LAPIS LIGHT

THE PROCESS 

The Buddha tells the story of a king who summoned people blind from birth to be shown an elephant, then ordered them to describe it. The one who felt the head said an elephant is like a pot; the one who felt the ear said a winnowing basket; the tusk, a ploughshare; the trunk, a plow; the leg, a pillar; the backside, a mortar; the tail, a pestle; and so forth. None properly comprehended the elephant. Management of complex chronic disorders must transcend fragmentation into specialties and biases such as mainstream versus alternative and eastern versus western to understand the whole case.

The functional medicine practice model recruits the emerging science in a systems biology perspective to understand underlying causes. This is the basis for sound treatment decisions and case management. Transcending ‘western’ versus ‘eastern’, the scientifically objective tools, clinical reasoning, and evidence-based resources are employed in a holistic manner. 

The bioconscious model of functional medicine observes how our physiology relates to our mental and behavioral states. It incorporates Polyvagal Theory which respects the manner in which our psychological and behavioral responses interact with our physiological state.

Diagnostic categories are not sufficient to understand the underlying functions and processes. When we deconstruct the labels into dynamic regulatory processes, we can begin to understand the components and how organs and systems are not independent but part of a wholly integrated and mutually interactive autonomic nervous system that regulates them. Understanding the strategies our body is using to adapt and survive offers the chance to shift the physiological and biobehavioral state for the better.

The nervous system is not solely a brain independent of the body, but a brain-body nervous system. Interventions that recruit the neural circuits that calm inflammation and promote restoration and ameliorate immune system polarization also support social interactions to create safety and resilience for the individual and the capacity to practice mindfulness.

The brain and autonomic nervous system, immune system polarization, digestive function, metabolic and hormonal regulation, and the microbiome are among the prominent features in today’s health landscape. Thanks to constant advances in the field we have a wealth of resources to adapt to the needs of the individual.