I get asked a LOT of questions. It is the nature of my profession. But there’s one question I cringe at answering. I hate this question because it’s usually in an awkward social setting with people I will probably never see again. Honestly, I would rather speak to a group of 200 people than make small talk with 5. Don’t even get me started about flying alone.
The question I dread is, “so what do you do for a living?” I don’t dread it because I’m embarrassed or hate what I do. I’m more excited and passionate today than I was 12 years ago when I started my professional career. I dread it because the answer limits what I do and have done in the minds of the question asker, especially over this last year.
If I say I’m a chiropractor, I often get the obnoxious response of someone grabbing their neck or pretending that their back just went out. Or I get the totally uninformed person that responds with, “I love having my back rubbed.” At this point, I’m ready to put a knee in the middle of their back. Or it’s the total opposite and they think I’m the spawn of Satan and practice voodoo.
I could say I’m a writer, but it’s just a piece of what I do. Yes I wrote a book and have written probably 200 articles the past 4-5 years. I could also say I’m a speaker, but again, it’s just a piece. I use these pieces more as one of the core expressions (Education) of my core values (Leadership, Family, and Community) to ultimately support my mission of helping you create ‘More Health Less Healthcare.’
What I usually say is that I practice Functional Medicine. The problem is that unless you’re looking for a functional medicine practitioner you’ve probably never even heard of the term. This role of ‘what I do’ has been the focus of my career over the past few years.
I just have completed the course work and passed the 12 exams through Functional Medicine University in the credentialing process. This means in the near future you will see some additional letters after my name, CFMP. In all honesty, the letters don’t matter. What matters is if I’m able to use all that information, apply it to each individual and move them towards their health goals.
So what is Functional Medicine? I would define it as assessing and supporting systems and origins, instead of treating symptoms and organs. Honestly, it takes my chiropractic education and biochemistry background and ties it all together to assess the root cause of a person’s health problems more efficiently, effectively, and thoroughly.
Many practitioners are using the term ‘functional medicine’ in their marketing. I have a cynical feeling this term will get as bastardized as the term ‘wellness’ has. A doctor can say they practice functional medicine but how do you, the consumer, know?