The Physical Therapist's Role in Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice

By Dr. Kayla Frost (DPT, PT)

          Heart disease, strokes, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and Alzheimer’s Disease are among the leading causes of death and disability in our country. These chronic diseases are linked to excess sugar consumption and a sedentary lifestyle, and are largely preventable by modifying our lifestyle choices. Physical therapists are in a unique position to encourage their patients to make healthier lifestyle choices by evaluating, assessing, diagnosing, and educating individuals with injuries, disabilities, or other health conditions on how their lifestyle affects their pain and physical function. 

          Pain and dysfunction are all-too common in today’s world. We spend a lot of money on health care, but our outcomes are poor compared to other countries. Our current healthcare model is failing. This is why there is a great need for physical therapists to approach their practice using the Functional Medicine philosophy. Functional Medicine is the medicine of “why?” Instead of just treating the symptoms of a patient, functional medicine a model of health care looks deep into why the symptoms are occurring so we can treat the upstream causes of disease. By listening to a patient’s story in detail, the functional medicine practitioner can identify major themes of health and wellness and the antecedents, triggers, and mediators that perpetuate signs and symptoms of disease/dysfunction. These themes become points of leverage to change an individual’s metabolism, epigenetics, and function.

          We know that chronic diseases are complex, involving several body systems and lifestyle factors. It is pivotal that clinicians understand what these factors are and how the body systems work together to function as a whole. Much like the Functional Medicine Matrix and Timeline that medical and naturopathic functional medicine doctors use to organize a patient’s health story, physical therapists are well-versed in using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) Model, which views a person’s level of functioning as a dynamic interaction between their health condition, environment, and personal factors. The ICF Model is a close approximation of the Matrix – the difference is largely centered around the external functioning of the body in its environment within the ICF model, versus the internal functioning of the body within the Functional Medicine Matrix. Using the two models can help the functional medicine physical therapist paint an even more complete picture of the patient’s story in order to help them achieve their functional goals.

         Physical therapists are doctors with a vast knowledge of human physiology, and can understand the complexities of the systems that govern the body’s functions. It is therefore imperative that physical therapists study and execute functional medicine to help reduce the burden on conventional doctors and help prevent disease by educating their patients on lifestyle factors, such as diet and exercise, that may alter the course of their physical wellbeing for the better.

References:

  1. Hudson T. Functional Medicine: A View from Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2020;31(4):527-540. doi:10.1016/j.pmr.2020.07.011
  2. Buttorff C, Ruder T, Bauman M. Multiple Chronic Conditions in the United States. RAND Corporation; 2017. Accessed December 11, 2022. https://www.rand.org/pubs/tools/TL221.html

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