Why We Chose Functional Medicine + A Holistic Approach to Healing Eczema

Switching to functional medicine has made a huge impact on our family’s health, and I wanted to share more about that here. Our journey into functional medicine started with trying to find a holistic approach to healing Ridge’s eczema (read more about that here and here). We have since moved both of our boys to an integrative pediatrician, and I work part time for her now. I also started seeing a functional medicine doctor who specializes in hormone health last year. I wanted to explain a bit more about what it is like to see these types of doctors, answer some frequently asked questions, and tell you about a way that you can help your child’s eczema as well!

This is the boys at their yearly check-up with Dr. Ana Maria Temple in 2019. We’ve only had to visit her two other times in a year – once for some gut issues that Ridge has. (We realized he truly cannot do much gluten and dairy, and the issue has resolved). The other time was for swimmer’s ear. She helps keep my boys healthy, and Todd and I are so grateful! 

Here is a look at Ridge’s skin progression, healing, and the reason we first started our journey into a new (to us) type of doctors.

What are Functional and Integrative Medicine?

In simplified terms, functional medicine is a whole-systems approach to biology that works to get to the root cause of disease, or other health issues. Integrative medicine combines the western medical approach with natural and holistic remedies. They both look at the body as a whole, rather than the sum of all of its parts.

Functional and integrative medicine sometimes involves a longer healing process, but the goal is lifelong health and a more robust immune system when possible. These types of medicine do not simply use a pharmaceutical product to “put a band-aid” on the problem, and they often require more work from the patient, and longer doctors’ appointments. More extensive testing is also a part of this approach.

How do I find a doctor, and will my insurance cover it?

To find a functional or integrative doctor in your area, you will probably need to go outside of the major hospital networks where you live. For us, there are two large hospital systems, but our doctors are not a part of those. I found our doctors via word of mouth, and through a recommendation from a trusted friend in medicine.

You can also check Facebook groups that are more holistically-minded. I am a part of a crunchy moms group in the Charlotte area, and I bet you can find similar groups where you live.

Talk to other parents at school and preschool if you’re looking for a new pediatrician.

If you do need to stay in-network, you can be open to seeing a family practice, rather than a pediatrician for your kids. We did this for years, before we switched to our integrative pediatrician. The family practice was wonderful, but we just wanted to go fully into the functional/integrative space.

I do see the midwives at my OB-GYN office, and they are a part of one of those networks. Insurance does cover some of that cost. 

Insurance does not often cover visits with naturopaths, functional medicine doctors, or integrative health offices. Sometimes they will cover part of the testing! Part of the reason why it is not always covered by insurance, is because doctors and practitioners in this field often see patients for hour-long visits, meaning they can only see 6-7 patients/day. Insurance companies work with offices with physicians and PAs who see close to 20 or more patients per day. The reasoning is more complicated than this, but just know that insurance companies work with the large hospital systems, and they also work with the pharmaceutical companies. They have their standard tests, etc, and the functional and integrative worlds work outside of those realms.

I have friends in medicine who wish they could spend more time with their patients, but the systems in place require them to see so many patients each day, that they are not able to. Or, they work late at night and on the weekends to catch up.

The good news is, when you are working to heal yourself or your child from the inside out, you can often use fewer medications, stay healthy more often, and have fewer hospital visits long-term. It is a way of being proactive, rather than reactive, with your health. The cost upfront can seem like a lot, but in the grand scheme of things, it evens out and can save you money. Plus, it is incredible to feel better, and to be able to maintain your health.

Also, if you have an FSA or HSA plan, there’s a good chance that you can put that money towards expenses at these types of medical offices.

Informed Consent

One important aspect of finding a great doctor or medical practitioner is to look for someone who cares about and grants informed consent. Informed consent means being told all about a drug, vaccine, or treatment, before it is given or prescribed. Patients should be able to ask questions about any of the above, and should be told about the potential side effects. Doctors and practitioners should look at a patient’s history and health conditions to determine if these things are best for that person.

Ridge’s Eczema Journey

I linked the blog posts above where I dove into more about healing my youngest son’s eczema. They can be found here and here. One thing I want to say is that healing his skin took about 7 months, but we still have to work to maintain his gut health. The functional journey to health involves finding the root cause, and working from the inside out.

