The Root Cause Blog Mission

Imagine a world where we are educated, empowered and free to choose. 

This is what drives The Root Cause Blog (RCB).  The RCB is a way for me to organize and share the research, experiences, ideas, and love I have for health and wellness.  I have always had this desire to learn about how the body works, what actually drives illness and dysfunction, ways to prevent illness, reverse damage and optimize performance.  Over the last 2+ years, it has become increasingly obvious that there is a lack of education of our healthcare options.   Worse than that, we now live in fear and rarely feel free to choose what is best for our health.    

I have been in the field of medicine professionally for nearly 10 years now.  Like so many other practitioners, I have been able to experience many different areas of medicine.  For the last 5 years of my career, I have worked in Functional & Integrative Medicine in various roles.  I will forever practice in this field, and my goal is to share the knowledge I have gained.  

“Imagine a world where we are educated, empowered and free to choose.”

-Faith Henning

Traditional vs. Functional Medicine

Traditional (also called conventional) medicine is what America’s healthcare system relies on as our main form of care.  There are so many amazing things that modern medicine provides that I would be lying if I said that Functional/Alternative/Holistic medicine was the ONLY thing we needed or the “right” way to do medicine.  

If you have a heart attack, essential oils are not going to save you.  If you have a broken arm, supplements are not going to fix that.  Medications, surgery, and emergency care is a necessity and it is such an important advancement in traditional medicine. 

With that being said, the goal of functional medicine is to prevent, reverse, and heal your heart BEFORE you have the heart attack, provide your body with the nutrients needed to strengthen that broken arm as you heal, and more importantly to help you live a long, healthy, vibrant life.  

Traditional medicine focuses on a diagnosis (illness, injury, or a specific lab result) and then pairs that with the proper treatment (medication, surgery, or intervention).  This often results in someone starting multiple prescription medications before the age of 40.  You have all seen the commercials, each prescription medication comes with a laundry list of side effects that then require more medications down the road.  This is not the way to create a vibrant, healthy life.  It might solve the immediate problem with your blood sugar, cholesterol, depression or thyroid levels, but it does not answer the question of WHY it was a problem in the first place.  

Functional medicine, when done properly, focuses on finding the ROOT CAUSE of the dysfunction.  We always ask “but why?”.  Why is your thyroid not working properly? Why is your weight a struggle?  Why do you have fatigue? Why is your insulin high? Why do you have diabetes? What caused your autoimmune condition?  If you find the right practitioner, they will be able to do some digging and find the root cause of your issues, help you build the right foundation for healing, and ideally you will be able to move the needle on the problem instead of just masking it with medication.  

I personally opt for an integrative medicine approach for myself and my family.  Integrative medicine uses the best of both worlds to create a truly personalized approach.  For example, my oldest son has ADHD (among other things) and we utilize diet, nutrition, lifestyle, supplements AND medication to create the best plan for him to thrive.  Our approach has changed over time. His medication has changed over time.  But the best thing we have done is work with integrative practitioners that are willing to approach the body as a whole system.  

The Mission

The Root Cause Blog is my outlet for the passion I have surrounding functional, integrative and alternative medicine.  I have had the privilege of learning from and working with many different providers in the functional world.  I have a deeply rooted desire to learn more, do better, and share that info with as many people as possible.  

My ultimate goal is to help create a world where people are informed about ALL options, educated in the risks and benefits of each, and are empowered to choose their own healthcare path.  It makes no difference to me if you want to eat Cheetos, drink Mountain Dew and watch 9 hours of Netflix per day, or if you are eating organic, making your own clothes, and doing Crossfit.  

What matters to me is that you are aware of your options and that YOU are the one to choose what is best for you and your family. 

I am glad you are here. -Faith

Disclaimer

****I do not speak from a medical professional capacity in this blog.  It is NOT intended as medical advice, nor am I the expert in any given field.  Please always feel free to share your questions, thoughts, ideas and conversation surrounding the blog posts you read.  If information changes around a topic, I will do my best to edit and update that post as necessary, and again, always seek professional opinions when necessary.  YOU are in charge of your health, and only YOU can decide what to do with what you learn here!***