Functional Medicine

Functional Medicine: Root Cause Healing for Lasting Wellness At Eagle Acupuncture Near Boise

Functional medicine is a relatively new, yet innovative and advanced, patient-centered approach to healthcare.  Our focus is on identifying and addressing the root causes of disease rather than simply managing aggravating symptoms. Just as TCM is a root cause medicine, so is functional medicine offering a modern take on healthcare and how to view lab work.  

Unlike conventional medicine, which often relies on a one-size-fits-all model squeezed into a few minutes of face-to-fact time, functional medicine recognizes that every individual is unique—your genetics, environment, lifestyle, and health history all play a role in your overall well-being. This takes time to evaluate and decide on the best course of action for your health. We take the time to get to know you, your history and what your priorities are for your wellness, both emotionally and physically. 

At Eagle Acupuncture we give you options. You can “throw the kitchen sink at it”- meaning: we can test everything under the sun that could be related to your issue, so we get to the underlying reasons why you feel so sick. Or you can choose slow and steady wins the race. This approach is slower but is more cost effective if you want to test one thing at a time, then treat. Then test something else, then treat that. The choice is always yours. 

Another benefit of choosing Functional Medicine at Eagle Acupuncture, is that we never overbook patients.  You aren’t waiting months to be seen or worse yet, months for a return visit after you paid for tests, your results are in, but your provider can’t get you in. Just call us to set up your appointment with Dr. Kristen Burris, DAcCHM and schedule your Functional Medicine Visit today.

Just as our TCM approach does, this medicine borrowed from our deep-rooted medicine and created a scientific approach. At its core, functional medicine is about treating the whole person. By looking deeply at how your body’s systems interact—digestive, hormonal, immune, cardiovascular, neurological, and more—functional medicine practitioners uncover underlying imbalances that may be blocking your path to health. We have always done this with our TCM lens and now we can incorporate the best of both worlds, fusing East with West, old with new and truly get to the root cause of what is causing all your problems, and then we fix it. This allows for personalized treatment plans that restore balance, prevent chronic illness, and promote long-term vitality.

What sets us apart is our vast amount of education in natural medicine and herbal medicine, years of TCM medical school, dual board certified, continuing education annually and we are licensed. Using basic functional medicine tools available to all practitioners really is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to naturally healing the body. We do beyond what the algorithm of the functional medicine test recommend for treatment options and instead dig deeper into a two-thousand-year-old system of complex herbal medicine that heals most chronic illnesses without serious side-effects. This is natural medicine at its absolute highest level of learning and execution of good, safe, medicine. 

What Makes Functional Medicine Different?

  • Root Cause Approach: Instead of masking symptoms, functional medicine investigates why health problems occur in the first place and then heals them safely.

  • Personalized Care: Each plan is tailored to your unique biochemistry, lifestyle, and goals. 

  • Integrative Solutions: Functional medicine blends the best of modern diagnostics with evidence-based natural therapies, including nutrition, lifestyle changes, stress management, and advanced supplementation. Our herbal medicine is the most advanced in the world- this allows us to take on the most difficult cases with success. 

  • Prevention First: By addressing early warning signs, functional medicine helps prevent chronic conditions such as infertility, autoimmune disease, digestive disorders, thyroid imbalance, and hundreds more. Curious about your health and longevity? This is a great place to start. Proactive is always better than reactive. 

How Functional Medicine Works

Your journey begins with an in-depth consultation and comprehensive testing that goes beyond standard lab work. Our Functional medicine practitioner may evaluate hormones, gut health, nutrient levels, toxins, inflammation markers, and genetics to get a complete picture of your health. However, the choice is always yours. We never order tests without your consent or without you knowing the cost upfront. We also don’t charge an annual fee just to be in our system. Some providers will charge $400-$1,000.00 for an annual membership just to simply be in their system. No annual charges at our medical center for the last 24 years and counting. 

 Your customized treatment plan may include a variety of different tests:

  • Targeted nutrition and dietary strategies

  • The most advanced and complex herbal and natural medicine

  • Mind-body therapies for stress reduction

  • Advanced supplementation with nutraceuticals

  • Lifestyle modifications for sleep, exercise, and detoxification

  • Topical, natural hormone supplementation

  • Acupuncture (optional treatment)

  • Red Light Therapy (optional treatment)

  • E-Stim (electrical stimulation as an optional treatment)

  • Cupping (optional treatment) 

  • Gua Sha (optional treatment)

  • Medical Grade Microneedling (optional treatment)

  • Advanced Vaginal Biome Testing

  • Collaboration with other healthcare providers when needed including recommendations for prescriptions, IVF, scans, 

Who Can Benefit?

Functional medicine is ideal for anyone struggling with chronic symptoms, complex health issues, or unexplained medical concerns. Many people turn to functional medicine for help with:

  • Hormone imbalance, fertility or miscarriage challenges, painful periods, menopause symptoms

  • Digestive issues (IBS, bloating, food sensitivity, gut dysbiosis)

  • Autoimmune disorders and inflammation

  • Fatigue, brain fog, and mood imbalances

  • Thyroid and metabolic conditions

  • Emotional Imbalance including Anxiety, Depression or Lacking Motivation

  • Preventive care for optimal health and aging

Why Choose Functional Medicine?

Functional medicine is personalized, proactive, and science-based. Functional medicine empowers you to take control of your health. Instead of endless prescriptions or temporary fixes, it delivers sustainable results by helping your body function the way it was designed to.

If you are ready to move beyond symptom management, or a cabinet full of pharmaceuticals, and finally discover lasting solutions, functional medicine offers a proven path toward true healing and wellness. It puts you in the driver’s seat- controlling a lot of the outcome to your health and healing. We are happy to be along for the ride, guiding you and educating you as we go.