Develop an intake questionnaire that helps pinpoint information that will be of benefit to you in your diagnosis. For example:

• Have they lived on a farm? (This would determine exposure to insecticides, fungicides, pesticides, fertilizers, and other sources of poisons that live in fatty tissue and the liver.)
• Do they dry clean their clothes, and if so, who picks up the clothes?
• What is their history of use of antibiotics or exposure to radiation?
• How many amalgam fillings do they currently have (mercury exposure)?
• Compared to five years ago, what is their energy level, their libido level, their endurance level?
• What is their stress level
• Do they exercise?
• What is their diet?

All of these questions will help you form a history of use in functional medicine. Lifestyles make all the difference.

Of equal value is finding out their beliefs. Never argue with their beliefs. Understand their beliefs (whether religious or medical) and then work within those viewpoints.

Three Key Words

One of the best ways to acknowledge your patient is by using the statement: "You indicated that ____." In so doing, you let them know that you have listened to them and are taking into consideration what they said.  This then lays the foundation to find a protocol to help them.

Use their history and lab tests to determine where the abnormalities are, where the problems lie and what is less than optimally functional.

Twenty years ago, "normal" cholesterol for an adult was 300. Today, we are told that "normal" is less than 200, and drug companies keep pushing drugs to bring the level even lower. If drug companies had their way, every man, woman and child would be on medication.

In integrative medicine, we don't simply treat for heart disease; we look for those elements that lend themselves to heart disease and high blood pressure: whatever inflames the lining of the artery allowing plaque to be produced. Numerous tests can indicate the cause of arterial clogging.

Importance of Education

When you treat your patients, they must believe in your commitment, conviction and belief in the treatment that you offer them.

You needn't change a patient's mind about traditional medicine; offer a complementary treatment and approach that will benefit them more than traditional medicine can. Never tell a patient that what they are doing is incorrect, or that the general practitioner is doing something wrong. Rather, explain that with 100 trillion cells in their bodies, it is vital to understand the relationship between those cells and the 868 trillion chemical reactions per second that are going on within their bodies.

To obtain optimal function, these cells must be healthy on the inside and out. You try to achieve this optimal health through integrative medicine and by as natural means as possible.

The more that you educate your patients, the higher their rate of compliance will be. Any protocol is worthless without patient compliance.

Your reputation is a function of compliance. The more you believe in the efficacy of what you offer, the more likely your patients will respond, mentally and physically.

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Dr. Steven Ross is the co-founder of the The Institute for Integrative Medicine in San Diego. Together with Dr. James Padilla, they have a combined practice experience of more than 45 years.

Dr. James Padilla is the co-founder of the The Institute for Integrative Medicine in San Diego. Together with Dr. Steven Ross, they have a combined practice experience of more than 45 years.