Functional Medicine

Lara has a special interest in nutrition and is a qualified functional medicine practitioner. She also is qualified as an Ayurvedic Lifestyle & Nutrition Consultant and can help coach clients with a variety of health and lifestyle challenges*. She is proudly a graduate of Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice through the Institute for Functional Medicine ( https://www.ifm.org). She completed her certification with the Functional Medicine University (https://www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com) and studied Ayurvedic through the Ayurvedic Institute UK .

Functional medicine strives to reveal the root causes of a specific health challenge. It is a science-based health care approach and examines how the different types of stress, diet, exercise, and environment factors affect hormonal and neurological function. Because many physiological imbalances originate in nutritional deficiencies, functional medicine emphasizes optimizing gut function. Many issues respond well to this approach with minimal or no need for medication.

According to the Institute of Functional Medicine "Functional medicine emphasises a definable and teachable process of integrating multiple knowledge bases within a pragmatic intellectual matrix that focuses on functionality at many levels, rather than a single treatment for a single diagnosis. Functional medicine uses the patient’s story as a key tool for integrating diagnosis, signs and symptoms, and evidence of clinical imbalances into a comprehensive approach to improve both the patient’s environmental inputs and his or her physiological function. 

To identify and address dysfunction, Lara will do a health and lifestyle assessment which examines a patient's diet, exercise, medical and psychological history. Achieving optimal health involves exercise and nutritional programs that may include nutraceutical and or herbal supplementation and stress-reduction, which she then coaches a person through.

We hope this answers your questions.

* Lara, we should stress is NOT a medical doctor and makes no claims as such. She is a holistic practitioner, who enjoys coaching clients in natural health and lifestyle interventions to live more fulfilled and healthy lives. When the need arises she will refer people on to their own GP, local private medical doctors, or if she feels your health challenge is outside her scope of practice, to other specialists.

Her primary profession is as a Chiropractor although her Chiropractic degree course had nutritional components running throughout the 6 years. She has also completed numerous post graduate courses, seminars and CPD events over the years regarding different facets of nutrition and functional medicine as this is her passion. She completed her AFMCP (Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice) through the Institute for Functional Medicine, her certification with the Functional Medicine University and Ayurvedic training through the Ayurvedic Institute UK.

Pricing Information for Functional Health Assessments:

***25% discount on below prices for currently active clients of Align Chiropractic Norfolk ( to clarify, you need to be an active client with an appointment in the diary at present.)***

Package: £499

3 appointments, which includes:

1 Initial Consultation ( as detailed below) 

2 follow up appointments ( as detailed below)

** weekly phone or email support for duration of package if needed- see detail below.

Initial Consultation: £250

• In depth analysis of your past and current health, lifestyle, wellbeing, habits, medication and supplements
• this includes analysis of your intake form,
• preparatory work on your case and case notes 2- 6 hours
• the 1st appointment of approximately 1- 1 1/2 hours
• Personalised plan/programme based on your health goals
• Dietary and supplement* recommendations and nutritional, lifestyle and health hand-outs as required
• *Supplements recommended will incur a separate cost.

Follow up consultations: £160.00

• This includes preparatory work on your case 1-3 hours
• The appointment 60- 90 minutes
• mini reassessment using a questionnaire
• Reviewing and adjusting of plan and goals, as appropriate, with further guidance regarding your personalised plan
• Recommendations on Functional lab testing* if needed or analysis of tests already done
• Further diet, *supplement  and lifestyle recommendations as appropriate
• Support, advice and gentle coaching on personalised goals in this session at the time.

Interim consult: from £45 per 15 minute block

Between appointments, I am available for in person, email and/or phone support. This is charged in 15 minute blocks and you need to have had an initial functional medicine consultation with us within the past 6 months and/or be a current functional medicine or chiropractic client with an appointment in the diary at the time of request for the interim appointment. This cannot not replace or substitute the initial consult or follow up appointment recommended after your initial consultation. An interim appointment is usually for short questions/enquires and or concerns to be answered.

If it has been 6-12 months since we last saw you: please book a follow up consultation as this allows us a set amount of time that is appropriate.

If it has been longer than 12 months:please book an initial consultation again, to ensure we can provide the level of care required.

*Functional lab testing and nutritional supplements are both additional to the consultation charges.

** as detailed above within the package offer, between appointments, I am available to support you by phone or email included in the above package quoted. This would be eg. a few questions answered via a single email following eg an updated plan that you have just received or after your initial plan is sent, i.e. 1x week max and within reason. However, if you require additional support, please book an interim consultation (my fee for 15 minutes is £45).