Functional Health: The Integration of Eastern & Western Medicine
I’ve been reflecting lately on the very real differences between Western and Eastern medicine — and why we actually need both to feel our best.
So many of the women I work with come to me after years of bouncing from doctor to doctor, specialist to specialist.
They’re tired of short appointments, prescriptions as the answer to everything, and being told their symptoms are “just part of being a woman.”
And honestly? They’re right to be frustrated.
The Limits of the Western Medical Model
There is no denying the brilliance of Western medicine in acute and emergency care.
If you’re in an accident, break a bone, need surgery, or require lifesaving intervention — Western medicine is absolutely essential. Modern advances in pharmaceuticals, imaging, and surgical techniques save lives every single day.
But here’s the weakness: the system is built to diagnose and treat disease, not to support prevention or root cause healing.
Appointments are short (often 15 minutes).
Doctors are overloaded and hand patients off from one specialist to another.
Labs are designed to flag disease — not early imbalances.
So if you’re not “sick enough” to meet the criteria for a diagnosis, you’re often told “everything looks fine.”
Meanwhile, you’re still exhausted, bloated, anxious, struggling with your hormones, or dealing with painful cycles…
The Power of Eastern Approaches
Eastern, holistic, and functional medicine fill that gap. These approaches focus on prevention and root cause healing — addressing imbalances before they snowball into disease.
Traditional systems like Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda have guided healing for thousands of years, long before lab tests or pharmaceuticals existed.
What’s beautiful is that many of these ancient practices (like acupuncture, herbal medicine, meditation, and holistic nutrition) are now backed by modern research showing how profoundly they support the body.
This approach to medicine asks:
How is your gut impacting your mood?
How are your hormones affecting your sleep?
How is your stress load influencing your metabolism?
Instead of looking at each symptom in isolation, we see the whole person.
Where the Two Systems Meet
This is where integrative medicine comes in. It’s not about choosing one over the other, but rather weaving them together.
We use functional lab testing to look at what’s happening in your body before it tips into disease.
We apply nutrition, lifestyle, herbs, and mind-body practices to restore balance.
We integrate Western tools and pharmaceuticals when necessary — but they’re not the default first line of defense.
The goal is individualized care. Because what works for one woman may not work for another.
Why Women Especially Need This
Unfortunately, women are uniquely underserved in Western medicine.
From menstrual cycles and fertility, to perimenopause and menopause, the complexity of the female body is often overlooked. Research and medications are still largely modeled on men.
This is why so many women are prescribed the birth control pill — not just for contraception, but for irregular cycles, PMS, acne, and more.
Yet the pill doesn’t resolve these issues, it simply masks them. And when women come off, the underlying problems can return, often worse than before.
A holistic approach recognizes that painful periods, hormonal chaos, gut issues, and low energy are not just “part of being a woman.” They are signals that your body needs deeper support.
The Future Is Integrative
At the end of the day, it’s not about choosing Western or Eastern medicine.
It’s about integration — using the strengths of both systems to create a truly comprehensive approach to health:
Western medicine for acute care, disease treatment, and lifesaving interventions
Holistic/Eastern medicine for prevention, root-cause healing, and whole-person care
This is the model I use in my practice: functional lab testing, individualized holistic plans, and integration with the care you’re already receiving.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve ever felt dismissed, rushed, or told “everything is fine” when you knew it wasn’t — you’re certainly not alone. But you don’t have to settle for surface-level care.
Advocating for yourself, seeking out holistic support, and combining the best of both worlds is essential for your health.
If this is the direction you’ve been wanting to go but aren’t sure where to start, I’d love to support you.
