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Why Seeing a Functional Medicine Doctor (Even If It Costs More Than Your Car Payment) Might Actually Save Your Butt (and Your Life)

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Let’s be honest: dropping a pile of cash on a doctor visit that costs more than your last beach vacation sounds about as fun as a root canal performed by a dentist with a chainsaw. Yet here you are, hovering over the “Schedule Now” button for a functional medicine doc, despite your insurance company’s best efforts to keep you chained to the hamster wheel of conventional care.

Why? ??

Because the only thing more expensive than good health is bad health that never goes away.


What Makes Functional Medicine Different (and Less Likely to Gaslight You)

#FunctionalMedicine doctors are the Sherlock Holmes of healthcare, minus the opium habit and questionable fashion choices. Instead of slapping a prescription Band-Aid on your symptoms and sending you on your way, they dig deep. Really deep. They want to know about your sleep, your stress, your diet, your relationships, and probably about your childhood hamster’s emotional baggage. Why? Because they’re obsessed with #rootcauses, not just suppressing your #symptoms until your next #copay.💸

#ConventionalMedicine shines in emergencies…“You’re bleeding out? Here’s a tourniquet!”, but it often struggles with #chronic, #complex issues that leave you a frequent flyer at the pharmacy while still feeling like a bloated zombie. Functional Medicine…They’ll actually sit with you for an hour or more (imagine that, a doctor who listens). You’ll discover you’re not crazy, you’re not “just stressed,” and you’re definitely not “imagining it.” Shocking, I know. 🤯


Apparently, those “Medical Zebras” aren’t quite as rare as we’ve all been led to believe…


The Science: Not Just a Fancy Juice Cleanse in Disguise

If functional medicine works so well, why isn’t everyone doing it? Great question.

It takes about 17 years for research to crawl its way into mainstream medicine. By then, your grandkids will be inheriting your medical debt while you’re still being told, “Your labs are normal.”🫠

But research is catching up. A Cleveland Clinic study found patients in the functional medicine model saw significantly greater improvements in physical health and quality of life compared to standard primary care. After six months, 31% of functional medicine patients improved their global health scores by a clinically meaningful margin, versus 22% in primary care.


That’s not just a blip; it’s the difference between dragging yourself through your day and actually feeling like a human again.🎆


Functional medicine also reduces pain, improves mental health (especially for folks over 55 who are collecting aches and pains like Starbucks mugs), and outperforms conventional care for autoimmune disease, diabetes, and inflammatory arthritis thanks to its “let’s actually fix the problem” approach.

Need a testimonial? Hi, I’m it. Fifteen years ago, I was a walking heart attack with every health marker in the red. At 38, being told, you’re "one bowl of ice cream away from a cardiac event "... will DEFINITELY get your attention.😳


Why It Costs More (And Why That’s Less Stupid Than It Sounds)

Now for the punchline: functional medicine doctors rarely take insurance because insurance companies love #quickfixes and 7-minute visits. Functional medicine is about longer visits, thorough testing, and #personalized plans... Things that don’t fit into your insurance’s “take two Tylenol and call us if you die” model.

Before you clutch your wallet in horror, consider this: chronic disease managed conventionally can cost $13,700–$60,000+ per year. Functional medicine? It typically runs $2,000–$10,000 annually. 

Yes, it’s pricey upfront, but it’s a bargain compared to endless prescriptions, ER visits, lost productivity, and the slow, soul-sucking drag of unresolved illness.

And let’s be real: your “covered” care isn’t free when you factor in high premiums, missed work, and the privilege of being treated like a chart number. Even when they pay for something, it won't be for what works, it will be for the thing that is cheaper. Most patients have to jump through multiple treatments and/or surgeries and have them fail to "fix" the problem before you will be given the option of the medication/treatment that actually works.😒


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The Ridiculous Truth About Our Healthcare Casino

Our #healthcare system is like a casino: the house always wins, and you’re lucky to leave with your shirt (and your sanity). 🎰

Functional medicine is the high-stakes table: it costs more to play, but your odds of winning...aka, getting your life back...are much better. 🎲🎲

If you’re tired of collecting #diagnoses like Pokémon cards, sick of being told “you’re fine” when you’re clearly not, and ready to invest in actually getting better instead of just existing, it may be time to skip the insurance-approved assembly line and do something different.

Because the only thing riskier than spending money on your health is not spending it, turning you into the punchline of your own tragic medical sitcom.📺


Remember: you can always make more money. But you only get one body. Treat it like it’s worth more than your couch. Or your dog’s Halloween costume. Or your insurance CEO’s bonus. Because, in the end, the real joke is on anyone who settles for less than personalized, root-cause care...especially when the science says it works.

But that's just my personal opinion...if you would rather spend your money on a set of Charlie's Angle's collector dinner plates, well that's your business.

If you are curious about the Functional Medicine group that I see and live in the Raleigh / Durham area, check out: https://essentialhealth.health/location-raleigh-nc/

They do telhealth appointments too if you do not live in the area. I know this because my daughter sees them and she lives in Ireland!😁


Disclaimer: This post is not medical advice. If you want medical advice, ask your doctor, not your cousin’s Instagram. 

*If you would like more information on nutrition and lifestyle changes or have questions, feel free to message me, or you can book a free Discovery call to see if I can help you. 

Book at redtreelifeandwellnesscoaching.com or call/text 919-246-9905

or use this link to book directly on my calendar⬇️



 
 
 

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