Ever walked out of a doctor’s office holding your “normal” lab results but still feeling… not normal? I see this all the time. Patients are being told everything looks fine, yet they’re still exhausted, foggy, bloated, anxious, or in pain. Conventional medicine is incredible at managing emergencies and acute illness, but when it comes to chronic symptoms and subtle imbalances? That’s where things tend to fall through the cracks. At Activated Health and Wellness, we take a different approach, not because the traditional model is broken, but because it’s not always built to go deeper. That’s where functional medicine comes in…as a partner in your health journey, not a replacement, and one that asks better questions when the standard ones don’t explain your symptoms.
Conventional Medicine: What It Gets Right (and What It Misses)
Let’s give credit where it’s due: the conventional medical system is second to none in handling trauma, infections, and life-threatening conditions. It’s efficient, evidence-based, and lifesaving. But it’s also designed to detect disease, not always dysfunction.
For example, your labs may show a “normal” thyroid hormone level, but what if you’re still dealing with low energy, weight gain, and brain fog? Conventional ranges are often based on population averages, not optimal health. And if your symptoms don’t match a clear-cut diagnosis, you might be told to wait until they get worse. That’s like watching a warning light blink on your car and deciding to keep driving until the engine fails.
Functional medicine sees that light turn on and pops the hood.
What Makes Functional Medicine Different?
Functional medicine is a systems-based, root-cause approach that considers your body as an interconnected whole. Instead of asking, “What diagnosis fits these symptoms?” we ask, “Why are these symptoms happening in the first place?”
That means spending time getting to know your health story. We look at your environment, genetics, lifestyle, nutrition, stress levels, gut health — all of it. Because your body isn’t just a collection of lab results. It’s a living, breathing ecosystem that deserves a deeper look.
And yes, it takes more time. But it also delivers more answers.
The Labs That Actually Tell the Whole Story
Here’s where things get fun (nerdy-fun, but fun nonetheless). Functional medicine uses advanced testing that looks beneath the surface, often identifying imbalances years before they show up on standard labs. A few examples of panels I use at Activated Health and Wellness are:
- Advanced Thyroid Panels
Instead of just looking at TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone), we also test your free T3, free T4, reverse T3, and thyroid antibodies. Why? Because “normal” TSH doesn’t always mean your thyroid is functioning optimally. - Comprehensive Gut Testing
Your gut is your second brain. We test for things like microbial imbalances, food sensitivities, pathogens, digestive capacity, and inflammatory markers…all of which can impact immunity, mood, metabolism, and more. - Inflammatory and Nutrient Markers
Instead of waiting for disease, we look for inflammation and nutrient deficiencies early on. Markers such as homocysteine, CRP, ferritin, and intracellular vitamins often go unnoticed in routine labs, but they can quietly reveal where your body needs. - Functional Hormone Testing
Instead of a one-size-fits-all snapshot, we can evaluate your cortisol and hormones over a full day, giving us a real-world view of how your body is functioning.
These tests don’t just identify a problem, they help us customize your plan.
So, What Does the Plan Look Like?
We don’t do one-size-fits-all here. Once we understand the root causes, we design a treatment plan that’s as unique as your fingerprint. That could include:
- Nutrition guidance tailored to your body (yes, even if you eat “clean”)
- Personalized supplements to correct any deficiencies or support healing
- Lifestyle changes that are doable, not overwhelming, because we want you to stick with them
And unlike rushed appointments that leave you feeling like a number, we take our time adjusting, explaining, encouraging, and helping you truly understand your health.
What the Research Says
Functional medicine isn’t just “feel-good talk” — the outcomes speak for themselves.
A 2020 study in JAMA Network Open followed over 1,500 patients at a functional medicine center and found significant improvements in physical health, mental well-being, and quality of life over 6–12 months compared to those in conventional care (1).
Another study published in PLOS ONE (2019) echoed this, showing that patients receiving functional medicine care had better long-term outcomes and required fewer medications over time (2).
Additional studies support the impact of functional medicine approaches on:
- Chronic fatigue and pain (3, 4)
- Autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s and rheumatoid arthritis (5, 6)
- Metabolic syndrome and diabetes (7)
- Gut-related issues like IBS, SIBO, and leaky gut (8, 9)
Mental health symptoms such as anxiety and depression, often linked to gut and hormone imbalances (10)
Meeting You Where You Are & Moving Forward Together
If there’s one thing we want you to walk away with, it’s this: you don’t have to accept “you’re fine” as the final answer when you know you’re not fine.
Your symptoms are real. And let’s be honest, your gut feeling? It’s usually spot on.
You deserve a provider who doesn’t brush off your concerns, but listens closely, digs deeper, and helps you connect the dots to what your body’s been trying to tell you all along.
Functional medicine doesn’t promise a quick fix. But it does offer real answers, strategic support, and a way forward, with the science to back it up and the heart to walk beside you.
Final Thoughts from Dr. Rodarte
I’ve been practicing medicine for nearly two decades, and what keeps me passionate is helping patients who’ve been overlooked or dismissed find their “aha” moment — that point where they finally feel seen, heard, and helped. That’s the magic of functional medicine. It fills the space where traditional medicine runs out of road. And it reminds us that healing is possible when we stop chasing symptoms and start listening to the body’s story.
If you’re ready to take a deeper look at your health, we’re here. Let’s start with a conversation.
Want to get started? Schedule a discovery call today and learn how our personalized approach could finally get to the root of what’s been holding you back.
Sources:
- Beidelschies, M. et al. (2020). JAMA Network Open, 3(10):e2014826.
- Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine Outcomes Study. PLOS ONE, 14(6):e0217487.
- Myhill S, Booth NE, McLaren-Howard J. (2013). Int J Clin Exp Med.
- Guo, R., Canter, P. H., & Ernst, E. (2007). Rheumatology (Oxford).
- Vojdani, A., & Vojdani, E. (2019). Autoimmunity Reviews, 18(7).
- Wahls, T. L. et al. (2014). Degenerative Neurological and Neuromuscular Disease.
- Muscogiuri, G. et al. (2021). Nutrients, 13(4), 1212.
- Whelan, K. et al. (2018). Gut, 67(10), 1821-1822.
- Weinstock, L. B. et al. (2020). Frontiers in Medicine, 7:570674.
- Foster, J. A., & McVey Neufeld, K. A. (2013). Frontiers in Neuroscience, 7:153.
