a nutrient-dense, whole-foods diet if possible. Some patients will also receive recommendations for functional foods or supplements if diet alone does not or cannot correct their deficiencies.

Physical Activity For Seniors

man and woman running. healthy. cardiovascular vitality workout

Ideally, adults ages 65 and over should get 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week. Additionally, it’s important to incorporate strength training at least 2 days a week, and exercises to improve balance at least 3 times a week.

Unfortunately, many seniors live their lives mostly sedentary, which accelerates the aging process. Daily exercise helps protect against cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, and even some types of cancer.

Functional medicine is ideal for seniors because it takes a whole-body approach to healthcare. Rather than masking symptoms, it treats them at the source by identifying and addressing their root cause. As we age, we are at a greater risk of developing a wide range of diseases and conditions that affect the length and quality of our lives.

Getting older doesn’t mean that you have to accept aches, pains, and illness as a part of your daily life. At Doctor’s Studio, we use a functional medicine approach to get to the root of your health concerns to improve your overall health and wellness as you age.

Schedule a consultation today to find out how functional medicine can help you get back to living a rich and fulfilling life no matter your age!

.pmb-print-this-page .wp-block-button__link { color: white!important; }