The health care system has become more and more compartmentalized, with specialties for every imaginable medical category and ever-emerging modes of care delivery. Some physicians narrow their care to one specific body part or condition, others branch out and embrace complementary fields, such as cosmetic treatments.
Concierge medicine offers a new way to connect with your doctor, house calls are making a comeback, and the advent of telehealth allows you to “see” your doctor without leaving your home.
With all these choices, it’s difficult to know where to start when you have a health concern. Despite these changes and the confusion they can bring, primary care is still the best place to start. With locations in Seaford, Millsboro, Harrington, and Dover, Delaware, Alpha Care Medical is nearby and offers patient-centered primary care, answers to your health care questions, and help in managing your acute and chronic conditions.
Primary care physicians are generalists who have broad knowledge and a diverse skill set and are trained to diagnose and treat physical, psychiatric, and behavioral health issues. The primary goals include:
Primary care is the best initial point of entry into the health care system, and it serves as the hub or home base for all your medical needs.
At Alpha Care Medical, we approach primary care a little differently. We embrace functional medicine, because we believe it's the most effective and holistic way to care for our patients.
In a nutshell, the difference between tradition and functional medicine is that traditional medicine treats the condition, not the patient. That may seem like a subtle difference, but it’s actually quite significant.
Traditional medicine practitioners typically focus on the symptoms you report, what makes them worse or flare-up, and which medication will stop them. They also tend to follow a standard protocol that lumps your symptoms into a predetermined diagnostic category, then they prescribe medications for it.
Functional medicine, on the other hand, digs much deeper into your overall health to find the source or sources of your symptoms. No two people or illnesses are alike, and your symptoms may stem from multiple underlying factors, including genetics, emotional stress, environment, dental health, and sleep patterns.
Our multidisciplinary team here at Alpha Care Medical considers your health care from every possible angle, knowing that your body’s systems are interconnected and affect one another.
While traditional physicians have hundreds of patients on their rosters and only spend 17-24 minutes per visit with each one, we take considerable time getting to know you and exploring the factors that may be contributing to your condition.
This gives us a unique perspective on your complete health picture and allows us to make connections that others might miss. Over time, this relationship translates to the most personalized and comprehensive health care possible.
Treatment differs under functional medicine as well. While prescription medication certainly has a place, we always focus first on drug-free ways to help your body heal. This may include nutritional therapy, exercise, behavioral therapy, and/or supplements.
Primary care, the gateway to the health care system, helps you address minor illnesses and injuries, stay up to date on your vaccinations, screen for and prevent diseases, and monitor and manage chronic conditions.
But functional medicine at Alpha Care Medical takes primary care to the next level by personalizing your experience, broadening the scope of care, and optimizing your overall health and wellness.
To learn more about this in-depth, multidisciplinary approach to primary care, book an appointment over the phone with Alpha Care Medical today.
