Functional Medicine FAQs
Interested in how to improve your health and wellness? Functional Medicine takes a root cause approach to optimize health from the inside-out!
If you’re new to functional medicine, you likely have questions about how it works and what you can expect. Read on for answers to some FAQs to get you started:
What is Functional Medicine / Wellness?
Functional Medicine / Wellness is a personalized healthcare approach that identifies and addresses the underlying root causes of disease, using a whole-person approach. Proper and comprehensive diagnosis is facilitated with focused labs, advanced diagnostics, and other cutting-edge techniques. Treatment emphasizes natural options, with prescriptions as a last resort.
FM/W providers often spend 60-120 minutes with their patients to get to know and understand their health journey. Everything matters in the clinical history and practitioners focus on many details that other providers overlook or don’t have time to address. The FM/W practitioner typically spends hours behind the scenes reviewing your records and custom-tailoring your Treatment Plan.
Who can Functional Medicine / Wellness help?
People suffering with:
- Chronic Illness / Disease
- Hormonal Imbalances
- Thyroid Disorders
- Auto-immune Issues
- “Mystery” Illnesses
- Genetic Mutations
- Toxic Exposures (Metals, mold, chemicals, etc.)
- Neurological Issues (Anxiety, depression, dementia, etc.)
- Gastrointestinal Issues
- Pain Syndromes, ETC.
Why doesn’t insurance cover Functional Medicine / Wellness?
Most insurance companies don’t cover Functional Medicine / Wellness services; therefore we do not file insurance claims on your behalf; nor do we assist with claim resolution. However, we will provide a detailed receipt of services performed and you can submit this to your insurance carrier. For assistance with your reimbursement you may want to contact your insurance provider. We expect payment in full by check, cash or credit card due at the time services are provided.
Is Dr. Kelley Mulhern a Primary Care Physician or MD?
Dr. Kelley Mulhern is trained as a chiropractic physician and Functional Medicine / Wellness provider. She requires that you maintain a primary care doctor for an annual physical exam, Pap smear, prostate exam, and acute care services. She is happy to work with you closely as a consultant and coach in preventive, nutritional and Functional Medicine / Wellness to help you address the roots of chronic health problems. Dr. Kelley Mulhern is also happy to confer with your primary care doctor if desired.
Do I have to go to an in-person office visit?
No, Florida and Maine laws state that physicians may provide services via a secure TeleHealth platform. Dr. Kelley Mulhern may meet a patient in person or virtually in the state of Florida to provide an initial Functional Medicine / Wellness consultation. Maine patients will conduct all appointments via TeleHealth unless they choose to come to Florida. Follow-up appointments can be arranged by telephone or in person.
Can you help me with my health concerns?
Dr. Kelley Mulhern uses an innovative systems approach to assessing and treating your health care concerns. Perhaps you’ve experienced being examined by your doctor, having blood tests done, x-rays or other diagnostic tests taken, only for your doctor to report back that “all your tests are normal.” Yet, both you and your doctor know that you are sick. Unfortunately, this experience is all too common.
Most physicians are trained to look only in specific places for the answers, using the same familiar labs or diagnostic tests. Yet, many causes of illness cannot be found in these places. The usual tests don’t look for food allergies, hidden infections, environmental toxins, mold exposures, nutritional deficiencies and metabolic imbalances. New gene testing can uncover underlying genetic predispositions that can be modified through diet, lifestyle, supplements or medications.
Dr. Kelley Mulhern, on the other hand, uses innovative testing to help patients prevent illness and recover from many chronic and difficult-to-treat conditions. Dr. Kelley Mulhern is skilled in evaluating, assessing and treating chronic problems such as fibromyalgia, fatigue syndromes, autoimmune diseases, inflammatory disorders, mood and behavior disorders, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), seasonal allergies, and other chronic, complex conditions. Dr. Kelley Mulhern also focuses on the prevention and treatment of heart disease, diabetes, dementia, hormonal imbalances and digestive disorders.
How will lab tests be performed?
Some testing can be done through conventional laboratories and others are only available through functional medicine laboratories. During your Functional Medicine / Wellness consultation, Dr. Kelley Mulhern will determine which tests are needed and review with you testing recommendations, instructions (ex. fasting or non-fasting, etc.) and costs. Some testing requires collecting urine, saliva or stool at home. Others may require you to go to a local laboratory to have blood drawn. In all cases, we will assist you in coordinating initial and follow-up testing.
How can I purchase the high-quality recommended supplements?
Dr. Kelley Mulhern has extensively researched supplements and recommends only the highest quality of nutritional supplements. All of the supplements she recommends are available for purchase from our online dispensary. (Full Script)