Functional Medicine
What About
Functional Medicine?
You may be surprised to learn that functional medicine actually emerged from the principles of naturopathic medicine.
Because Aura is a naturopathic doctor practice, we have been taught how to assess patients on the deepest levels since the very beginning of our professional training (without having to “unlearn” conventional thinking).
Functional medicine is simply the coined term for an approach to health care that is holistic and patient-centered. It incorporates the
latest scientific understanding about how environmental and lifestyle factors interact with individual biology to influence sickness and health. Like naturopathy, functional medicine aims to prevent disease and help the patient live with more vitality.
What About
Functional Medicine?
You may be surprised to learn that functional medicine actually emerged from the principles of naturopathic medicine.
Because Aura is a naturopathic doctor practice, we have been taught how to assess patients on the deepest levels since the very beginning of our professional training (without having to “unlearn” conventional thinking).
Functional medicine is simply the coined term for an approach to health care that is holistic and patient-centered. It incorporates the latest scientific understanding about how environmental and lifestyle factors interact with individual biology to influence sickness and health. Like naturopathy, functional medicine aims to prevent disease and help the patient live with more vitality.
Functional Medicine and Naturopathic principles and therapies serve as the foundation of our signature Whole Health Transformation Program.
Bridging the gap
Nature Meets Science
As natural medicine has gained popularity in recent years, the concept of functional medicine emerged as a way to allow many different types of healthcare practitioners to offer holistic services to their patients without having to attend naturopathic medical school. Today, chiropractors, medical doctors, nurse practitioners, nutritionists, and other types of professionals can complete classes, workshops and seminars outside of their standard schooling to learn functional medicine and serve more people.
Where functional medicine really shines is the use of cutting-edge laboratory testing and diagnostic techniques to uncover the most overlooked root causes of illness.
The advances in modern testing that functional medicine brings to the table allow us to turn conventional medicine on its head and take traditional naturopathic medicine to the next level.
Along with your history, we use advanced functional medicine laboratory testing to take out the guesswork and allow your body to tell us what is going on. This testing looks for root causes that you might not intuitively connect to your health condition. For example, in over 90% of the cases we see, we trace the root cause of any illness to gut imbalances seen on comprehensive gut health testing.
This may not be news to you; gut health has become a popular topic recently. What may surprise you, though, are the number of factors that are affecting your gut and causing your symptoms, including:
- Diet
- Lifestyle
- Sleep and circadian rhythms
- Stress and emotions
- Family history
- Medication use, surgeries and traumas
- History of illness or infections
- Biotoxins including mold
- Genetics
- Environmental exposures
Bridging the gap
Nature Meets Science
As natural medicine has gained popularity in recent years, the concept of functional medicine emerged as a way to allow many different types of healthcare practitioners to
offer holistic services to their patients without having to attend naturopathic medical school. Today, chiropractors, medical doctors, nurse practitioners, nutritionists, and other types of professionals can complete classes, workshops and seminars outside of their standard schooling to learn functional medicine and serve more people.
Where functional medicine really shines is the use of cutting-edge laboratory testing and diagnostic techniques to uncover the most overlooked root causes of illness.
The advances in modern testing that functional medicine brings to the table allow us to turn conventional medicine on its head and take traditional naturopathic medicine to the next level.
Along with your history, we use advanced functional medicine laboratory testing to take out the guesswork and allow your body to tell us what is going on. This testing looks for root causes that you might not intuitively connect to your health condition. For example, in over 90% of the cases we see, we trace the root cause of any illness to gut imbalances seen on comprehensive gut health testing.
This may not be news to you; gut health has become a popular topic recently. What may surprise you, though, are the number of factors that are affecting your gut and causing your symptoms, including:
- Diet
- Lifestyle
- Sleep and circadian rhythms
- Stress and emotions
- Family history
- Medication use, surgeries and traumas
- History of illness or infections
- Biotoxins including mold
- Genetics
- Environmental exposures
This is why cleanses, elimination diets, and other gut-healing protocols often don’t work, and leave you wondering what you’re missing.
