Functional Diagnostic Medicine (aka FDM, Nutritional Medicine) FAQ

What is Functional Diagnostic Medicine?
Functional Diagnostic Medicine (also sometimes called Functional Medicine, Nutritional Medicine, or Advanced Clinical Nutrition, although some of these names are slight misnomers) is a logical, scientific way of looking at the different important functions of the body using specific diagnostic lab testing.  It looks at the body in a different way than you may be used to.

Most doctors look for official diseases or conditions, while we evaluate function and then we use potent natural methods to improve or resolve any breakdown in that function, getting you WELL.

Please understand that there are a lot of practitioners out there claiming to do "Functional Medicine" because it has become a buzzword.  They might say they do bio-identical hormones or adrenal fatigue and they might run a test or two.  They may not even be licensed to order or interpret diagnostic lab testing, so they will attempt to cover that up by recommending their local clients to an internet-based lab testing site.  They may sound like they know what they're talking about, but they are not doctors and a weekend seminar does not replace the 12 years of schooling the doctors at SA-FAM have earned.

Can you treat.... ?
Yes!  It doesn't matter what your condition is, because we treat the person with the condition, not just play to the condition itself.  Whether you have Fibromyalgia, Hashimoto's, Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, ANY kind of digestive disorder, chronic stress, hormone imbalance, or you just want to be proactive and prevent yourself from developing the conditions and ill-health states you see around you, you've come to the right place!

Am I a candidate for Dr. Sweeney's treatment?
Since Dr. Sweeney devotes considerable time and effort to each patient's case, she cannot accept every case into the Functional Medicine program.  She will review your case and determine whether or not FDM is a good match for you.

I see a chiropractor/family doctor/specialist now; what's the difference?
Out of more than 70,000 chiropractic physicians in the United States, Dr. Sweeney is one of the 1,000 that uses both neurological and biochemical approaches to uncover the cause of your problem.  In fact, Functional Diagnostic Medicine is ALL Dr. Sweeney does; she does very little spinal manipulation.  She has hundreds of hours of nutritional and Functional Medicine education, as well as several thousand hours of independent research.  She's uniquely qualified to approach your health from multiple angles that most other practitioners are not able to do.

What is a Case Review?
Not everyone is a good fit for this program, which is why we thoroughly evaluate every patient interested in Functional Medicine.  To determine whether you're a candidate or not, we use a comprehensive initial evaluation called a Case Review.

What's included in the Case Review?

• Comprehensive evaluation of your Case Review questionnaire
• A complete dietary and nutrition analysis
  
• A thorough evaluation of the supplements you're taking, to make sure they're effective and safe for you.
  
• In addition, we're going to look at the medications you're taking to evaluate how much their side effects may be contributing to your problem.  Most doctors don't disclose (or even know) all the side effects; you deserve to know everything about what you're taking.
  
• We'll also have you bring with you (or turn in beforehand) a copy of your previous medical records and we're going to go over them with a fine tooth comb.
  

Is lab testing required?
Yes.  Since Functional Diagnostic Medicine looks at the body's functions to identify root causes of health conditions, the only way to really tell for sure what's going on is to run various types of testing.  We now know a lot about how to use lab testing to uncover early signs of diabetes, adrenal burnout, liver problems, even early dementia screening.  We can discover underlying issues such as parasites, immune system disturbances, yeast, candida, autoimmune disorders, and more.  Without lab testing, we're shooting in the dark and hoping to hit a target we can't see.

Can I have my other doctor/specialist (who is in my insurance network) order these tests?
All lab work must be ordered through Dr. Sweeney.  It has been our experience that most conventional doctors simply don't understand the need for the depth of information we're looking for when we order comprehensive testing, and they will only order the minimum testing acceptable. This gives us a very incomplete picture with few answers. In our experience, even seemingly open-minded doctors who say they'll run all the necessary tests hardly ever follow through and we end up with incomplete test panels, which means we have to re-order the entire panel anyway.

Will my health insurance cover this type of care?
The short answer is, it highly depends on your insurance company and your policy.  We will do everything in our power to maximize your chances of reimbursement.  Please see our "The Insurance Question" page under the Functional Medicine tab for more information.

How long will it take before I feel better?
A good general rule of thumb is one month of consistent care (following all prescriptions and recommendations) for every year you've had each condition.  That said, many factors can influence this, for better or worse - lifestyle, physical activity, consistency of treatment, stress, history of physical trauma, environment, even genetics.

Our treatment and support programs are usually designed for 8- and 12-week increments, with reassessment of abnormal test results at the end of that period.  It's important to follow these programs faithfully to the end; you may start feeling better before your actual body chemistry has balanced out.

I don't live near San Antonio - can you still help me?
Absolutely.  Many of our patients come from outside the San Antonio area, and many don't even live in Texas.  Ideally, we strongly recommend you make one overnight trip to San Antonio so that we can evaluate you in person and establish a doctor-patient relationship.  This also makes testing much easier and less costly.

We understand that a trip to Texas may simply be out of the question.  Not all hope is lost!  We work with people in other states and indeed other countries.  Since we're not licensed outside of Texas, our role becomes more that of a consultant than a doctor but rest assured; you receive the same quality of care as any of our patients!  The information you receive, the doctor's time and attention, and the recommended treatment plans prescribed are identical to that of any in-person patient. It's just the technical wording that changes.

I'm game!  How do I become a patient?
Simply call the office at (210)  340-2150 to pre-register for our free Functional Medicine Orientation!   Learn more.

If you're already familiar with our type of care (you've been referred to us from one of our existing patients or you've had Functional Medicine care before), please call the office and let us know when you'd like to stop by and pick up a copy of the intake forms.

Then, once your intake forms 100% completed (no blank questions, and please avoid answering "I don't know"), submit them and schedule your first consult with Dr. Sweeney.  She will review your intake forms thoroughly, determine whether she'll accept your case or refer you to another type of practitioner, and inform you of her decision at the time of the consult.