What's the difference?
Conventional or functional medicine? You don't have to choose.
Many women feel they have to pick between a conventional doctor who orders the standard tests and a functional medicine practitioner who looks for root causes. At Arete, you get both, from one clinician who knows your full picture.
What is conventional medicine?
Conventional medicine asks: what is it? It diagnoses and treats disease using clinical guidelines, lab work, imaging, and proven medications, including hormone replacement therapy. It is essential for ruling out serious conditions, managing chronic disease, and staying current on preventive screening.
- Diagnosis
- Labs and imaging
- Preventive screening
- Medications and HRT
What is functional medicine?
Functional medicine asks: why is it happening? It looks for root causes and how your body's systems connect, so care addresses what's driving your symptoms, not just the symptoms themselves.
- Hormones
- Metabolism
- Sleep
- Stress and mood
- Cardiovascular health
- Nutrition
- Gut health
- Prevention
Conventional vs. functional medicine at a glance
The question it asks
- Conventional
- What is it?
- Functional
- Why is it happening?
Focus
- Conventional
- Diagnosing and treating disease
- Functional
- Root causes and how systems connect
Tools
- Conventional
- Guidelines, labs, imaging, medications
- Functional
- Expanded labs, nutrition, lifestyle, targeted treatment
Best for
- Conventional
- Ruling out serious conditions, acute and chronic disease
- Functional
- Symptoms that persist despite "normal labs"
At Arete
- Conventional
- Included
- Functional
- Included
| Comparison | Conventional medicine | Functional medicine |
|---|---|---|
| The question it asks | What is it? | Why is it happening? |
| Focus | Diagnosing and treating disease | Root causes and how systems connect |
| Tools | Guidelines, labs, imaging, medications | Expanded labs, nutrition, lifestyle, targeted treatment |
| Best for | Ruling out serious conditions, acute and chronic disease | Symptoms that persist despite "normal labs" |
| At Arete | Included | Included |
Why integrative care combines both
Integrative medicine brings conventional and functional medicine together. Neither approach on its own is the full picture.
- Nothing gets missed. Serious conditions are ruled out first.
- Answers, not just "normal labs." I look at what's driving how you feel.
- Evidence first. Every recommendation is grounded in research, not trends.
- Prevention, not just treatment. Protect your heart, bones, and brain for decades.
Conventional and functional medicine in perimenopause and menopause
Perimenopause and menopause are a clear example of why both matter. Conventional medicine offers proven, evidence-based treatments such as hormone replacement therapy. Functional medicine looks at how sleep, stress, metabolism, thyroid health, and nutrition shape your symptoms. Together, they create a plan that relieves symptoms and protects long-term health.
Who you'll see
I'm Michelle Mullins, a dual board-certified nurse practitioner (AGACNP-BC, FNP-BC). I spent a decade in critical care and hospitalist medicine before founding Arete, and I hold additional training through the Institute for Functional Medicine and the Menopause Society. That means the rigor of hospital medicine, with functional medicine training to look deeper.
Integrative women's health in Ridgway and across Colorado
I see patients in person at 160 South Amelia Street, suite 3, in Ridgway, convenient for women in Ouray, Telluride, Montrose, and across the San Juans, and by secure telehealth anywhere in Colorado. Care is available through ongoing membership or pay per visit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between conventional and functional medicine?
Conventional medicine focuses on diagnosing and treating disease using clinical guidelines, labs, imaging, and medications. Functional medicine focuses on finding root causes and how your body's systems connect. Integrative care, like the care at Arete, combines both.
Is functional medicine evidence based?
At Arete, yes. Every recommendation is grounded in research. Functional medicine is used alongside, not instead of, proven conventional treatment.
Do I have to choose between conventional and functional medicine?
No. At Arete you get both from one clinician: standard diagnosis, screening, and prescriptions, plus a deeper look at what's driving your symptoms.
Do you prescribe medications and hormone therapy?
Yes. As a nurse practitioner, I can order labs and imaging and prescribe medications, including hormone replacement therapy, when appropriate.
Is there an integrative or functional medicine provider near Telluride or Montrose?
Yes. My office is in Ridgway, under an hour from Telluride and about 30 minutes from Montrose, with telehealth visits available anywhere in Colorado.
How much does it cost?
Arete offers membership at $165 per month, or pay-per-visit care starting with a $395 New Patient Visit. See the Pricing page for full details.
Ready to get the full picture?
Call 970-318-4874 for a free 15-minute Discovery Call, or book your first visit online.
Please note: Arete is unable to accept patients with Medicare or Medicaid at this time.