TELEHEALTH ONLINE CONSULTATION
Dr. Lum has specialized in complex and chronic illness for the past decade and has consciously sought out patients who had been told that pharmaceuticals, chronic pain, or worsening health were inevitable.
Functional medicine offers tools to improve health, reduce the risk of developing future diseases and resolve decades-long symptoms.
Testing is now available that goes far beyond the routine testing that is often conducted at your local hospital. Targeted high-grade supplements can achieve profound results without the risks and side effects of pharmaceuticals.
The vast majority of these tools are available for patients all over the world. Dr. Lum offers online consultations and can order blood, urine, and saliva tests for a variety of diagnostic objectives. Most of these tests can be done in the privacy of your home or through a hospital or testing facility near you.
OUR PATIENT BASE
Our patient base has a wide variety of health goals. Often, our patients are those who do not fit into a typical diagnosis or who do not tolerate conventional treatment well.
Some patients have had mystery symptoms that their doctors could not explain, symptoms that did not resolve at a normal rate, an injury that never healed, paradoxical reactions (when a medication causes an opposite reaction to the one expected), or who had symptoms that were not acknowledged by their doctors or who were told it was "all in their head."
Autoimmune conditions like arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease are well-suited to functional medicine. Dr. Lum's wife had Long Covid and has now fully recovered, an experience which has informed his multifaceted care of Long Covid patients.
Metabolic conditions like type II diabetes, histamine sensitivity, insulin resistance, and food allergies and sensitivities are also conditions that respond very well to functional medicine interventions.
Other patients want to use genetic data to improve longevity and reduce the risk of developing future diseases.
Using natural healing modalities and the latest in testing resources, our goal is to go beyond symptom-free and toward optimal health and longevity.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN AN ONLINE CONSULTATION?
Our new patient appointments are an hour long during which Dr. Lum will take a detailed medical history and listen to your health concerns and goals. Lifestyle changes prescribed at this first appointment can start the healing process immediately.
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SPECIALIZED TESTING
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1 HR NEW PATIENT APPOINTMENT
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A REVIEW OF PREVIOUS TESTING
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PAY PER APPOINTMENT
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NUTRITIONAL MEDICINES DELIVERED TO YOU
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OPTIONAL QIGONG PHYSICIAN-LED HEALING
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EMAIL ACCESS TO DR. LUM
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PERSONALIZED TREATMENT PLAN
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TESTING KITS DELIVERED TO YOU
WHAT TESTING DO YOU OFFER?
Testing is not required as a part of the online consultation process but in many cases, it can be helpful. There is no baseline testing administered to every patient and testing is only recommended based on symptom presentation and health condition.
For instance, if a person is exhibiting symptoms of a low-grade chronic infection that may be behind a patient's chronic constipation and migraines, a test may be recommended to determine what kind of strain of infection it is, whether there is more than one, and whether the infection is fungal, viral or bacterial.
Many patients are used to the tests at their local hospital in which major problems are screened for and a diagnosis is obtained. Functional medicine testing differs from this as its goal is to look beyond these initial factors and into how the body is functioning on a fundamental level.
For instance, if you have been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism, doctors usually only test for TSH, give a diagnoses then prescribe medication. Testing TSH is not enough to determine hypothyroidism and is certainly not enough to determine the cause of low thyroid function.
In this case, we could test Free T3, Free T4, anti-thyroid antibodies, and reverse T3. T4 and T3 are the thyroid hormones while TSH indicates the brain's communication with the thyroid. A second step could be checking if low thyroid function is due to poor conversion from T4 to T3. We can then supplement to amplify that conversion from T4 to T3.
If a patient has Hashimoto's Thyroiditis we can address the underlying cause of thyroid inflammation. With thyroid conditions, it is often very beneficial to add adrenal gland support and to check for an underlying viral infection.
Another example would be if a patient suffered from chronic fatigue but all their conventional tests came back as within the normal range. We could test for an underlying viral load (which would indicate a chronic infection), nutrient deficiencies, and nerve inflammation.
Many patients come to us with genetic data they would like Dr. Lum to interpret. In these cases, this data can be helpful as certain variants point to a deeper functional issue that we can correct or optimize.
For instance, the presence of the MTHFR variant indicates a problem converting folic acid into folate. We can supplement with methyl-folate which bypasses this conversion process and provides the patient with the necessary nutrient in addition to providing additional methylation (detoxification) support.
HIGH-GRADE SUPPLEMENTATION
Many new patients are on dozens of supplements when they arrive. While the temptation may be to try to treat everything at once, it is not how the body gets better. The body is not a machine. There is an order of operations when it comes to healing and this order varies based on the individual.
In some patients we will address rampant inflammation first, in other cases we will restore digestive function first so that the patient can eat food without discomfort.
The form of the supplement, its timing, and its dosage are all crucial to its effectiveness.
Magnesium Malate, Magnesium Citrate, Magnesium Oxide, Magnesium Glycinate, and Magnesium Threonate are all "Magnesium" but they are used for different things and your body will respond differently to each of them.
Some supplements work completely differently when taken in the morning as opposed to at night and some patients cannot tolerate a necessary nutrient when it is taken every day, but they thrive when they cycle it every three days.
