By Dr. David L. Pollack

We have all heard it before: “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” As a practitioner, I hear it most days from new patients. Endless people are tired, achy, experiencing brain fog, stomach pains, bathroom issues, insomnia, and anxiety. Most of them have been complaining for years to their primary care physicians. They get a page of blood work done, but then nothing. Maybe it was a thyroid problem, and they took medication, but didn’t get any more energy or lose weight. They see the gastroenterologist, undergo endoscopies and colonoscopies, get prescribed a purple pill, but still don’t feel much better.

Here’s a secret: The medical world is amazing, even miraculous when it comes to acute, life-threatening situations. But when it comes to chronic conditions and overall wellness, they often have nothing but symptom-managing treatments. It’s not their fault. The way they view the body is through the lens of acute, life-threatening situations. You have a specific doctor for each part of the body, not thinking about the whole, and they often don’t communicate much with each other.

Our body is not a collection of separate parts. It is a system that requires the optimal function of all parts to operate well. This is the realm of Functional Medicine. It’s the science and art of looking at the body from a holistic perspective, seeking to discern the true cause of what is going on, the primary reason—not just the symptom. I find people are truly overcoming these issues on a regular basis using this functional approach.

In general, though with each patient we get quite specific, we first repair the digestive tract. Concurrently, we dive into balancing hormone systems. Depending on the situation and level of inflammation, we often assist and repair the detoxification functions of the liver, kidney and/or lymphatic systems. All the while, we work on the body physically to repair and de-stress the musculoskeletal system. Combined with acupuncture and other Traditional Chinese Medicine therapies, nutritional coaching, and other advanced modalities such as cold laser therapy and various emotional release techniques, people really heal.

Today, a patient referred by a wonderful conventional allopathic doctor I have known for years said it was the first time in over 10 years she has felt this good. She started crying, thinking of all the struggles trying conventional methods to get to this point. We have only been working together for a month. I have helped volumes of people told they have “bone on bone” joint deterioration or arthritis and were scheduled for surgery. Many times, we are able to calm the situation to the point that they are completely or almost out of pain, significantly delaying or eliminating the need for invasive surgery.

We don’t have to be stuck. There are other paths. The body is designed to heal. It is all about figuring out what is in the way or what is missing. Your body will do the rest.

Dr. David L. Pollack is the founder of Pollack Wellness, located at 66 Commack Rd., #204, Commack, NY. For appointments or information, call 631-462-0801 or visit PollackWellness.com.