“Nothing is more precious than your health!”
When the solution is simple, God is answering.–Einstein
Welcome and thank you for checking us out. What exactly are we? We are more than just your standard chiropractic clinic. Our premium and exceptional healthcare product offer a thorough, functional diagnostic/clinical nutrition approach to any health issue that you may be struggling with. Dr. Paul Firnhaber is trained in functional diagnostic medicine–a discipline which adds a dimension to solving your health concern that few other clinics, chiropractic or medical can replicate.
Call us today at (402) 488-2220 to request an appointment!
What is Chiropractic Care?
Chiropractors work on correcting subluxations. A subluxation, or more precisely known as a Vertebral Subluxation Complex, defines what occurs when the spinal bones lose their normal position or lack a normal range of motion. This can happen from stress, trauma, or chemical imbalances.
Instead of just treating the symptoms caused by a subluxation, Dr. Finhaber is more interested in detecting where the subluxation is, reducing, and finally correcting the Vertebral Subluxation Complex. To watch a short video with more detail about chiropractic care, click here.
What is a Functional Diagnostic Medicine (FDM)?
Functional diagnostic medicine is the art and science of investigating the breakdowns in the biological mechanisms which cause dis-ease in the body. Functional Medicine is a science-based healthcare approach that assesses and treats underlying causes of illness through individually tailored therapies to restore health and improve function. Functional medicine doctors are similar to crime scene investigators who gather all the evidence so they can to crack the case. Sometimes the evidence leads to a radically different conclusion than what at first may seem logical.
Meet The Doctor
Dr. Firnhaber received his BA from Texas Lutheran College in 1975, majoring in English and chemistry. He received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Life University. Dr. Firnhaber also holds an MBA form the University of Nebraska Lincoln. He is certified in Functional Medicine and is also a certified Medical Examiner (FMCSA). In 1983 he co-authored a book, Taking Charge of Your Health. Dr. Firnhaber is currently the host of a weekly radio show, “Healthtalk” on KZUM radio 89.3.
How is the functional approach different from traditional medicine?
Traditional medicine attempts to define a specific illness or disease, and then match that illness with a specific drug or pharmaceutical. For example, almost all people with elevated cholesterol are placed on statin drugs to lower cholesterol most on the same dosage. This philosophy of treating illness is essentially a one size fits all. Whether old or young, thin or fat, male or female, all will get a drug (many times the same drug) which lowers cholesterol. The same approach is used with elevated blood pressure, depression, gastrointestinal reflux, Chron’s Disease, Irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, and most other diseases and symptoms. Functional medicine views symptoms and disease much differently:
- It seeks to find the underlying cause of illness, rather than treating the symptoms of illness. Functional medicine practitioners view symptoms as important clues to the real underlying issues.
- It views the entire tapestry of health as important, including structural problems, nutrition and diet, lifestyle, mental, emotional, and spiritual health all as contributing to the health or illness of an individual. It uses scientific testing to evaluate dysfunction and then prescribes remedies (based on that testing) which contribute to the body’s natural ability to heal.
- It emphasizes the biochemical and genetic individuality of each patient rather than data compiled from a bell-shaped curve that determines “normals” in medicine. What may be considered normal for one individual may be very abnormal for another.
- It recognizes that each part of your body provides a definite purpose and/or particular kind of work, and participates in a group of related actions with other parts of your body. For example, many times when an individual cannot hold a chiropractic adjustment, they usually have underlying deficiencies and imbalances which must be corrected before a body can hold itself together.
How do functional medicine practitioners discover the underlying causes of disease and symptoms?
- They employ a number of important tools such as symptom questionnaires, nutritional assessment questionnaires, toxicity assessment questionnaires, and lifestyle questionnaires to discover and prioritize which systems of the body are not functioning correctly and need assistance.
- They perform detailed physical examinations using traditional methods, along with assessing a variety of reflexes and muscle function.
- Laboratory testing is usually essential to assess underlying functional imbalances.
TYPICALLY, FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE WOULD SEE THE FOLLOWING AS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT:
Identify and manage
- any and all structural alterations in body structure
- adrenal and blood sugar management disorders
- any and all gastrointestinal disorders and food sensitivities
- Identify and manage any alterations in liver detoxification
- any imbalances in essential fatty acid metabolism
- any imbalances in the endocrine system
- any imbalances contributing to inflammation
Many body parts contribute to a specific function long before the function occurs. There is a logical sequence and order in which things must occur for a particular function to occur. Functional Medicine identifies and names the break in the sequence and order, rather than just naming the symptoms.
Which health issues respond best to functional medicine?
All diseases have an underlying biological breakdown causing symptoms and pathology. Therefore, all disease processes can and should be evaluated from an FDM perspective. Although functional medicine practitioners never view disease as a pharmaceutical deficiency, they do recognize the value of a pharmaceutical approach while the underlying cause of the disease is being investigated and corrected.
To learn more about our services, please click here.