Digestive and GI concerns
Care path: Functional medicine
Ongoing bloating, gas, reflux, constipation, loose stools or discomfort after eating can affect your energy, sleep and mood, not just your digestion.
Functional medicine with Dr. Nick looks at the pattern behind your symptoms: what you eat and when, stress, sleep, medications and, where useful, testing. It works alongside your physician and gastroenterologist.
Common questions
What can cause ongoing bloating, gas or irregularity?
Many things, often more than one at a time: food choices and meal timing, food sensitivities, stress and sleep, medications, changes in gut bacteria, and underlying medical conditions. Looking at the pattern over time is often more useful than looking at one symptom.
What testing might be recommended?
Depending on your history, testing may include stool, breath or blood tests. Dr. Nick explains why he recommends each test and what it could show.
Is this the same as seeing a gastroenterologist?
No. A gastroenterologist diagnoses and treats digestive diseases and performs procedures such as endoscopy and colonoscopy. Functional medicine focuses on your history, nutrition, lifestyle and contributing factors. The two can work together, and if you have any of the warning signs below, see your physician first.
I have IBS, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Is functional medicine for me?
If you live with a diagnosed digestive condition, functional medicine works alongside your gastroenterologist, not instead of them. It can add time on food, stress, sleep and daily habits. Do not change prescribed medication without your prescriber.
How do stress and sleep affect digestion?
The gut and the nervous system are closely connected. Stress, poor sleep and rushed meals can all change how your digestion feels, which is why a plan looks at your day, not just your plate.
Will I have to follow a strict diet?
Plans are built around food you can realistically keep eating. If a short-term change would help, Dr. Nick explains why, what to expect and how to reintroduce foods afterward.
How to start
Start with a 30-minute call
A functional medicine consultation is a 30-minute call with Dr. Nick about your history, symptoms and goals.
Your digestive history
What your symptoms are, when they happen, what you eat, how you sleep, your stress, medications and what you have tried.
A summary and your options
Afterward, Dr. Nick sends a summary with the testing he recommends and your options, from a single case review of your results to 90 days of coaching on food, supplements and exercise.
Step-by-step changes
Food, routine and supplement changes made gradually, with check-ins so you can see what helps.
When to seek medical care first
Call 911 or go to an emergency department for:
- Vomiting blood, or black, tarry or bloody stool
- Severe abdominal pain, or abdominal pain with fever
- Feeling faint, dizzy or confused with any of these symptoms
See a physician promptly for:
- Unexplained weight loss, or difficulty swallowing
- Vomiting that will not stop
- A lasting change in bowel habits, especially after age 45
Other things we help with
Start with a conversation
Book a 30-minute functional medicine consultation to talk through your symptoms and history.
This page is general education, not medical advice or a diagnosis. Individual needs and outcomes vary.