# What is the Straight Dope on "functional medicine"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 9, 2011, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809 "2011-02-09T21:53:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809/21 "2011-02-10T22:43:44Z")
[Functional Medicine University](http://www.functionalmedicinetraining.com/1002/reserved22.html) > [@](#): > > Most people complete the Functional Medicine training in 6-7 months, with about 10 hours a week of study. However, you have “forever” access to your training materials and 12 full months of access to the case study reviews and online forum. [http://www.functionalmedicine.org/about/staff.asp](http://www.functionalmedicine.org/about/staff.asp) > [@](#): > > IFM Core Faculty > KRISTI HUGHES, ND founded the Center of Natural Healing Arts over a decade ago with a vision of providing integrated healthcare solutions for the public, as well as healthcare providers both locally in Minnesota and internationally. Dr. Hughes attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth and then graduated from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon, in 1997. While in medical school, she worked at the Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain Clinic, learning advanced strategies for managing chronic pain naturally, and she studied under Dr. Carolyn McMakin, specializing in the use of frequency specific microcurrent. Dr. Hughes became an Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice graduate in 2000, and she is an active member of The Institute for Functional Medicine. Dr. Hughes manages an integrated team of healthcare providers at her three clinic locations, which include personal trainers, massage therapists, and lifestyle coaches who participate both clinically and within the local communities. In 2008, Dr. Hughes cofounded the Foundation Wellness Program where she developed a natural healthcare wellness program customized for organizations and corporations; she now holds the role of Chief Knowledge Officer. The program offers on-site laboratory screening events with body composition assessments, coupled with a six-month educational series of lifestyle-transforming Webinars, group presentations, and personalized coaching. > > DAVID S. JONES, MD is the President of The Institute for Functional Medicine. He has practiced as a family physician with emphasis in functional and integrative medicine for over 25 years. He is a recognized expert in the areas of nutrition, lifestyle changes for optimal health, and managed care, as well as the daily professional functions consistent with the modern specialty of Family Practice. Dr. Jones is the recipient of the 1997 Linus Pauling Award in Functional Medicine. He is the immediate Past President of PrimeCare, the Independent Physician Association of Southern Oregon (IPASO), where he served for seven years representing the majority of physicians in the Southern Oregon area. > > DANIEL LUKACZER, ND received his undergraduate degree from Duke University and his doctorate in naturopathic medicine from Bastyr University in 1991. He is past Director of Clinical Research at Metagenics’ Functional Medicine Research Center where he was the principal investigator on various clinical trials. Dr. Lukaczer has taught, lectured and written extensively on botanical and nutritional medicine. He is currently in private practice in Fife, Washington, and Associate Director of Medical Education at the Institute for Functional Medicine. > **[Naturopathy | United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturopathy#United_States)** > > 1.U.S. jurisdictions that currently regulate or license naturopathy include Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, and Washington. Additionally, Virginia licenses the practice of naturopathy under a grandfather clause. (This was pre The Swiss Fed... > [@](#): > > US jurisdictions that currently regulate or license naturopathy include: Alaska, Arizona, California (see California Bureau of Naturopathic Medicine), Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Puerto Rico,[74] US Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, and Washington.[75] Additionally, Florida and Virginia license the practice of naturopathy under a grandfather clause.[76] > > US jurisdictions that permit access to prescription drugs: Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington. > > US jurisdictions that permit minor surgery: Arizona, District of Columbia, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington. > > US states which specifically prohibit the practice of naturopathy: South Carolina,[76][77] and Tennessee.[76][78] > > Naturopathic doctors are not mandated to undergo residency between graduation and commencing practice,[2] except in the state of Utah.[79] ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809/22 "2011-02-10T23:26:09Z")
