What is different about Integrative Medicine and Functional Medicine? Wisdom v. Knowledge?

Last blog entry focused on commonalities between integrative medicine and functional medicine. A good integrative medicine and functional medicine shares solid lifestyle medicine. To me, the main difference between integrative medicine and functional medicine is that integrative medicine focuses on wisdom of mind-body medicine, ethnobotany, and traditional healing systems such as Chinese medicine and Ayurveda. In contrast, functional medicine represents advances in our technology.

Just as you want your physician to have have wisdom and knowledge, today it is not enough for an integrative medicine practitioner to be versed only in wisdom or a functional medicine practitioner to be versed in knowledge. Both are needed for healing. I view my two decades of pursing integrative medicine a journey that enhanced my wisdom in healing and that increased my knowledge.

For example, I am a better listener. I understand and can converse in the language of unconscious. I can now communicate with the body utilizing ancient techniques to reset pain. However, I learned how to reverse certain autoimmune conditions and allergies which testing can be helpful.

When a patient is seeking desperately for help, it seems to me that the healer must do all he/she can do drawing from both sets of skills - wisdom and knowledge.

Yoon Hang Kim MD

Direct Integrative Care

Providing Affordable Alternative Solutions