As more people seek care that goes beyond symptom management, terms like functional medicine and integrative medicine are often used interchangeably. While both aim to look deeper than conventional medicine alone, they are not the same—and the differences matter, especially when it comes to who is providing your care and how treatment decisions are made.

At Verve Health, we practice integrative medicine, and understanding this distinction can help you choose care that is both comprehensive and safe.

What Functional Medicine Gets Right

Functional medicine has been instrumental in shifting healthcare toward root-cause thinking. Its strengths include:

• Viewing the body as an interconnected system
• Looking beyond isolated symptoms
• Using advanced lab testing to identify patterns and imbalances

For many patients—especially those who have felt dismissed—functional medicine can be a validating entry point into deeper health exploration.

A Key Distinction: Who Practices Functional vs. Integrative Medicine

One important difference that is often overlooked is provider training and licensure.

Functional Medicine

Functional medicine is practiced by a wide range of professionals, including:

• Medical providers (MDs, DOs, NPs, PAs)
• Chiropractors
• Nutritionists and health coaches
• Other non-medical wellness practitioners

Because functional medicine is a framework rather than a regulated medical specialty, the scope of practice can vary significantly depending on the provider’s background, training, and licensure.

This isn’t inherently negative—but it does mean that:

• Medical decision-making authority may differ
• The ability to diagnose, prescribe, or manage medications and hormones may be limited or absent
• Care may rely more heavily on labs and supplements rather than medical treatment options

Integrative Medicine

Integrative medicine, by contrast, is practiced exclusively by licensed medical providers.

This means integrative clinicians are trained to:

• Diagnose and treat medical conditions
• Prescribe and manage medications and hormone therapy
• Interpret labs within full medical context
• Recognize when symptoms require conventional medical intervention

Integrative medicine blends conventional medical care with evidence-based lifestyle and complementary therapies—without separating wellness from medicine.

Where Functional Medicine Can Fall Short

In practice, functional medicine often relies on set protocols tied to specific lab findings. This can lead to:

• Extensive lab panels that may not always change treatment decisions
• Long lists of supplements introduced all at once
• A heavier focus on biochemical correction, sometimes at the expense of lifestyle, nervous system health, and sustainability

For some patients, this approach can feel overwhelming, costly, or difficult to maintain long term.

What Integrative Medicine Does Differently

Integrative medicine is whole-person care in action—not just philosophy.

Rather than starting with a protocol, integrative medicine starts with:

• Your symptoms
• Your lifestyle and stress load
• Your mental and emotional health
• Your goals, values, and capacity for change

Labs are used intentionally, not exhaustively. Medications, hormones, and supplements are tools—used when appropriate and avoided when unnecessary.

Protocols vs. Personalization

Another key difference lies in flexibility.

• Functional medicine often applies similar treatment pathways to patients with similar lab results
• Integrative medicine recognizes that two people with the same labs may need entirely different approaches

Your sleep, relationships, work demands, trauma history, movement patterns, and food relationship matter just as much as lab numbers.

The Verve Health Approach

At Verve Health, integrative medicine means:

• Longer visits that allow for nuance and context
• Thoughtful lab work ordered with a clear clinical purpose
• Fewer, more targeted supplements when needed
• Strategic, personalized hormone therapy
• Ongoing education so patients understand why we recommend each step

We believe sustainable health doesn’t come from chasing every abnormal marker—it comes from aligning biology with real life.

The Bottom Line

Both functional and integrative medicine aim to move healthcare forward. But if you’re looking for care that:

• Is led by licensed medical providers
• Addresses root causes without overwhelm
• Balances science, safety, and practicality
• Evolves with your body and your life

Integrative medicine offers a comprehensive, medically grounded path forward.

Because optimal health isn’t built on protocols—it’s built on partnership.