The Dr. Grisanti site(s) **Bridget Burke** linked to provide a good indication of the parade of woo that underlies “functional medicine”. Chiropractic, homeopathy, dubious nutritional advice…apparently just about anything can be given a gloss of respectability if it’s labeled “functional medicine” and used to demonstrate how nasty Western Allopathic Physicians are ignoring the Root Causes of disease\*. If you follow the magic link to another of Doc Grisanti’s sites, there’s an entertaining graphic showing a horrific cesspool of subterranean causes of disease, including “Toxic Emotions”, “Toxic Chemicals” and “Detoxification Imbalances”. Fear of imaginary and unproven “toxins” is a major obsession in multiple forms of woo, and "detoxification’ is a lucrative means of [del]fleecing the unwary[/del] drawing out the bad humors. No doubt Dr. Grisanti does indeed have access to an “avalanche” of citations and quotes he thinks support his claims. Woo-ists often cut-and-paste lengthy lists of articles in an attempt to overwhelm critics who cannot realistically investigate and debunk every one in the span of a forum discussion. Typically, such citations are 1) outdated, sometimes ludicrously so, 2) irrelevant, or 3) involve small pilot studies, often in cell cultures or rats, and are not extrapolatable to humans. It would make for an interesting discussion if Grisanti could point to _real_ differences in how “functional” doctors supposedly practice (as compared to mainstream physicians), and show that such differences translate into significantly improved clinical outcomes (using large-scale controlled trials as evidence). Don’t hold your breath though. \*the word disease is often rendered as “dis-ease” by wooists for some peculiar reason. If you see a practitioner and/or website going on about “dis-ease”, it’s a prime indicator that you have entered the Woo Zone. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809/23 "2011-02-10T23:52:47Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > Does anyone else hear ducks? Oh, sure, but no echoes. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809/24 "2011-02-11T01:09:35Z")
[Here’s an example](http://www.drfox.ca/FM%20Booklet.pdf) of a practice that has glommed on to “functional medicine” in a big way. Notice the heavy emphasis on innovative “nutrition” (inventing deficits that would have nutritionists shaking their heads, or maybe banging them against walls), “detoxification” (your poor liver has no idea of how to process toxins unless it’s helped by special foods and supplements) and other services to help achieve Integration and Synergy (including the therapy dog, a fawn pug named Baby who is available on request).\* \*I sort of like the idea of therapy dogs in general, but a pug strikes me as a disaster, especially if you have respiratory problems and there’s a pug snuffling and wheezing in the background. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809/25 "2011-02-11T02:12:01Z")
> [@drgrisanti](#): > > Considering leaders at some of most prestigious medical school ( **John Hopkins** , Harvard, Emory) have written and teach functional medicine concepts would not go along with the issues of quackery and some of the comments mentioned by some of the post. That’s **Johns Hopkins** , thank you very much. I spent 8 years there, learning from the likes of Victor McKusick, Philip Tumulty, Sol Snyder, J. Alex Haller, Hamilton Smith, and other giants in their fields. One thing I learned from them was critical thinking. ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809/26 "2011-02-11T03:45:09Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > That’s **Johns Hopkins** , thank you very much. I spent 8 years there, learning from the likes of Victor McKusick, Philip Tumulty, Sol Snyder, J. Alex Haller, Hamilton Smith, and other giants in their fields. One thing I learned from them was critical thinking. You’ve never heard of John Hopkins medical school in Tijuana? ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809/27 "2011-02-11T04:20:39Z")
> [@Flipshod](#): > > Further, for the believer, “it has no scientific basis” isn’t enough. She believes that it is simply science that is yet to be proven. Has anyone actually tested it? Science is a process, not a thing to be proven. First you come up with a hypothesis and make your predictions, and you test your ideas, and revise both your tests and your theories as necessary. You’re right on; if all these people have is a hypothesis that has not yet been tested, it’s not science. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809/28 "2011-02-11T08:34:24Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Fear of imaginary and unproven “toxins” is a major obsession in multiple forms of woo, and "detoxification’ is a lucrative means of [del]fleecing the unwary[/del] drawing out the bad humors. Well, if functional medicine can get rid of Dane Cook, I may have to rethink the whole thing. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809/29 "2011-02-11T14:04:09Z")
> [@TravisFromOR](#): > > You’ve never heard of John Hopkins medical school in Tijuana? :smack: Ooh, I forgot about that one. And I applied there, too… ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809/30 "2011-02-11T19:38:50Z")
What has become of Dr. Grisanti? I sure hope he didn’t get buried in that “avalanche” of overwhelmingly supportive scientific literature he was boasting about. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809/31 "2011-02-11T20:10:28Z")
This does appear to be mostly crock, but a couple of things they raise about individualized medicine are cutting edge science. There is a movement particularly in the cancer field to tailor treatments to individual patients rather than using a one size fits all treatment regimen. As we gain better molecular understanding of disease cause we might be able to treat different patients differently based on such things as their sensitivity to medication, tolerance to chemo therapy side effects, or the molecular pathway that caused their cells to become cancerous. So this may be where the “scientific-based” claim can come from. That said, treating imbalances of this or that without proper peer review, sounds like going back to [Humorism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humorism) ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809/32 "2011-02-11T20:28:02Z")
