• Functional & Integrative Medicine
Treat the cause, not just the symptom.
Side Health's functional and integrative medicine program looks for the reasons behind chronic illness rather than managing it indefinitely. We use the tools of conventional medicine alongside nutrition, lifestyle, and advanced diagnostic testing to build a plan aimed at long term results.
Board certified in preventive and functional medicine
Virtual visits
— The difference
Two ways to treat the same patient.
This is not conventional medicine versus alternative medicine. We use both. The difference is how much time we spend understanding why you are sick before deciding what to do about it.
— The approach
What functional medicine actually means.
Functional and integrative medicine treats the root cause of illness rather than the symptom on the surface.
It starts from the idea that chronic conditions rarely have one cause and rarely sit in one organ system. Digestion, hormones, inflammation, metabolism, sleep, and stress all influence one another.
We take the time to understand your genetics, your history, your lifestyle, and your goals, and we combine that with advanced diagnostic testing to build a detailed picture of what is happening in your body. Then we give you a concrete, proactive plan to work from.
We apply the best tools of conventional medicine alongside changes to nutrition, movement, sleep, and targeted supplementation.
The goal is not to manage you. The goal is to get you well and keep you that way.
Side Health functional medicine
Systems we look at together
Not one at a time, and not by four different specialists. One clinician, reading all eight against each other.
01
Digestion
Microbiome, permeability, intolerance
02
Hormones
Thyroid, adrenal, reproductive
03
Inflammation
Immune response and autoimmunity
04
Metabolism
Insulin signalling, lipids, weight
05
Sleep
Architecture, apnea, recovery
06
Stress load
HPA axis and recovery capacity
07
Nutrient status
Micronutrients and deficiency
08
Environment
Exposures and medication burden
See how that differs from a fifteen minute visit ➜
— What we treat
Where root cause work makes the biggest difference.
Digestive Health
Irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease
Intestinal permeability
Food intolerances
Chronic constipation and diarrhea
Microbiome imbalance
Your gut influences your immune system, your mood, and your inflammatory load. Digestive symptoms are often where a larger picture first shows up.
Digestive Health
Rheumatoid arthritis
Hashimoto's thyroiditis
Chronic inflammatory conditions
Autoimmune disease is usually treated by suppressing the immune response. We also look at what is driving it, including gut health, environmental exposures, and nutrient status.
Heart and Metabolic Health
High blood pressure
Coronary artery disease
High cholesterol and dyslipidemia
Insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome
Standard cholesterol panels miss a lot. Advanced lipid testing and inflammatory markers give a far more accurate read on cardiovascular risk.
Hormonal Health
HPA axis dysfunction
Hashimoto's thyroiditis and thyroid dysfunction
PCOS and fertility concerns
Adrenal and stress related dysfunction
Hormones do not operate independently. Thyroid, adrenal, and reproductive hormones all affect one another, and treating one without looking at the others often fails.
— The first visit
Your first visit will not feel like your last doctor's appointment.
We commit the time and resources it takes to get you well. That starts with a first visit long enough to actually go through your full history, your symptoms, your diet, your sleep, your stress, your environment, and what you have already tried.
Most patients tell us it is the first time a physician has asked them these questions.
You leave with a written plan. Not a prescription and a follow up in six months, but a specific set of steps covering nutrition, movement, supplementation where it is indicated, medication where it is appropriate, and the testing we want next.
What we go through
Your full medical history
Symptoms, in your own words
Diet and nutrition
Sleep
Stress and recovery
Environment and exposures
What you have already tried
You leave with a written plan covering nutrition, movement, supplementation where indicated, medication where appropriate, and the testing we want next.
— Testing
Testing that goes past the standard panel.
Where your presentation calls for it, we order advanced diagnostics beyond a routine annual panel.
Comprehensive stool and microbiome analysis
Food sensitivity testing
Advanced lipid and inflammatory markers
Full thyroid panels rather than TSH alone
Nutrient and micronutrient status
Hormone panels
We order what your case calls for. We do not run a fixed battery of expensive tests on everyone.
— How it connects
Connected to the rest of your care.
Functional medicine at Side Health is not a separate silo. It runs alongside your primary care, your remote monitoring, your hormone therapy, and your weight management, with the same clinical team and the same record. Your blood pressure readings, your labs, and your medications live in one place, which means the plan actually holds together.
Remote Patient Monitoring
View ➜
Preventive Health
View ➜
Obesity Management
View ➜
— Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is functional medicine covered by insurance?
Typically no, which is what makes Side Health different. We offer primary care and wellness services with a functional medicine approach. We have doctors board certified in both preventive medicine and functional medicine.
Is this instead of my regular doctor?
It can be, or it can run alongside them. Many patients keep their primary care physician and use us for the deeper root cause work. We are happy to coordinate.
How long before I feel different?
It depends on what we find and how long it has been going on. Some patients feel better in weeks. Chronic conditions built over years usually take months of consistent work.
Do I have to take a lot of supplements?
Only what your testing and history actually support.
Are visits virtual?
Yes. Labs are done near you.