What is Functional Medicine?
The label “Functional Medicine” can seem rather obscure. Although the field has become more widely recognized due to advocates such as Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, functional medicine is still mostly unknown to the public.
In order to grasp the the true definition of functional medicine, it helps to differentiate it from traditional medicine…
Conventional medicine relies on medication as the primary therapy to address a disease or treat certain symptoms. Regardless of the condition or the specialist, this model stays the same. The medical school curriculum focuses on algorithmic selection of a diagnostic label and matching the label with a drug.
This is an excellent system for emergencies, trauma, or acute disease like infection or heart attacks.
But for the 130+ million Americans struggling with chronic symptoms, that model often falls short…
Patients with digestive issues, hormone shifts, fatigue, brain fog, mood swings, or exercise intolerance are often told everything is “normal”—or given a pill with no clear explanation or long-term solution.
This is especially true for athletes and perimenopausal women, whose symptoms are often minimized or misattributed to stress, overtraining, or aging.
Conventional medicine asks: What do I call this disease and what medication can I use to treat it?
Functional medicine asks: Why do you have this symptom in the first place and how can we restore function?
This shift in perspective is especially powerful for:
Athletes struggling with recovery, endurance, or performance
We look beyond training load to assess hormones, gut health, and cellular energy.Active women in their 30s to 50s navigating hormonal changes
Symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and mood shifts are common—but not inevitable.Those dealing with persistent gut issues that impact daily life
Bloating, constipation, food sensitivities, and IBS aren’t “just stress”—they’re signs your system needs support.Anyone told “everything looks fine” but still doesn’t feel well
We dig deeper to find the root causes conventional labs often miss.
Address the root cause.
I want to know your story.
I approach each case with a thorough history taking, an examination of past treatments, an assessment of your training or lifestyle demands, and a review of functional lab data. With a programmed functional medicine approach, we can build in the time to deeply understand your unique physiology.
This is the basis for identifying the underlying causes of chronic symptoms. Ultimately, my goal is to empower you with lifelong resiliency and an innate ability to heal.
Transform with Rise
Fatigued, loss of endurance, burned out
Energized, strong, vibrant, resilient
Clarity, resilience, rested, refreshed
Anxiety, insomnia, brain fog, memory loss
Regular, smooth, & effective digestion
Bloated, erratic bowel movements
Areas of Emphasis
Each of these areas is deeply interconnected—and especially relevant to the athlete and the perimenopausal woman.
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We support cognition, mental clarity, and emotional resilience during hormone transitions, overtraining, or high stress.
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Cortisol and nervous system imbalances are common in both athletes and perimenopausal individuals. We help regulate stress responses to improve recovery and energy.
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Digestive symptoms are often linked to hormone imbalance, overtraining, or poor absorption. Gut repair is foundational for performance, immunity, and mood.
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Thyroid or sex hormone imbalance can often be at the root cause of brain fog, irritability, anxiety, and insomnia. Whether you're dealing with cycle changes, PMS, low testosterone, thyroid issues, or menopause, we help balance your hormones without a one-size-fits-all approach.
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Unlike conventional medicine, which is medication-centric, our cardiometabolic health program incorporates precision medicine and preventative measures that focus on the root causes of disease to support endurance, longevity, and heart health in active people. We do not dismiss the importance of some pharmacological interventions; however, we believe holistic cardiovascular health can’t be achieved by only taking a pill.
Functional Medicine Testing
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The most comprehensive nutritional analysis available by measuring functional deficiencies at the cellular level.
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Stool testing detects imbalances in gut flora, parasitic or fungal infection, inflammation, and even causes of hormone imbalance. Breath testing can detect bacterial overgrowth.
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Get an accurate picture of your stress, thyroid and sex hormones to understand how they affect a multitude of symptoms.
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Take a prevention-focused approach to cardiometabolic disease. We offer testing with Quest Cardiometabolic Center of Excellence™ at Cleveland HeartLab®.
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Your DNA holds powerful clues about how your body processes hormones, detoxifies estrogen, handles stress, absorbs nutrients, and responds to medications or environmental exposures. By understanding your unique genetic blueprint, we can make more informed, personalized choices—from supplement dosing and hormone support to lifestyle changes that align with your biology.
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Consists of the most functional values for your thyroid, including TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3 and Thyroid Antibodies.
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Provides a metabolic snapshot of what is going on in the body, including mitochondrial function, toxin exposure, dysbiosis, and nutrient deficiency.