On The Cutting Edge
Functional Medicine
Functional medicine is simply the coined term for an approach to health care that is holistic and patient-centered, and incorporates the latest scientific understanding about how environmental and lifestyle factors interact with individual biology to influence sickness and health. Like naturopathy, functional medicine aims to prevent disease and help the patient live with more vitality.
Above and beyond
Our Expertise Sets Us Apart
Our practice at Aura Functional Medicine is very specialized. We assess our patients on a much deeper level because we understand how to address the foundations of environmental medicine – in other words – how toxic exposures and specific types of infections can be the biggest drivers of your symptoms. Gaining expertise in these areas requires a lot of additional training, and if you happen to go to a place that doesn’t understand these concepts or know how to address them, your results will probably be limited or short-lived.
Because we know what to look for and how to treat the problem head-on, coming to Aura will save you a lot of time and resources in the long run since you won’t end up chasing false causes or running in circles, as the term goes. We combine the timeless truths of traditional naturopathic medicine with the fresh perspectives of functional medicine to help our patients achieve results they never thought possible.
Naturopathic Doctors
Experts In Natural Medicine
Our practice at Aura Functional Medicine is very specialized. We assess our patients on a much deeper level because we
understand how to address the foundations of environmental medicine – in other words – how toxic exposures and specific types of infections can be the biggest drivers of your symptoms. Gaining expertise in these areas requires a lot of additional training, and if you happen to go to a place that doesn’t understand these concepts or know how to address them, your results will probably be limited or short-lived.
Because we know what to look for and how to treat the problem head-on, coming to Aura will save you a lot of time and resources in the long run since you won’t end up chasing false causes or running in circles, as the term goes. We combine the timeless truths of traditional naturopathic medicine with the fresh perspectives of functional medicine to help our patients achieve results they never thought possible.
A Life-Changing Journey: How Functional Medicine Transforms Health
“I have been a patient for a year now. I am truly blessed to have found Dr. Alison Egeland there. I had been dealing with thyroid, hormone, nutrient deficiencies, chronic fatigue, acid reflux, insomnia and gut issues. I knew that I needed to take my health into my own hands and this was not how my health was supposed to be the rest of my life. Dr. Egeland has significantly changed my life and health back to a much better place! I could not have improved my health this far without her hard work, dedication and guidance. She truly cares about her patients and works really hard at finding the root cause of your illness. I am a true believer and witness that functional medicine really does work! I have learned so much about how my body works and what I need to do to heal. I am really very happy with the care I have received this past year and I am so excited and looking forward to keep improving my health with the loving support of everyone there! It has really been a pleasure and a life changing experience for me!”
– Michelle M
Frequently Asked Questions
For a complete list of FAQs, visit our FAQ page.
Naturopathy is a system of medicine that prioritizes natural, non-invasive therapies to support the body's self-healing mechanisms. Functional medicine emerged from the principles of naturopathic medicine. Functional medicine is simply the coined term for an approach to health care that is holistic and patient-centered and incorporates the latest scientific understanding about how environmental and lifestyle factors interact with individual biology to influence sickness and health. Like naturopathy, functional medicine aims to prevent disease and help the patient live with more vitality.
The good news is that we do not bill insurance, Medicare or Medicaid. The reason this is a good thing is because it means we aren't limited in the types of testing we can order for you, or how long we can spend with you in appointments. Our patients have been glad that they stepped outside of the insurance model because it finally allowed them to get the testing and answers they'd been looking for!
We fully understand the financial challenge this presents to some individuals. Unfortunately, at this time, it is not feasible for us to participate in the insurance networks, and Colorado insurance companies do not allow naturopathic doctors to participate.
Although we do not bill insurance directly, most patients with Health Savings Accounts (HSA) or Flex Spending Accounts (FSA) can use their respective cards to pay for services, lab tests and supplements through our office.
We can also provide you with a superbill of services, which can be submitted to your insurance company (excluding Medicaid, Medicare or Kaiser) for possible reimbursement.
A very small percentage of our patients have received insurance reimbursement for visits, lab tests and/or supplements, but it varies greatly depending on your plan.
