(828) 644-8375
Our founder, Amy Wayman Lovingood, is an ADAPT Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner with over 26 years in the allied health field. Her particular certification is from one of the most stringent and respected institutions and requires her to remain up-to-date on research related to integrative health.
All autoimmune disorders arise at least in part from compromised intestinal barrier function. While conventional treatments tend to suppress the immune system to control symptoms, our clinician can determine the targeted interventions needed to address the root cause(s) and promote true control or regression of the disease. Some common autoimmune disorders are: fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Graves’ disease, and psoriatic arthritis
Our clinician has extensively studied the latest evidence regarding natural means to treat cancer or support those undergoing cancer treatments. Functional medicine is an effective complement to conventional cancer treatments. It can enhance treatment effectiveness and reduce side effects as it focuses on optimizing health and supporting the body's natural ability to heal. At ITW you will receive a personalized plan built with your input to address individual needs and provide support throughout your healing journey.
Evidence continues to emerge regarding the ability to affect the progress and severity of neurodegenerative disorders with lifestyle and environmental modifications as well as natural supplements and interventions. ITW offers a truly comprehensive approach to addressing neurodegenerative disease by educating you on lifestyle and environmental changes, providing support through natural modalities, teaching strategies for nervous system regulation and suggesting targeted supplements. Neurodegenerative disorders that can benefit from a functional medicine approach include: Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s/dementia, Multiple systems atrophy, ALS, MS and Huntington’s disease.
Hormonal imbalances at any age can contribute to a host of symptoms that affect your daily life. However, hormonal imbalances are never the root cause! Our clinician will work with you to determine and address the root causes to address issues such as PCOS, infertility, menopausal symptoms, acne and PMS/PMDD. We use the latest specialized testing to accurately determine your hormonal balances as well as how effectively your body is breaking down each hormone.
Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that together increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and stroke. It can lead to other serious health problems. If you have 3 of the following 5 conditions, you have metabolic syndrome: excess abdominal weight, high triglycerides, low HDL levels, high blood sugar and high blood pressure. Whether you have metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes or diabetes (type 1, 1.5 or 2), functional medicine can help address the underlying issues and educate you on solid wellness nutrition that will help you manage your blood sugar.
Your gut health is truly foundational to your overall health and wellbeing. Gut dysfunction is often one of the root causes of chronic conditions, including mental health issues, arthritis, chronic pain, and most of the other conditions listed on this site. Our clinician at ITW can work with you to determine the cause of your gut dysfunction and create an individualized plan to address any issues. Our plans are integrative in that we address nervous system dysfunction, nutrition, bacterial or fungal overgrowth, parasites, fascial tightness, and circadian rhythm support to promote genuine holistic healing.
POTS is one of the most recognized types of autonomic dysfunction. All forms of autonomic dysfunction involve the autonomic nervous system which controls “automatic” functions, such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, pupil dilation/constriction, kidney function, & temperature control. Our approach to these dysfunctions involves determining underlying factors and addressing those for each individual as well as nervous system regulation through education and modalities. Our vagus nerve stimulation combined with our PEMF mat offers synergistic benefits to nervous system regulation.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of death in the US. Addressing CVD effectively requires an integrative approach focusing on drivers of inflammation, proper nutrition, stress management strategies and exercise. Our clinician will develop an individualized plan uniquely suited to you that will help you whether you want to prevent CVD or have already received a diagnosis or had a cardiac event.
Hypermobility disorders are believed to affect as many as 10 million individuals in the United States. One of the most well known of these disorders is Ehler’s-Danlos Syndrome. Hypermobility refers to an excessive range of motion in joints & connective tissues & occurs on a spectrum of severity.We delve into the underlying factors that may exacerbate these conditions. By conducting comprehensive assessments. ITW’s clinician then tailors a personalized treatment plan to address the root causes for each patient. Our approach involves targeted interventions to support collagen production, strengthening muscles around hypermobile joints and alleviating symptoms as well as addressing drivers of inflammation.
