Frequently Asked Questions
Questions patients ask before the first visit. If yours isn’t answered here, call the front desk or use the contact form. We’ll get you a real answer.
The Basics
Functional medicine looks at chronic symptoms as signals of a deeper cause. Instead of prescribing a medication to suppress the symptom, we run advanced testing to find what’s driving it (inflammation, hormone issues, infections, gut damage, nutrient deficiencies) and treat the cause. Results tend to last because the underlying problem is fixed, not masked.
Most functional medicine practices are run by family physicians or naturopaths. Our team includes board-certified gastroenterologists. That matters because gut health drives so much of what goes wrong elsewhere in the body, and conventional GI diagnostics combined with functional medicine is still a rare combination in this area.
No. We work alongside your primary care doctor, specialists, and anyone else on your care team. For chronic conditions, we often coordinate with your existing providers rather than replace them.
Patients with chronic GI issues, unexplained fatigue, hormone problems, weight loss resistance, autoimmune flares, or symptoms that multiple doctors haven’t been able to explain. If you’ve already had “normal” labs but still feel sick, functional testing usually finds something.
Insurance & Cost
Our consultations are self-pay. Some lab work and standard testing can be billed through insurance depending on your plan. We’ll tell you before any testing is ordered what will go through insurance and what is out-of-pocket. No surprises.
Contact the front desk for current consultation pricing. We’ll walk through the full cost of a typical initial workup so you can plan ahead.
Yes. Most of our services, including consultations, supplements, and self-pay testing, are HSA and FSA eligible. We’ll provide the documentation you need for reimbursement.
Yes. Patients on longer-term protocols often move to a membership plan that covers ongoing visits, coaching, and priority scheduling. Ask during your consultation if it’s a fit for your case.
Your First Visit
60 to 90 minutes. We go through your full medical history, current symptoms, past labs, medications, and lifestyle. You leave with a testing plan and a clear idea of the next steps.
Yes. Bring everything, even if the results were “normal.” A lot of the diagnostic value is in patterns that show up across years of data.
Not usually. We order testing on the first visit, and your treatment plan is built around the results at your second visit. Treating before testing is guessing. We don’t guess.
Yes for follow-ups. The first visit is in-person so we can do a proper intake and baseline exam. After that, many follow-ups happen by video.
Testing
GI maps, full hormone panels, food sensitivity and antibody testing, micronutrient testing, heavy metal and toxin screening, and body composition analysis. Specific tests are chosen based on your symptoms and history.
Most results are back in 2 to 4 weeks. We schedule your second visit around that timeline so we can review everything together.
No. We prioritize testing based on what’s most likely to explain your symptoms. You’ll know the cost and purpose of every test before it’s ordered.
Blood draws happen at the clinic. Stool, urine, and saliva testing you’ll do at home with kits we provide.
Treatment & Results
Most patients feel the first shift in the first 3 to 6 weeks of active treatment. Full resolution of chronic conditions typically takes 3 to 9 months, depending on how long the issue has been building and how complex the case is.
Complex cases take longer and usually involve more than one cycle through the Five R Protocol. We set realistic expectations at the lab review visit so you know what you’re committing to.
No. Supplements are part of the active treatment phase. We taper most of them once your biology is stable. Some patients stay on a short maintenance stack long-term. Most don’t.
You move to the Renew phase. That usually looks like one or two visits a year, periodic retesting, and access to the clinic for anything new that comes up.
Still Have Questions?
The consultation is where most of them get answered. Bring your history and whatever’s been bothering you, and we’ll go through it together.