Functional Medicine

Integrative Rheumatology of Westchester – Providing Functional Medicine and Anti-Aging Therapy

Serving Westchester County, Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan Connecticut and surrounding areas

What is functional medicine and how does it differ from conventional medical care?

Traditional Western (“conventional”) Medicine focuses on diagnosing disease and treating symptoms, generally with the use of prescribed medications or surgery. This approach is great when dealing with acute medical illness, like heart attacks, trauma, or pneumonia, but is much less successful when dealing with chronic medical problems, like diabetes, obesity, arthritis, and irritable bowel syndrome.

Functional medicine, on the other hand, emphasizes an understanding of the causes of physiologic imbalance in the individual patient. Functional medicine is holistic and considers the optimum functionality of all systems of the body. It incorporates a variety of methods and therapies for supporting those systems and keeping them healthy. These include nutrition and botanical therapies, lifestyle approaches and stress reduction programs. The idea behind functional medicine is that one can not only prevent disease and troubling health conditions but in many cases, reverse them.

Functional medical doctors attempt to understand the causes and reasons for the development of disease and practice preventive medicine in order to maintain optimal health and vitality. At Integrative Rheumatology of Westchester, we address your specific health risks and concerns. We take into account your hereditary background, your past medical history and current health conditions, any treatments you are receiving, your career and lifestyle, stress level, and eating and sleeping habits. If you struggle with a particular condition or illness, we work hard to identify the causes of the problem and prescribe an individual program to restore healthy function.

In many cases, adding a functional medical approach to an existing conventional medical program can be very helpful and can complement current therapy. Identification of nutrient deficiencies, hormone imbalances, immunologic dysfunctions, and allergens and toxins can be tremendously helpful in restoring health. We use a variety of diagnostic tests to help determine these potential functional problems.

At Integrative Rheumatology of Westchester, you will experience functional medicine at its finest. Dr. David Lans has been in practice for over 30 years and has a great deal of experience in conventional, integrative, and functional medicine.

In many instances, particularly in the case of chronic medical conditions, like diabetes, arthritis, autoimmune disease, and inflammatory bowel disease, a functional medical perspective can offer a fresh, alternative and safer approach than a conventional one. If you have been diagnosed with a medical condition and are considering proceeding with an invasive or surgical procedure or a potent drug therapy, you may wish to consider a second opinion from Dr. Lans. We encourage you to check with us before going through a potentially dangerous treatment.

Dr. Lans prides himself on his communication with and attention to his patients. He has the ideal backgrounds of integrative medicine, functional medicine, and anti-aging therapies.

The types of things you can expect to find here at Integrative Rheumatology of Westchester include:

  • A highly customized, personalized approach
  • Diagnostic health testing
  • General Preventive Healthcare
  • Detoxification
  • Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy
  • Nutritional counseling
  • Weight management
  • Genetic testing
  • Metabolic assessment of health risks
  • Assessment of immunologic function
  • Management of Musculoskeletal and Rheumatic Disorders
  • Treatment of Inflammatory Conditions and Autoimmune Disease

What our patients say

  • I have relied upon the medical skills of Dr David Lans since 2013 after a long search to find someone who could help me with my immune system problems.  Dr Lans offers a warm and inviting environment where you can unhurriedly discuss your problems and participate in proposed solutions.  I recommend him highly to my friends
    -J. Karten
  • I recently received excellent care from Dr. Lans. Not only did he diagnose my problem right away and correct it but I always felt he was very interested in getting me better. His office staff was very professional and accommodating as well.
    Joan B. New Rochelle, NY
  • Staff was friendly no wait time Dr. Lans clear and concise while explaining what he was doing, painless quick made for a pleasant office visit.  Would recommend to friends and family.
    Lorris R.
  • Dr. Lans is indeed an amazing Doctor. On my first visit, he was kind caring and patient. He answered all my questions and asked me questions about my problems and how we could fix them. He didn't rush through my visit and was very thorough. Dr. Lans is a rare find. He is a very warm and genuine Doctor. I would give him 10 stars if I could! I wish I could still see him as my Doctor but he no longer accepts my insurance. Dr. Lans is Wonderful, Amazing, Caring, and Intelligent! Just a Great Doctor indeed!
    Roxi M.
  • I can’t say enough about how wonderful and professional Dr. David Lans is. I have been having trouble with my ankle since last November. In that time I have had three MRI’s and been to four different doctors. The last option was to have surgery. I was referred to Dr. Lans and traveled to New York to have a stem cell procedure done. Dr. Lans explained to me every step of the way what was going to happen and what I would be feeling and helped me to relax since I was a little nervous as to what “stem cell” was. After the treatment, it took a couple of weeks to really start feeling better. It has now been three months and I am NOT in pain anymore. I am the happiest that I didn’t do the surgery and went with Dr. Lans. It will still take a little more time for my ankle to be back to normal but I am well on my way. THANK YOU DR. LANS
    Anna M.
  • Across the 16+ years during which Dr. Lans provided primary care as well as specific treatments for me, I came to understand, respect and appreciate what I am certain is only a small part of the considerable breadth and scope he brings to the task. Where medicine is a blend of science and art, he brings the best in command of broad knowledge and distills practical wisdom and insight from clinical experience, and from my observation, his thinking and judgment are not bound by convention or other potentially limiting factors.
    Therese B.
  • Dr.Lans is one of the Best Doctors I have seen so far. He is very caring, and thorough, spent a lot of time with me answering my questions, and helping me to understand why some things are happening to my body. He is truly a rare Doctor to find. Great, Wonderful, and an Expertise in his field.
    Vitals.com Review
  • I have been a patient of Dr lans for over 20 years. He's a great diagnostician & very professional. He's always very pleasant & takes a lot of time with me. Frankly, he's the best!
    Vitals.com Review
  • Dr. Lans has been my PCP for many years. He is thoughtful, up to date, very smart, concerned, explains everything, spends as much time with you as you need, has a patient portal for individual information or contact. His staff is great. If I could give more stars, I would.
    Vitals.com Review
  • The Best.  Have been a patient for over 12 years.
    Vitals.com Review
  • It is rare to find a doctor these days who actually sits down and talks to you. What a refreshing experience!!
    Vitals.com Review
  • I went for years with undiagnosed symptoms and within two visits Dr. Lans had diagnosed the problem! Although having a chronic illness has a huge downside, he is open to trying alternative therapies and he is extremely respectful of every patient he sees. If you no longer trust Doctors or if you have been seen by abusive caregivers, give Dr. Lans a chance. He is the only reason I am as well as I am today.
    Vitals.com Review