He was diagnosed with leaky gut, which was triggered by an abundance of antibiotic exposure. That began when I took one antibiotic for a sinus infection during pregnancy, then I was Group B strep positive and put on IV penicillin during labor. His skin began to flare some as a young baby, but I didn’t realize the connection to inflammation then. When he was around 16 months old, he was put on an antibiotic for an ear infection, and his eczema really flared. His was mainly on his face, all around his mouth and his eyes.

I had the feeling that the problem was more than skin-deep, which ultimately led me to finding Dr. Ana-Maria Temple. To heal his eczema, we had to heal his leaky gut. This involved diet changes, some supplements, and we still have to be mindful of the amount of inflammatory food he eats.

A Holistic Approach to Eczema: Integrative Health Eczema Course

I work with Dr. Ana-Maria Temple on an online eczema course that works to heal childrens’ eczema from the inside out. First, we teach the parents about the root causes of eczema. We explain how certain foods, births, medications, immunizations, toxin exposure, etc can cause an abundance of inflammation in people. We adjust the diets of families, and introduce supplements based on a method that Dr. Temple has found to work with the many children with eczema that she has treated throughout the years.

Here is a testimonial from one of the families in our course. Jackie and her husband worked hard to heal their family:

The eczema course has truly changed our lives and has taught us so much. Both of our children suffered from eczema, other random skin rashes, and digestive problems. When they were infants, I was told that they would likely outgrow it with age, but I still felt that something wasn’t right. After we decided to try strictly eliminating gluten and dairy, we saw great improvement but still continued to have issues as time went on. The course filled in the missing pieces for us. Our childrens’ skin has completely cleared up and their digestion has normalized. We have also come to realize that issues with poor sleep and irritability were also related. Overall mood has greatly improved and they are both sleeping like champs. We have also been able to successfully introduce healthier foods which they now really enjoy eating!

My husband and I have also noticed significant improvements in our health since eating cleaner, which is a primary focus in this course. My husband suffered from severe seasonal allergies and frequent debilitating migraines for years. I was (incorrectly) diagnosed with 2 different skin conditions which were unsuccessfully treated with prescription creams. Once we started eating cleaner and pursuing a more natural lifestyle overall, our symptoms have almost disappeared completely without the need for medication.

Dr. Temple and Lindsay are both a wealth of knowledge. Since beginning the course, they have always answered all of my questions and have helped me to tweak things as needed to individualize the program to our needs and help us achieve success. I highly recommend this program. It has been worth every penny! Thank you so much Dr. Temple and Lindsay!

The eczema course is something I’m really passionate about, and I’m grateful to have the Integrative Health Courses as my job. Dr. Temple teaches the medical side of things, why inflammation happens and causes eczema, explains all of the supplements, offers topical suggestions for itchy and broken skin, and answers questions the members have. My role is to help the families navigate picky eaters, cook according to the plan, and find healthier alternatives to foods they would typically eat. We have seen families work really hard, improve, and we are just so grateful!

If you’d like more information about the course, you can view a link and a video here. I also have a code for $100 off: nourished100

Functional Medicine Requires Work and Patience

There’s no sugarcoating it – when you take this approach to health, you may need to put in some extra effort. Healing from the inside out has a big goal of long-term health rather than a quick fix, and it involves work. Often, diet changes are required, and the supplements and natural remedies do not always work as quickly as pharmaceuticals. However, they are usually safer for a longer duration than prescription medicines. The goal of an integrative approach to medicine is to become healthier now, and to improve immunity, to achieve sustained health and less sickness.

We have had to teach our children about the importance of eating fruits and vegetables, and, in the process, become more strict about snacks and treats. They take supplements that do not always taste amazing, but we explain the purposes to them. Our kids might “miss out” on extra candy and cookies, but they rarely get sick, and when they do, they recover quickly. I have learned to still make special occasions special, but I just usually make their sweets from scratch. It is a learning process, and we’ve been at it for two years. I am thankful for the journey and the fact that my sons, and my husband and I, have become healthier in the process!

Keep in mind that every person, and every child is different. They will all have varying healing journeys. Some recover more quickly than others, but this approach of healing the gut and reducing inflammation is never a bad thing. Most of the families in the course do this as a whole, meaning every member of the family makes changes. And often they experience unexpected positive outcomes for each of their children, and the parents!

If you’ve read this entire post, thank you for sticking with me. 🙂