Earlier this trimester, National University of Health Sciences’ (NUHS’) Functional Neurology Club invited alumnus Matt Beyer, DC ’24, CFMP, to present a crash course on blending functional medicine with functional neurology.
Dr. Beyer is a chiropractic physician and functional medicine practitioner working toward his Functional Neurology Fellowship at Integrative Brain and Body in Downers Grove, Ill.
Holistic approach in functional medicine
Dr. Beyer defines functional medicine as using detailed labs to help guide patients’ lifestyles and nutrition choices. He states that functional medicine derives from holistic approaches and identifies that as looking at the intersection of what he calls the “trifecta of different systems” which deeply focuses on the neuromusculoskeletal, the gut and hormones.
“Diving deep into these three things is super important when you’re talking about client’s complex conditions, including their background and lifestyle, as it may have an impact on the therapeutic process. People are looking for a holistic approach, and you should be empowered by that. Patients are coming in looking for somebody to connect the dots,” Dr. Beyer said.
Dr. Beyer emphasizes that it’s important to know that functional medicine also uses conventional lab testing. Though he uses the same method for tests, he stresses that the key to functional medicine is looking at the results in a different way.
“Functional medicine comes into play with chronic conditions, because it involves multiple organ systems and symptom management,” Dr. Beyer said. “While traditional medicine is a study of disease, functional medicine is a study of health. You’re not curing a patient’s autoimmune disease, you’re helping them manage it. My job is to help them be optimally healthy. We do that by looking at everything we can, leaving no stone unturned.”
Functional neurology
Functional neurology looks at the weak areas of the brain and uses integrative medicine to make them healthy and work efficiently. Dr. Beyer said this field works on the concept of neuroplasticity. This means that neurons can always find a connection through activating the weaker parts of the brain.
When trying to learn the basics of functional neurology, it’s crucial to first understand neurons. Dr. Beyer shares that this starts with the three fundamentals needs of a neuron.
- Oxygen – Proper breathing
- Fuel – Nutrient deficiencies and gut health
- Proper stimulation – Blood flow
“Those are the three things that a neuron needs, or it’s going to die. If we want to activate these parts of the brain, it’s important to make sure these needs are met to nourish the neurons and to allow them to have that plastic potential,” Dr. Beyer said.
Integrating functional medicine and neurology
Dr. Beyer said he believes the best way to blend these two fields together is to look at the full picture of a patient’s overall health, starting with a physical exam and then testing. He marks GI Mapping as his personal favorite for functional testing, and Dutch Complete as his go to hormone test. Dr. Beyer suggests these tests to get a better look at the patient’s full picture.
After sharing a case study he worked on that significantly improved a patient’s quality of life, Dr. Beyer concluded by giving students a piece of advice he likes to share with his patients:
“Reach out to health, and I guarantee your quality of life is going to improve.”