As a physical therapist and certified functional medicine practitioner, our clinician is uniquely suited to help you manage your arthritis (of any kind) and regain mobility and vitality! Our comprehensive approach will incorporate individualized exercise recommendations and natural modalities as well as lifestyle modifications, wellness nutritional support, and targeted supplementation suggestions. These varied interventions work synergistically to address your arthritis and help you regain strength and control pain as well as manage the inflammation which slows progression of the arthritis. With an integrative approach many individuals will actually see reversal of the disease process! Our clinician who has controlled and partially reversed her Rheumatoid arthritis can personally attest to that!
Fibromyalgia syndrome is mainly characterized by pain, fatigue, and sleep disruption. The etiology of fibromyalgia is still unclear, but central sensitization (increased excitability in the central nervous system to inputs from your body) is thought to be one of the main mechanisms while many other factors are also at play, including genetic, immunological, and hormonal. There is some evidence suggesting it has an autoimmune component. Our clinician is uniquely positioned to help those suffering with fibromyalgia by combining her knowledge in the field of physical therapy with a natural, functional medicine approach.
Chronic headaches and migraines are often inflammation driven but the driver of the inflammation must be addressed in order to reduce and control the headaches rather than just treat the pain and symptoms when they occur. At ITW we will complete a thorough evaluation to determine these inflammation drivers and help you institute a plan that will address them. We can also provide modalities and education on interventions you can employ at home to control the pain when the headaches or migraines to occur.
Mental health is physical health!! Research clearly indicates that anxiety and depression are inflammation driven, and integrative medicine is the perfect approach to control the inflammation. If you suffer from anxiety or depression and conventional medicines do not provide significant relief, the integrative approach will probably help you the most!
Most approaches to thyroid disorders include supplements that include iodine and increasing iodine in the diet. At ITW our research indicates that the opposite approach is actually more effective! The basic plan that we follow for thyroid reset has been shown to be 78% effective with hypothyroidism in reducing the amount of medication needed or eliminating the need for thyroid medication entirely. Although hyperthyroidism is much tougher to treat, our method has been shown to reduce symptoms and increase overall feelings of vitality.
The clinician at ITW truly has a heart to help those with chronic pain and is uniquely positioned to help with chronic pain as she is both a physical therapist and functional medicine practitioner! Her approach includes addressing the root cause of the condition and inflammation as well as providing education on physical therapy interventions that can ease symptoms. She began her naturopathic journey because of her own chronic pain and feels she can provide truly effective, integrative care to address yours!
Restore your health and quality of life with functional medicine—the future of health care.
I can’t say how much I appreciate finding your services this past year and to experience your wisdom and knowledge in the field of integrative medicine here in Murphy! Being a two time cancer survivor and more recently suffering with long Covid.. I can truly confirm that under your care I have seen great strides in my health over the past year! Your past experience is reflected in patient understanding and listening skills, along with your exceptionally keen mind about how the body works. Your nutritional advice and treatments are spot on. All the above has allowed this patient restoration and added hope for a future to once again live a normal healthy life. Thank you!
Verna
Functional Medicine Patient
I cannot recommend Amy at ITW highly enough. She has guided me through getting my autoimmune disease diagnosed through my GP. She gave me the bloodwork to ask for so that we could effectively target what needed healing in my gut and thyroid. She then put me on a protocol to reduce inflammation and heal my gut.I feel so much better than I did two months ago, my inflammation is almost gone, my thyroid numbers are normalizing and I have more energy. As an added bonus I have started losing weight. Plus she’s just a great person. Do yourself a favor and make an appointment!
Mary Ellen
Functional Medicine & PT Patient
I have been working with Amy for a couple of months now and have seen a great improvement with my digestion and sinuses. Some of the other things we are working on will take a bit longer but I am very optimistic and expect to experience better health in years to come. Thanks Amy!!
Janet
Functional Medicine Patient
CONTACT US
(828) 644-8375
3765 East U.S. Highway 64 Alternate, Suite 10, Murphy North Carolina 28906
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