What Makes Us Different
We combine Functional Medicine, Evidenced Based Care and Whole Body System Analysis into a unified approach that is unique in the Delmarva Area.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkkNiYIR0ic&feature=youtu.be Do not confuse the name Functional Medicine to imply a medical specialty. Rather it is a way of evaluating Human Health and Function to determine when the body is no longer balanced and working optimally. The emphasis is on Physiology (the study of normal functioning) instead of Pathology (the study of disease).Evidenced Based Care, is another difference
Evidence based care is a new buzzword in Health Care Education Circles. It is care based on research designed at measuring the effectiveness of various therapy approaches. At Functional Chiropractic, we are constantly striving to offer the very latest and up to date care options that produce the greatest chance of success for our patients. This approach requires that the health team be willing to change their approach to care when better approaches are discovered. At Functional Chiropractic, we embrace these changes and have relationships built up with educators, researchers and cutting edge companies similarly dedicated to improving health care delivery.
Dr. Rees spent 8 weekends in 2014 alone in educational settings to ensure that the care offered at Functional Chiropractic meets the very high standards imposed by Evidenced Based Care!
We combine the art and science of Chiropractic with a “Whole Body System Analysis”.
Chiropractic has always been about addressing cause and not simply focused on symptom control. It has an undeniable track record and in numerous studies has been found to be superior to other forms of therapy in both quickness of response and cost effectiveness. To this we add our “Whole Body System Analysis”. Whole Body System Analysis is the evaluation of the overall status of all the major physiological systems of the body. The brain’s ability to function and control the body, the ability to control blood sugar levels, hormonal control and balance, inflammatory levels and response, immune system health and function, gastrointestinal digestive and absorptive power, musculoskeletal strength and efficiency, cardiovascular health and function, cellular physiology and energy production, detoxification and excretion ability and overall mineral balance are all integral parts of “Whole Body System Analysis”. Let us take a look at an example. Thyroid conditions may develop in patients for a variety of reasons. Their brain may not be properly signaling the thyroid gland, an unhealthy digestive system may be causing an autoimmune thyroid condition (the most common cause) and elevated inflammatory levels maybe driving the autoimmune condition to greater levels of severity. Blood sugar often is imbalanced and can both cause or make recovery difficult. Virtually every part of the body we evaluate with “Whole Body System Analysis” can have major influences on Thyroid disease of all kinds. This is in contrast to medical approaches that due to specialization, will focus only on the disease, and not the body trying to heal the diseased part. Whole System Body Analysis is necessary for the type of health restoration results we are after at Functional Chiropractic. It is very difficult, if not impossible to completely restore any part of the body, if other parts are still broken. The body does not function in “isolation”. Our acceptance of patients into our program is contingent on them understanding that care will have to be addressed outside of their main area of complaint in order to achieve the results we are after. This is not a “take this pill and call me in the morning if it’s not better”, approach.At Functional Chiropractic, we meticulously look at other care the patient may currently be receiving or has received in the past, but our care is based on restoring health and typically is unique compared to past approaches the patient has experienced.
The beginning of care at Functional Chiropractic is all about understanding the path you took to your present health status. When were you last healthy? Can you even remember? If you can, what was going on at the time you became sick? Where you healthy as a child or where you plagued with ear infections, stomach pain, or other chronic childhood afflictions? All of this is necessary to understand where you are today. We then undertake a thorough diagnostic process utilizing extensive labs, physical exam, thorough history of current and past complaints, and technology like BIA or Bio-electrical Impedance Analysis. We combine all of this information and design a care plan for you that will take you to the greatest degree of vitality possible in the shortest amount of time. The following sections are designed to highlight some of the differences you will experience in our clinic and what makes us successful with difficult cases:- Comprehensive record reviews
- Functional Medicine evaluation of comprehensive labs and previous studies
- Specialty labs are used when appropriate to evaluate your overall health
- Thorough Physical, Functional Medicine and Chiropractic Examination on every patient
- Evaluation of the Immune and Endocrine Systems paying especial attention to the quality of the brains control over these systems
- BIA – Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis
- Comprehensive written evaluation and therapy plans
- Individualized therapy protocols
- Follow up testing to prove effectiveness of therapy and achievement of goals
Comprehensive Record Review
Your past medical care paints a picture and often identifies when your body began to lose the ability to balance and heal itself. Your records also reflect what has been done and what hasn’t been done in terms of diagnosis and treatment. What results you have experienced, whether effective, not effective or harmful also gives us insight into what is currently going on with the state of your health.Functional Medicine Evaluations of Comprehensive Labs & Prior Studies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXE5CiJl14c&feature=youtu.beFM evaluations of lab work goes beyond looking at high or low, out of range tests. It looks for results out of the optimal or functional range. This is the range that people with perfect health reflected in each test would score. Optimal or functional ranges are often significantly different than normal ranges. Functional Medicine evaluations also look for patterns of tests that reflect possible dysfunction in major physiological systems. An example would be low calcium, magnesium and zinc levels that when occur together can reflect a loss of gastric function, resulting in low hydrochloric acid levels. Healthy HCL levels are necessary for absorbing minerals.