Some patients respond to 'broken-down' versions of supplements like CoQ-10 while others respond very well to more naturally derived forms. These different forms can make the difference between CoQ10 which supports proper mitochondrial function and a form that does nothing at all.
Ten different chronic fatigue patients will likely have ten different approaches to their care based on their age, symptom presentation, underlying health conditions, health goals, and the unique multiple layers of dysfunction causing the fatigue in the first place.
When utilized correctly, high-grade supplementation can be life-changing. As an example, an 85-year-old patient had chronic bladder infections, for which she had to take antibiotics at least three times a year which, in turn, caused her to have chronic digestive symptoms.
For her, we cycled (taking it for a time, then pausing at intervals) a specific kind of olive leaf extract, a potent herbal medicine. She never had another bladder infection and received the benefit of an improved microbiome and recovered digestion as a result of the herbal medicine.
CERTIFIED FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE PRACTITIONER
Dr. Lum is a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner and has completed a wide variety of post-graduate education which can be viewed on our 'About' page.
The IFMCP certification, which less than 2,000 practitioners in the world have, ensures that you receive care based on the very latest in functional medicine techniques and resources.
The correct application of functional medicine does not involve having patients take dozens of supplements at a time, simply swapping pharmaceuticals for supplements, or ordering vast amounts of testing for patients who do not need it.
Specificity matters in the diagnosis and treatment of illness and, when used correctly, functional medicine can be a precise instrument, uniquely suited to complexity.
FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENTS
Functional medicine follow-up appointments are unlike the short follow-up appointments you are used to in a hospital setting. Instead of a short appointment intended to check for any major side effects and to adjust the dosage of medication, functional medicine appointments are necessary for the readjustment of your treatment plan in order to maintain your healing trajectory.
Follow-up appointments are recommended in a range from every two weeks to every six weeks depending on your health status. The frequency of follow-up appointments Dr. Lum will recommend is based on his personal assessment of your health using a multitude of factors.
Think of your recovery as a swimmer who has found themselves swept out to sea and needs to get to the shore again. While you could swim, it would be much faster if you rode a surfboard and used the peaks and troughs of the waves in your favor, effortlessly skimming on the surface. Just as a surfer uses the natural momentum of the ocean, Dr. Lum uses your follow-up appointments to guide you toward recovery on the fastest and most efficient path.
As symptoms disappear, your treatment plan will be adjusted to reflect this new reality. With each appointment, the plan will slightly adjust to treat emerging health concerns that were not visible even a few weeks ago. Remember that the body 'wants' to heal.
Much of the rhetoric used to talk about disease is inaccurate. In the case of an autoimmune disease, patients are often told that the "body is attacking itself" - this is not the case, but rather it is the body responding to what it perceives to be a threat within the body, and the body is damaged in this process of self-defense. It is, in fact, collateral damage, not deliberate self-destruction.
As we remove impediments that prevent the body from healing naturally, the body is buoyed up to the surface, powered by its own natural capacity for restoring health. The frequency of your follow-up appointments is to ensure that you get to shore as quickly as possible.
WHERE TO START
SCHEDULE A FREE 15-MINUTE CONSULTATION
Click the blue 'Book Now' button at the top right of the page.
Click on 'Free 15 Minute Consultation' and follow the prompts.
If you are an international patient use your email address to sign up instead of a phone number.
YOUR NEW PATIENT APPOINTMENT
Click the blue 'Book Now' button at the top right of the page.
Click on 'New Patient Consultation' and follow the prompts.
You will be sent paperwork to fill out before your consultation.
YOUR TREATMENT PLAN
You will be emailed your treatment plan along with other care instructions.
Dates of any necessary follow-up appointments will be recommended.
Email Dr. Lum with any questions you have before your next consultation.
THE DETAILS
Your appointment can be over the phone or through video conferencing on your computer.
Your first consultation will be an hour long and follow-up consultations are thirty minutes.
There is no minimum number of appointments and no subscription fees.
Between appointments, you can email Dr. Lum with any questions you have regarding treatment.
If your case requires testing to be ordered he can usually arrange testing at a clinic, hospital, or blood-draw location conveniently near you anywhere in the world.
Nutritional supplementation can usually be sent directly to your home. We do not accept insurance. To view our prices, just click the 'Book Online' and you can click through to our prices page.
We are currently accepting patients worldwide.
PATIENT TESTIMONIALS
Rhiannon Birdsall
"Working with him long distance, he's helped introduce herbal and mineral treatments that have been gentle enough to work with my already highly sensitive auto-immune system. I owe much to Dr. Lum and am honestly not sure if I would have survived had I not had his help during my particular health crisis. . ."
Dr. Kate LaVigne
"Dr. Lum is awesome! I am a boxer and he has helped me with a number of physical injuries and systemic issues the past 2 years. Recently I've been receiving treatment from him remotely and it has been a game changer."
Disclaimer: If you think that you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this information. Nor should you ever delay seeking medical advice or treatment due to the information contained on this Website. The information on this Website is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition. The information discussed is not intended to replace the advice of your healthcare provider. Reliance on the information provided by this Website, Dr. Brian Lum, or Functional Healthcare Institute is solely at your own risk.