Inside our Toronto functional medicine clinic, we address health concerns uniquely with compassion and individualized assessments. This is because a wide variety of personal factors can contribute to poor health and functioning, which can cause digestive issues, chronic pain, and even depression. 

For some patients, when you inspect what’s going on in their bodies and daily lives, clinical symptoms, such as low mood, can be caused by biological and environmental occurrences. The integrative functional medicine model may be considered for promoting optimal wellness, as it underlines different aspects of health to get to the root of health troubles. 

Here, the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre (TFMC) explains how our approach to health can personalize your clinical experience, and how complementary/adjunct therapies can help with lifting your mood. 

How functional medicine treatments are applied to your current health issues

Did you know that a customized, proactive, long-term health plan can be designed for your health condition? This is what the functional medicine approach offers, and there’s a reason for this: therapeutic modalities and dosages that may work for one patient may not necessarily work for another patient. 

Each person has unique biological constituents. That being said, a therapeutic modality or dose that improves one person’s health status may not necessarily work the same way for another person. This is because the root cause of a health issue could be triggered by distinct reasons, such as hormone imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, family history (genetics), food sensitivities, toxic exposures to chemicals, poor cellular health, and other biological happenings.   

Our functional medicine providers take the time to scrutinize the components of your individuality to improve your well-being. They start with untangling your lifestyle factors, environmental exposures, comprehensive health history, etc. Then, functional medicine laboratory testing may be advised for measuring various aspects of health (i.e. blood count, hormonal balance, nutrient levels, etc.). 

Once our health practitioners have analyzed the components behind your health status, they tailor your distinct health care plan. This custom plan may include various integrated health care modalities (i.e. a mix of acupuncture, conventional medicine, natural therapies, oral nutraceuticals, IV drips, etc.), which are exclusively adapted for your needs. 

By tending to your uniqueness, functional medicine services can help promote optimal wellness, while addressing individual symptoms (i.e. sadness) as a form of adjunct support alongside other treatment modalities.  

Examples of integrative medicine strategies for functional medicine patients

Below, are some potential causes of poor health and low mood, and how core tests and custom functional therapies may be applied: 

• • Nutritional interventions and lifestyle modifications: Did you know that lacking key nutrients can affect your mood? If we suspect that there are nutrient deficiencies, we might suggest a personalized nutritional assessment. This would help us determine which nutrients you’re missing, as they could contribute to the source of low mood and general wellness concerns. In fact, zinc, magnesium, vitamins K and D are known to reduce your risks for depression; if you’re missing these nutrients, you can help alleviate these deficiencies with supplementation. Dietary changes may also be set up to boost your nutritional intake and cut out unhealthy, processed items that may exacerbate poor functioning, depression, aches, etc.  
  • Hormonal concerns: Cortisol, progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, and other hormones have been connected to poor mood and functioning, as well as irregular periods, chronic pain, and low libido. In our previous article, we discussed our functional medicine approach to managing low testosterone levels. If our functional medicine providers speculate that hormones are triggering your issues, a DUTCH test may be conducted. This can quantify hormone discrepancies using dried urine samples. If levels are measured to be unsteady, we may prescribe a form of hormone replacement therapy, which is available through conventional and/or complementary therapies.  
  • Toxin exposures: Did you know that frequent contact with lead or other heavy metals can affect the signaling of your nervous system and your mood? Our health providers may conduct a heavy metal toxicity profile to help us determine how much toxins are riddling your body. Treatments may include nutraceuticals to promote liver detoxification or chelation therapy, which rids the body of toxins with a chelating agent. 

The lab tests, therapies, and health triggers stated above may or may not apply to your personal health condition. This is because our functional medicine providers scrutinize the components of your biology only. Please join our clinic to promote optimal health and enhancements to your energy levels, brain function, cellular health, mood, and more. 

Becoming a new patient at the TFMC

In our private downtown clinic, our health practitioners are available to handle your chief health concerns, including body aches, blood pressure issues, and depression. Our wellness team tailors your clinical experience with kindness, while inspiring you to reach your health goals! We adhere to the integrative functional medicine model, which is why we adapt your treatment plan for your uniqueness.  

Other modalities are available in our clinic as integrative medicine, which applies a diverse range of approaches and therapies to encourage symptom relief. These modalities include acupuncture, hormone replacement therapies (hormone optimization programs), naturopathic medicine, Western medicine, herbal medicines, intravenous therapy and more.  

Our IV Lounge is available for new and pre-existing patients who require functional medicine-based intravenous therapy as additional support. Prior to getting this treatment, lab testing may be advised. When intravenous therapy is merged with a healthy lifestyle and other functional medicine strategies, it can promote optimal health and functioning.

At the TFMC, we recognize patients as unique entities – after all, everyone has different needs! If you have any health-related questions, please speak up; our personalized medicine approach may address your current symptoms and possibly prevent or delay the formation of chronic diseases.

Let’s begin recovering your wellness – our personalized approach to wellness could reignite a new outlook on life! Send us a note to request your session at the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre . 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. You should always consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider because of information you have read from the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre website or other affiliate media. 

 

References

“Adjunct Therapies for Depression: More Treatment Options” from the Institute for Functional Medicine, viewed on September 19, 2023. 

Cui X, Lu X, Hisada A, Fujiwara Y, Katoh T. The correlation between mental health and multiple chemical sensitivity: a survey study in Japanese workers. Environ Health Prev Med. 2015 Mar;20(2):123-9. doi: 10.1007/s12199-014-0434-2. Epub 2014 Dec 11. PMID: 25500796; PMCID: PMC4597346.

“Depressive disorder (depression)” from the World Health Organization, posted March 31, 2023, viewed on September 19, 2023. 

Racine N, McArthur BA, Cooke JE, Eirich R, Zhu J, Madigan S. Global prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents during COVID-19: a meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2021;175(11):1142-1150. doi:1001/jamapediatrics.2021.2482

Soares CN, Zitek B. Reproductive hormone sensitivity and risk for depression across the female life cycle: a continuum of vulnerability? J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2008 Jul;33(4):331-43. PMID: 18592034; PMCID: PMC2440795.

Tóth B, Hegyi P, Lantos T, Szakács Z, Kerémi B, Varga G, Tenk J, Pétervári E, Balaskó M, Rumbus Z, Rakonczay Z, Bálint ER, Kiss T, Csupor D. The Efficacy of Saffron in the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Depression: A Meta-analysis. Planta Med. 2019 Jan;85(1):24-31. doi: 10.1055/a-0660-9565. Epub 2018 Jul 23. PMID: 30036891.

Xia F, Li Q, Luo X, Wu J. Machine learning model for depression based on heavy metals among aging people: A study with National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017-2018. Front Public Health. 2022 Aug 4;10:939758. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.939758. PMID: 35991018; PMCID: PMC9386350.