Use of Specialty Labs
Standard Medical lab testing is designed to rule out or in the presence of disease. Functional Medicine testing goes beyond this though to determine when physiology may be weakening or becoming imbalanced. We use DNA testing, salivary testing of various hormonal systems, comprehensive stool analysis to evaluate your Microbiome (the balance and composition of the various organisms that live inside of us), advanced immunological testing and many others. This give us understanding beyond whether you have a disease or not, but where your body is beginning to lose the ability to balance, heal and regulate itself.Thorough Physical, Functional Medicine and Chiropractic Examination on Every Patient
This encompasses many traditional tests such as blood pressure, height, weight, memory, cognition, balance, heart and lung sounds, tenderness to palpation, and many others. But it also includes chiropractic spinal and extra-spinal joint exam when appropriate and an assessment of Functional Medicine signs and symptoms such as thinning of the outer third of the eyebrows seen in thyroid disease and red bumps on the upper arm called actinic keratosis, which is present in Vitamin A deficiencies.FM Evaluation of the Immune and Endocrine Systems Paying Special Attention to the Quality of the Brains Control Over These Systems
Traditional Medicine typically does not identify hormonal disease until it is well involved and has been in place for a long period of time. Traditional testing often shows negative results even though profound symptoms associated with a hormonal condition are present. In addition, hormonal systems function as an orchestra, not as individual soloists. It is uncommon in Functional Medicine practice to observe a problem such as hypothyroidism without also have sex hormone, stress hormone and sugar controlling hormones being out of balance as well. FM especially shines in the ability to determine the brains effect on hormonal systems. It is common to see a gland in the body not performing, simply because the brain is not telling it to turn on and do its job.BIA – Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis
BIA, or Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis is a safe, reliable, and accurate way to measure key body composition elements. By viewing changes in body composition, biomarkers and the electrical properties of the body, practitioners can easily chart progress. BIA analysis is quick, painless and noninvasive, using four electrodes placed on the body – no needles or bloodwork required. This new health tool is unlike any other. Developed at Duke University, it provides fast, accurate and repeatable measures of overall body composition including: fat, fat free mass, total body water and if the water is located inside or outside the cell, lean dry mass and basal metabolic rate (the rate at which your body burns calories at rest). We utilize this technology on a monthly basis to monitor health improvements on our patients.Comprehensive Written Evaluation and Therapy Plans
We condense all of the records, exam results and lab reports into one written document for you to have for your records and review. We spend a great deal of time and resources to provide this to our patients and it is the guiding light to what we do for them from a care perspective. We also map out our plan of action and the steps we are going to take to get the patient to their goals. This report is completely unique for every single patient, not a one size fits all. Everyone’s path to where they need our care is different and this results in each patient needing a different path to return to health.Individualized Therapy Protocols
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJQOZwPvhr8&feature=youtu.be This is the hallmark of a Functional Medicine approach. Everybody is unique, even though they have the same diagnosis such as diabetes or hashimoto’s disease. Therefore therapy plans need to be unique as well. In addition, what the patient requires during the first month of care can be completely different then what they require the fourth month of care. If not, it means that the first three months of care where ineffective. We utilize the highest quality physician based nutraceutical companies. The supplements are designed to be properly dosed, with the highest possible quality of ingredient and formulated in a way that ensures the necessary ingredient makes its way to the part of the body where it is needed. We offer lifestyle support by our certified health coaches, trained in helping people make the difficult but essential lifestyle changes required for true health. We constantly adapt our therapy protocols to match the changes our patients present with each and every visit.Follow Up Testing to Prove Effectiveness of Treatment and Achievement of Goals
Periodic re-testing of previous labs, BIA and other testing is performed to make sure our treatment protocols have been successful. Feeling good is great, but often is not enough. If the underlying dysfunctions are not successfully corrected, than symptoms will almost always recur. Here is a testimonial from one of our patients showing the uniqueness of our care.I highly recommend Dr. Rees because he is very knowledgeable in nutritional and chiropractic care. He is committed to assisting his patients by creating a strong, basic foundation to help your body heal itself thru nutritional supplements, diet and exercise. He takes the time and effort to listen to you, test you and prescribe quality supplements. At all stages of your life (youth, adult, middle age, senior) you need a healthcare professional who is there to help you and not the pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Rees is that professional. I have recommended Dr. Rees to all of my family and friends.