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The Mills Institute

Healthcare Reimagined – Wellness Achieved

Dr. Steven Mill

What is Functional Medicine? 

Functional Medicine is a holistic, biology-based, personalized approach to healthcare that unravels chronic health issues to find (and treat) their root causes.

In contrast to traditional medicine, Functional Medicine has a strong focus on customizing each treatment plan according to the needs of each individual. This is important because a chronic health condition usually has a variety of causes, not just one. A single condition could be caused by a number of genetic, biological, mental, physical, environmental, or lifestyle factors.

To put it simply, a functional medicine professional’s goal is to help YOU figure out the underlying causes of YOUR problem, so we can fix them together.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I sign up?

To sign up for The Mills Institute, click the Patient Portal link at the top menu. You will be provided all the information and necessary forms. We look forward to having you as a patient. 

Why should I choose Functional Medicine over Conventional Medicine?

Conventional vs functional Medicine

At The Mills Institute, Functional Medicine is more than an approach to good health. It is the foundation of everything we do. Let’s take a closer look at the terms describing Functional Medicine.

 

  • HEALTH ORIENTED – Functional Medicine focuses on obtaining overall whole-body health for the prevention and solution to health concerns. In contrast, disease-oriented medicine focuses on eliminating disease symptoms typically through the use of pharmaceutical medicines.
  • PATIENT-CENTERED – At The Mills Institute, YOU are the most important person in the room. Everything we do is to the benefit of our patients. Even our hours of operation are centered around our patients’ needs. We will never rush you through an appointment and will always listen closely to all your health concerns. We strive to truly get to know you. We form long-lasting health care relationships with our patients.
  • LOOKS AT UNDERLYING CAUSE OF DISEASE/ILLNESS – A Functional Medicine diagnosis includes a whole-body approach to determine the true underlying cause of the disease or illness. For example, migraine headaches may be caused by sensitivity to foods, gluten allergy, hormone imbalance, vitamin B deficiency, imbalances in Melatonin, Magnesium deficiency, or stress.  This is where Functional Medicine comes in. Functional Medicine is medicine by root cause; not by symptom. It helps us discover the underlying triggers of the disease and provide the correct treatment. The question we really need to ask isn’t, “how do you treat a migraine?” but rather, “what’s causing the migraines?”
  • BIOCHEMICALLY INDIVIDUAL – Biochemical individuality simply means that everyone’s nutritional needs are different. These unique nutritional needs are based on each person’s genetics, lifestyle, diet, and environmental exposure to various stresses.  For your body (biochemistry) to function properly, your body requires the right amounts and proportions of nutrients. This amount is dependent on you – the amount of a certain nutrient required by the average person (or another person) may not be the optimal amount you need for proper health. At The Mills Institute, you will receive a full panel work-up to determine what is the correct nutritional needs for YOU. This is an important part of obtaining optimal health.
  • PREVENTATIVE APPROACH – Functional Medicine addresses all areas of your health and well-being including nutrition, hormone imbalances, adrenal care, exercise, and stress relief. A healthy body is less likely to develop disease or chronic illness. Remember, An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 
Can I receive Functional Medicine services if I don’t have a chronic illness?

Absolutely! In addition to our chronic illness treatments, we offer Primary Functional Care services to help you feel (and stay) healthy for years to come.

How is Functional Medicine different from Holistic Medicine?

Functional Medicine is similar to Holistic Medicine in that they both focus on the entire body, but in distinctly different ways.

Functional medicine works to find and treat the root causes of medical conditions.

Functional medicine is defined by the Institute of Functional Medicine as “patient-centered health care that addresses the unique interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle causes of complex, chronic illness.”

Holistic Medicine approaches medicine with a more spiritual approach, focusing on the body, mind, and soul.