What Is Functional Medicine? - Dr. Eve Harmony

Dr. Harmony here! I often get asked what functional medicine is, and how I got started in the field of Naturopathic and Functional Medicine.

As a teenager and college student, I had a constant sinus infection unless I was on antibiotics. It started when the doctors gave me a round of antibiotics when I was 12, then again a year later, then six months later, then two months later, and then I was either on antibiotics or miserable. My immune system was shot by the destructive nature of these drugs. At the age of 20, after exhausting their options, the college campus doctors suggested I should look into having surgery on my sinuses. They had no other option after their strongest antibiotics didn’t work to get rid of the Superbugs that had taken up residence in my sinuses. I knew something wasn’t right, but I had no clue how to fix it, and neither did the doctors. 

Then one day, a friend of mine suggested that I go see the local herbalist. I had never heard of an herbalist, but it resonated right away that they might have answers instead of dead ends, surgery, and more antibiotics. 

I walked into the little apothecary, filled wall to wall with jars of herbs on shelves, and I immediately felt a sense of comfort. The herbalist came out from the back room and spoke with me for a few minutes. I told her my sad story. She nodded sympathetically and started walking around the store pulling remedies off shelves. 

I left that day with a tincture she hand-mixed for me that contained a simple herbal remedy. She also gave me Vitamin C powder and detailed instructions about how to take as much of it as possible without upsetting my bowels. Her final instruction to me was to avoid dairy products. I practically lived on dairy products at the time, but I was willing to try anything, including giving up some of my favorite vices. 

After the first sip of the tincture, prepared as instructed, my blocked sinuses opened for the first time in a year without antibiotics! I kept sipping, and my sinuses cleared even more. I took my remaining doses that day and went to sleep, finally able to breathe and get a good night’s rest. Upon waking, I felt well for the first time in a year without antibiotics. 

I was sold. I started devouring anything and everything I could find about herbs, vitamins, and natural healing. Before long, I found a publication from a Naturopathic Doctor and read every issue of his magazine until I couldn’t deny the passion that was growing in my heart to share this knowledge with others. Midway through my undergraduate program, I changed my major from wildlife biology to premedical sciences and embarked on the journey that brought me to writing this post. 

My decision to go to Naturopathic Medical School dismayed my highly practical family, with good reason. Back then, natural therapies weren’t as accepted or well-known as they are now. Since then, it’s been a wild ride of teaching and convincing patients with my presence and patience to trust me and try a new way. It has not been easy, but now-over 20 years later, the medicine of helping the body heal naturally is finally in fashion. From Bioidentical Hormones and peptides to Platelet-Rich Plasma and stem Cells, it seems everyone's heard of and explored the new options available. These stand out in contrast to an archaic medical system that pushes symptom relief rather than true healing. 

So what is Functional Medicine? In short, it’s the medicine of finding the cause of disease and removing that cause, while supporting the body to heal with the nutrients, plants, and lifestyles that nature intended for us. When we treat function, we work with the wisdom of the body to heal when given the right circumstances. 

Functional medicine takes into account the fact that our bodies operate as a whole, with each part interacting and affecting the function of the whole. As a Naturopathic Doctor, I strive to first treat the cause, and second to deliver treatments that are as close to what nature intended as possible. Working at Eternity Health Partners allows me to use the most cutting-edge natural and functional treatments to promote wellness and healing for our patients and our community.