Achina Stein, D.O., explains the many advantages when mixing these two concepts. Functional medicine has an extensive approach exploring for other causes of illness, including valuable searches for what are often not initially obvious infections or inflammatory states, the role of nutrition, toxin exposure, a detailed history of the illness, lifestyles, etc., and then using that data for directed treatment methods, which may also include traditional medicine use and verbal therapies. Intriguing, grounding, worthy of much study, especially with complex and inadequately responding patients. July 2024.