M D Anderson Cancer Center has an [Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy](http://www.mdanderson.org/education-and-research/research-at-md-anderson/personalized-advanced-therapy/institute-for-personalized-cancer-therapy/index.html). > [@](#): > > The IPCT is intended to accelerate the development of safer, more effective cancer therapies and play a critical role in our efforts to best match patients to the most effective treatments. It will foster discoveries that will enable physicians to determine the specific genetic, both germline and somatic, and molecular abnormalities in each patient’s cancer and then prescribe the appropriate therapy. Rather different from what Doctor Grisanti is peddling. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809/33 "2011-02-11T20:42:48Z")
Number of times “imbalances,” a non-scientific and undefined term, is mentioned in the [Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy Page:](http://www.mdanderson.org/education-and-research/research-at-md-anderson/personalized-advanced-therapy/institute-for-personalized-cancer-therapy/index.html) 0 Number of times it is mentioned in the [Functional Medicine page:](http://www.functionalmedicine.org/about/whatis.asp) 14 > [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > That said, treating imbalances of this or that without proper peer review, sounds like going back to [Humorism.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humorism) Here’s my new slogan: “Humorism – it’s a hoot!” ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809/34 "2011-02-11T20:55:00Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Number of times “imbalances,” a non-scientific and undefined term, is mentioned in the [Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy Page:](http://www.mdanderson.org/education-and-research/research-at-md-anderson/personalized-advanced-therapy/institute-for-personalized-cancer-therapy/index.html) 0 > > Number of times it is mentioned in the [Functional Medicine page:](http://www.functionalmedicine.org/about/whatis.asp) 14 > > Here’s my new slogan: “Humorism – it’s a hoot!” Sounds like an imbalance to me… ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809/35 "2011-02-11T21:36:09Z")
> [@drgrisanti](#): > > Hello.. > > This is Dr. Grisanti. I have read your forum post about functional medicine and have a few comments I believe would be of value. As medicine director of Functional Medicine University . . . So, how are things going at old F. U. ? ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809/36 "2011-02-11T22:12:33Z")
Just to be absolutely clear, I was in no way suggesting that there is anything at all to recommend Functional Medicine. Rather that there is an aspect of true science that they are badly misconstruing. In the same way that certain people having reactions to vaccines is real science, but the anti-vaxers are full of it. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809/37 "2011-02-11T22:47:07Z")
There’s a page on the Functional Medicine University website (it’s an online “institution”, by the way) where you can search for FU grads in your area to get personalized imbalance therapy and suchlike. Using the maximum 250 mile radius, my search came up with approximately 20 people whose degrees I recognized.\* 16 were chiropractors, 3 were naturopaths, and 1 was listed as an MD. I detect a pattern…😃 _this is a problem in evaluating practitioners. What to make of someone who calls herself Dawn Cutlet, N.D., N.B.I.L.D_\*., M.I.D.C.T.\*\*\*? \*\*Naturopathic Bozo Interested In Large Deposits \*\*\*Master of Imbalance Detoxification and Crystal Therapy ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809/38 "2011-02-11T23:45:39Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Using the maximum 250 mile radius, my search came up with approximately 20 people whose degrees I recognized.\* 16 were chiropractors, 3 were naturopaths, and 1 was listed as an MD. I hope the last one wandered in there by mistake. ---
**Author:** ![enigmatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@enigmatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enigmatic)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809/39 "2011-02-11T23:53:30Z")
It starts well and then goes downhill _really_ fast 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2011, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809/40 "2011-02-12T00:09:34Z")
Within 100 miles of me, they have 4 listings - 2 are chiropractors in the region, 1 was a chiropractor in Singapore (wtf? - so not within 100 miles), and 1 is a “M.S., N.H.D.” I have no clue what that is - acronym finder lists the folowing possilities: National History Day National Hydrography Dataset Natural Heritage Division Non-Homogeneity Detector Neocron Holo-Deck National Heritage Database So I’m assuming that it’s some kind of woo-generating holodeck. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-straight-dope-on-functional-medicine/570809.md?page=3)