Since beginning my practice in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in 2018, my clinical work has continually reinforced one principle: the body rarely experiences a health problem in isolation.
Over the past several years, I have had the opportunity to work with elite athletes and professional sports teams and to coordinate care alongside multidisciplinary health teams. Those experiences have shaped how I think about health, recovery, pain, performance, and longevity—and ultimately led me to pursue additional training in Functional Medicine.
Today, my approach integrates the diagnostic framework of TCM with Functional Medicine laboratory testing, nutritional strategies, targeted supplementation, orthopedic acupuncture, and lifestyle medicine. The goal isn't to collect more tests or prescribe more supplements. It's to gain a more complete understanding of the individual and use that information to develop a focused treatment strategy.
Why TCM and Functional Medicine?
Traditional Chinese Medicine has always emphasized patterns rather than isolated symptoms. Instead of simply asking, “Where does it hurt?” we consider patterns. Functional Medicine provides another set of tools for investigating many of these relationships.
When appropriate, laboratory testing can help us examine nutritional status, gastrointestinal function, hormone metabolism, stress physiology, inflammation, and metabolic patterns. I can then interpret those findings alongside the patient's history, symptoms, physical presentation, and TCM diagnosis.
This allows us to ask a more useful question:
What factors may be contributing to this patient's symptoms—and which of those factors can we address?
Functional Medicine Testing
Not every patient needs specialty testing. When the clinical picture warrants a deeper investigation, however, several tests in addition to routine bloodwork can provide useful additional information.
GI-MAP is a comprehensive stool test that uses molecular testing to evaluate microorganisms within the gastrointestinal tract. Depending on the clinical situation, it can provide information about certain bacteria, parasites and other organisms, as well as markers related to digestion, intestinal health and inflammation. It may be considered when persistent gastrointestinal symptoms or other clinical findings suggest that GI function deserves closer investigation.
DUTCH Plus examines urinary hormone metabolites together with salivary cortisol measurements. It can provide information about sex-hormone metabolism and the daily cortisol pattern associated with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In selected patients, this additional information can help inform a broader assessment of hormonal and stress-related symptoms. Importantly, specialty hormone testing complements rather than replaces standard medical evaluation when that is indicated.
Metabolomix is a nutritional and metabolic assessment that measures a variety of metabolites and nutrient-related markers. It can help identify patterns involving micronutrients, oxidative stress, energy metabolism and other biochemical pathways. Rather than automatically prescribing a long list of supplements, the objective is to use the results in conjunction with the patient's history and other appropriate testing to make nutritional recommendations more individualized.
Sometimes the Pain Isn't Just About the Pain
My years treating musculoskeletal conditions have made this especially apparent.
A shoulder, hip, tendon or low back problem certainly may require local treatment. Acupuncture, manual therapies, rehabilitation and appropriate strength and mobility work can be important. But recovery also requires adequate physiological resources.
Protein and micronutrient status, sleep, metabolic health, inflammation, hormonal changes and stress can all influence tissue health and recovery. When someone isn't progressing as expected, repeatedly treating the painful structure without considering the rest of the patient may leave important contributors unaddressed.
The same principle extends beyond orthopedics.
For example, perimenopause is not simply a matter of estrogen or progesterone levels. Changes in ovarian hormones occur alongside sleep, mood, metabolic and stress-system changes. The HPA axis—the signaling system involving the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands—is one part of this broader physiology. Understanding the interaction between these systems can sometimes provide a more useful clinical picture than looking at a single hormone value in isolation.
Clinical Experience Matters
Functional Medicine has become increasingly accessible online. Patients can now order extensive laboratory panels through technology companies, receive automated interpretations, or encounter supplement protocols promoted through social media.
More information isn't necessarily the same thing as better healthcare.
A laboratory result needs context. Is an abnormality clinically meaningful? Does it correspond with the patient's symptoms? Does it require treatment, conventional medical evaluation, repeat testing—or perhaps no intervention at all? Could a supplement interact with a medication or simply duplicate something the patient is already taking?
Those questions require clinical judgment. The distinction is important: testing should serve the patient; the patient should not become a collection of test results.
Combining Traditional Wisdom With Modern Investigation
TCM and Functional Medicine come from very different medical traditions, and I don't view one as scientifically validating the other. What I find clinically useful is their shared emphasis on looking beyond an isolated symptom.
TCM provides a framework for understanding the patient's overall pattern. Functional Medicine can add laboratory information and nutritional and metabolic considerations. Acupuncture and orthopedic treatment allow us to address pain, movement and recovery directly. And when a patient's needs fall outside my scope, collaboration with physicians, physical therapists, psychotherapists and other healthcare professionals remains an essential part of responsible care.
The result is a more individualized approach: evaluate the whole person, identify reasonable contributors to their symptoms, and create a treatment plan that is targeted rather than generic.
Ready for a More Comprehensive Approach?
If you've been dealing with persistent pain, changes associated with perimenopause or menopause, digestive concerns, fatigue, stress-related symptoms, or a health issue that hasn't responded as expected to a single approach, a more comprehensive evaluation may be worthwhile.
Schedule an appointment with Heaven & Earth Medicine to discuss your health history, current symptoms, existing laboratory results, medications and supplements, and whether acupuncture, Functional Medicine testing, nutritional support or an integrated treatment plan is appropriate for you.
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