What Is Functional Medicine? (And Why More Families Are Making the Switch)

what is functional medicine?

If you’ve ever left a doctor’s office feeling dismissed, rushed, or still searching for answers, you’re not alone. Many families are turning to a different kind of care—one that takes the whole body (and the whole person) into account. It’s called functional medicine, and it might just be the approach you’ve been looking for.

What Is Functional Medicine?

At its core, functional medicine is a patient-centered, science-backed approach to healthcare that focuses on identifying and addressing the root causes of disease and imbalance in the body. Rather than masking symptoms with medications or relying solely on standard lab ranges, functional medicine providers dig deeper to understand the full picture.

In other words? Functional medicine asks “why” the symptom is happening in the first place.

How Is It Different from Conventional Medicine?

Conventional medicine is often focused on acute care and managing symptoms—and it can be life-saving in emergencies. But when it comes to chronic symptoms or complex conditions, it tends to fall short.

Functional medicine blends the best of modern diagnostics with a more holistic view. Instead of a one-size-fits-all treatment plan, your care is customized based on:

  • Your health history
  • Lifestyle habits
  • Diet and nutrition
  • Stress levels
  • Gut health, hormones, toxins, and more

Why Families Are Making the Switch

Parents want more than symptom suppression for their kids. Adults are tired of being told “everything looks fine” when they feel anything but. Functional medicine is growing in popularity because it offers:

  • More time with your provider to tell your story and ask questions
  • Personalized plans that consider nutrition, environment, and lifestyle
  • Comprehensive lab testing that looks beyond the basics
  • A root-cause mindset to help prevent and reverse chronic conditions
  • Support for the whole family under one roof

From eczema, constipation, and behavior issues in kids to hormone imbalances, gut issues, and autoimmune conditions in adults, functional medicine provides a deeper lens to understand why symptoms are happening—and what to do about them.

What to Expect at Well-Rooted

At Well-Rooted, our functional medicine providers partner with you to:

  • Identify and address the root causes of illness
  • Run advanced labs when needed
  • Support healing through food, lifestyle, targeted supplements, and other natural therapies
  • Offer a full-circle approach to care, including pediatric, adult, and women’s health services

We believe in empowering families to understand their health, advocate for better answers, and take back control of their wellness journey—with support every step of the way.


Ready to explore functional medicine for yourself or your family? We offer both in-person and telehealth appointments to meet you where you are. Whether you’re dealing with chronic symptoms or simply want a more proactive, personalized approach to health, we’re here to help.

📞 Call us at 815-355-1605 (Adult/Functional Medicine) or 815-322-9300 (Pediatrics)
📍 Visit us in Crystal Lake & Oakbrook, IL

For Women’s-health-focused preventative and functional care, visit us in📍 St. Charles, IL! 📞 847-905-0001

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Wonderful experience working with them!! Valerie has been so informative, patient, kind, and such a pleasure! It’s great to feel confident and trustworthy with someone taking care of your child.

Loanna
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We love this office! Jessica was the first practitioner to tell me about sublingual therapy allergy drops for environmental allergies. I had 3 out of 4 of my kids suffer from extreme eczema. Daily itching, bleeding, open wounds. Other doctors and allergist just told me to keep putting lotion on because it was due to dry skin. Believe me when I say I lathered my kids multiple times a day and tried every natural product out there and it didn’t help! Steroid cream was the only thing that was able to calm it down but it would come right back once we stopped using it. Well, a year into the allergy drops and my kids have beautiful eczema free skin! No more tears, no more fear of swimming pools and fear of infections. All thanks to the wonderful providers at Well-Rooted Pediatrics!! They truly care and think outside the box to get to the root of the problem. I am forever grateful for them!

April G
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We don’t go to the Crystal Lake Well Rooted anymore since we moved going over to OakBrook. We saw Victoria was absolutely fantastic. She saw my son for the first 9 months of his life, and she not only provided phenomenal care for him, but also for myself as a newly postpartum mom. They are very respectful of your decisions as a parent at Well Rooted, and it’s nice to not feel like you’re being gaslit by medical professionals. I like how they have holistic remedies available for purchase as well. They also provided me references to lactation consultants, chiropractors, etc as well. My son is now almost 2 and thankfully very healthy. We love Well Rooted!

Leann K
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Jessica, Jacki and all the Well Rooted Staff are amazing. Our Pediatrician retired a few years back and we were in limbo for several years, never feeling like any Dr we saw actually listened to us. After our 1st visit at Well Rooted we knew we finally found “the one”. They listen and take the time to discuss options. They support the patient and put YOU 1st.

Shawna D
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They healed my daughter’s eczema in 2 weeks (by finding the root cause, her leaky gut!) which regular doctors haven’t been able to do for 5 years! We love well-rooted!!

Vicki D

390 Congress Pkwy # J
Crystal Lake, IL

814 Commerce Dr., Ste 150
Oak Brook, IL

390 Congress Parkway
Suite I
Crystal Lake, IL

2075 Foxfield Rd.
Suite 102
St. Charles, IL 60174

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