Cost of Functional Medicine

Can we address the elephant in the room? Our transparent price of our functional medicine programs. Why do we do this, and is functional medicine really expensive?

After 5 years of helping people solve their health issues at the Root cause in our Root Membership Program, we have optimized our approach. We’ve seen the most meaningful lab testing that people need; we’ve seen how working with both doctor and dietitian consistently gives the best results; and we’ve seen how important it is to avoid the stress of the unknown in bills, next steps, and what to expect.

The simple answer is that we want people to have what they need when they sign up for our programs. We care about transparency and authenticity (it’s one of our core values!). We don’t want to just get you in the door and then order thousands of dollars of testing with no real idea if any of it will be covered by insurance. (It’s actually impossible for your practitioner to know what is covered because every person has a different insurance plan, different deductibles, co-insurance and other nuances.) In our experience, when people have used “good insurance” for the labs we order in our Root wellness panel, they end up with bills of over $2000-$3000. Yikes. 

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or SIBO, is a digestive disorder often associated with symptoms like bloating, gas, and abdominal pain. However, one lesser-known aspect of SIBO is its potential to lead to weight gain. 

In this article, we'll discuss SIBO weight gain, potential root causes, and functional medicine treatments to address this complex condition. 

SIBO is a condition characterized by an excessive growth of bacteria in the small intestine. Normally, the small intestine contains relatively low levels of bacteria compared to the colon. However, in individuals with SIBO, these bacteria multiply and thrive in the small intestine, causing various digestive problems.

While most individuals with SIBO present with at least one digestive symptom, there are many people who may suffer from a variety of non-digestive symptoms related to SIBO such as acne, fatigue, anxiety, brain fog, and more. Your doctor may diagnose SIBO with a breath test or a combination of clinical symptoms and a stool test. However, SIBO is not well understood by many conventional providers.