Functional Medicine for Anxiety
The Functional Medicine approach to anxiety highlights an individualized, systems-based strategy for treatment. We know that your neurotransmitters are imbalanced, but what causes them to be dysfunctional in the first place? This is where individualized testing and treatment take precedence.
For some, a neurotransmitter imbalance may be caused by excessive stress leading to a dysregulated HPA (hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal) axis; hyper-, or hypo-function. For others, the cause may be gut dysfunction, nutritional deficiencies, sex hormone imbalances, neural inflammation, vascular insufficiency or a combination of these factors. Being a multi-casual disorder, treating everyone with the same approach is irrational.
How do we find out your specific cause of anxiety?
Comprehensive testing! This may include blood testing to assess nutritional and cardiovascular markers, urine testing, and/or stool testing. We will guide you toward the most appropriate testing option based on your health history.
What would treatment for anxiety look like?
It depends on your specific dysfunction. Treatment may include targeted natural health products, herbal medicine, intravenous or injection therapy, PEMF, reflexology, neural acupuncture, lifestyle intervention and/or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
How long does it take treatment to work?
Again, it depends on the specific area of dysfunction and how long a patient has been struggling. Individuals may experience benefit anywhere from 3 weeks of treatment to maximum benefit in 8-12 weeks.
To know more about the Functional Medicine approach to anxiety, book a free 15 minutes consultation at our Centre for Advanced Medicine.