[Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, 30/01/2019] – A new innovative type of medical clinic, Cotswold Optimal Health, launched this month in Cheltenham providing patients with personalised medical care to help them achieve their optimal health. Two local doctors, Dr Ranulf Crooke and Dr Simon Whiteside, are specialists in lifestyle and functional medicine with over 20 years of medical experience between them.
Using a combination of functional medicine and health coaching, the doctors create bespoke health plans using nutritional medicine, stress management and lifestyle changes to assist patients in being as healthy as they can be. This is truly personalised medicine helping patients to get to the root cause of their health issues by acknowledging most people do not fit into a set diagnostic box or treatment protocol. The pair believe this evolving approach to patient care is the future of healthcare and has the capacity to maximise the effects of healthy living.
A prominent contributor to the field of functional medicine, James Maskell, best selling author of The Evolution of Medicine and founder of Functional Forum had this to say:
‘Having grown up in Cheltenham, I’m thrilled to see a functional medicine clinic opening to serve the population of Gloucestershire and beyond. Lifestyle driven chronic disease is on the rise everywhere and Functional Medicine is most effective emerging solution because it treats the cause. I expect it to be very successful.’
What is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine is a rapidly developing area of medicine that is well established in other countries, but there is still a relative lack of awareness of this specialty in the UK and the benefits it brings to patients. Functional medicine doctors aim to uncover the factors that lead up to a person developing chronic health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome and obesity. These are very much individual and unique to the person.
Dr Simon Whiteside said: “We are excited to bring personalised medicine to the people of Cheltenham. We take a detailed history; right from the health of their mother during their pregnancy, through childhood to the current time. This includes the interactions between genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health conditions. This approach allows the doctor and patient to then formulate a tailored plan to work towards optimal health, proactively addressing issues that if left unattended will likely lead to health problems in the future if not already.”
What can Functional Medicine do for you?
Dr Ranulf Crooke added: “In the past, we viewed our personal genetics as fixed; determined at conception with little more that can be done to change then. Recently, research has increasingly demonstrated that certain genes are able to be switched on and off by our environment, such as a mother’s exposure to pollution increasing the risk of her child developing asthma or a mother’s poor nutrition being linked to higher rates of heart disease and obesity in her children. Where we live, what we eat, how and how much we move can all affect our genetics and therefore our risk of developing diseases including cancers. This is known as epigenetics. Understanding these personal risks allows us to address them and keep ourselves healthier for longer.”
What does the clinic offer?
An appointment at the clinic, based in the centre of Cheltenham, involves pre-assessment questionnaires to get a detailed understanding of a person’s background and current medical issues. Blood tests and other investigations may be necessary and can be performed on site. Follow up and support between visits can be tailored with bespoke treatment plans according to individual preferences and needs.
For more information, please visit www.cotswoldoptimalhealth.co.uk or contact Dr Simon Whiteside & Dr Ranulf Crooke on 01242 903225 or hello@cotswoldoptimalhealth.co.uk
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