You've had the labs run. Your doctor reviewed the results, looked you in the eye, and said the words you've heard before: everything looks normal. And yet — you're exhausted in a way that sleep doesn't fix. Your hormones feel like they're working against you. Your digestion is unpredictable, your brain is foggy, and you've quietly started to wonder if this is just what life feels like now.
It isn't. And you're not imagining it.
A growing number of people in Middle Tennessee are asking a different set of questions about their health — not just what is wrong with me? but why is this happening? That shift in thinking is exactly what functional medicine is built around. In this article, we'll explain what functional medicine is, how it differs from conventional care, what to expect from a practitioner, and how Boro Holistic Health in Murfreesboro, TN approaches root-cause care in a way that may look a little different from what you've encountered before.
What Is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine is an approach to health care that focuses on identifying and addressing the underlying factors that contribute to symptoms — rather than managing those symptoms in isolation. Where conventional internal medicine typically asks what condition do you have and what medication addresses it, a functional medicine approach asks why is your body responding this way, and what systems are involved?
A functional medicine practitioner examines the interconnected systems of the body — hormonal, digestive, neurological, immune — as context for understanding why patterns of imbalance develop. Functional labs, detailed intake histories, and sometimes genetic data are used to build a fuller picture of your health than a standard annual physical typically provides.
This approach is particularly relevant for people experiencing chronic fatigue, hormonal shifts, gut disruption, thyroid concerns, autoimmune patterns, or cognitive changes — especially when standard testing has come back unremarkable. If your symptoms are real but your labs say otherwise, a root-cause approach may offer a perspective worth exploring.
Functional Medicine vs. Naturopathic Care — What's the Difference?
This is one of the most common questions people ask when they're researching providers, and it's a fair one. The short answer: functional medicine is a methodology; naturopathic care is a philosophy and practice tradition. The two overlap significantly — both are root-cause oriented, both emphasize whole-person care — but they come from different frameworks.
Functional medicine practitioners can hold a range of conventional or integrative credentials. Traditional naturopathic practitioners, by contrast, operate from a foundational philosophy that the body has an innate, God-given ability to move toward health when given the right conditions and support. The tools and the worldview are inseparable.
At Boro Holistic Health, the approach is a naturopathic-functional blend. Dr. Suzanna Underwood brings a background that is genuinely rare: she spent years as a registered nurse working in conventional clinical settings — including cardiac care — before making an intentional decision to leave that model and pursue doctoral-level traditional naturopathic training through a natural health school with over 50 years of naturopathic education experience. That wasn't a detour. It was a conviction.
The result is a practice that brings clinical rigor and a fundamentally different philosophy about how health works — and what the body is capable of when care goes deeper than symptom management.
What Does a Functional Medicine Practitioner Actually Do With You?
The patient experience in a functional medicine or naturopathic-functional setting typically looks quite different from a conventional visit. Rather than a 15-minute appointment focused on a single complaint, you can expect a significantly more detailed intake process — one designed to understand your full health history, your lifestyle, your stress load, your environment, and the patterns that have developed over time.
From there, a practitioner may recommend functional lab work that goes beyond standard panels — looking at markers that provide context about hormone balance, nutritional status, gut health, inflammatory patterns, and more. At Boro Holistic Health, that picture may also include tools like Boro Gene Mapping™, which uses genetic data to help identify how your body processes nutrients, responds to stress, and detoxifies — giving your care plan a level of personalization that a one-size-fits-all protocol simply can't replicate.
The goal of all this information is pattern recognition. Rather than treating each symptom in isolation, a naturopathic-functional practitioner looks for the thread connecting them — and builds a care plan designed to address the root context, not just the surface complaint.
Individual care plans may incorporate nutritional guidance, targeted supplementation, lifestyle protocols, and — where appropriate — advanced modalities like LENS Neurofeedback, which supports nervous system regulation and may be beneficial for brain fog, chronic stress, and recovery from high-demand states.
Throughout this process, the approach is educational. You're not handed a prescription and sent home. You're given context, tools, and a practitioner who sees your health as a whole system worth understanding.
Common Questions About Functional Medicine, Answered Honestly
Will insurance cover functional medicine?
At Boro Holistic Health, the answer is straightforward: no, and that's intentional. The practice operates as a Private Membership Association (PMA), which means care is delivered outside the conventional insurance-based model. That structure isn't a limitation — it's a deliberate choice to practice without insurance companies and pharmaceutical influence shaping your care. Membership is out-of-pocket, and it's designed for people who want their care decisions made between them and their practitioner.
What does functional medicine cost?
Costs vary depending on the practice, the depth of testing involved, and whether you're enrolled in a membership model. Because Boro Holistic Health operates as a PMA, fees are membership-based rather than insurance-billed. For specific membership and service pricing, we encourage you to reach out directly — a conversation is the best way to understand what your care may involve and what investment makes sense for your situation.
What is the downside of functional medicine?
Honesty matters here: a root-cause approach takes time and commitment. It is not a quick fix. You may need to make meaningful changes to how you eat, sleep, move, and manage stress. Lab work takes time to interpret. Progress is measured in weeks and months, not days. For some people, that requires a shift in expectations. But for those who are genuinely ready to understand their health — not just quiet it down — that depth is exactly what they're looking for.
Is functional medicine right for everyone?
A naturopathic-functional approach is most appropriate for people dealing with chronic, complex, or hard-to-diagnose concerns — the "everything looks normal but I don't feel normal" experience. It is not a replacement for emergency or acute care. If you're managing a medical emergency or require immediate intervention, conventional care is the right call. But if you're living with persistent symptoms that conventional medicine hasn't fully addressed, this model may offer the context you've been missing.
What to Look for in a Functional Medicine Practitioner Near You
Not all practitioners who use the term "functional medicine" approach it the same way. Here are a few things worth considering when you're evaluating a provider in Middle Tennessee:
Credentials and training. Look for documented training in functional, naturopathic, or integrative care — and understand what that training reflects. Dr. Suzanna Underwood holds credentials including BCND, CMSA, CNHP, and CHS, and completed doctoral-level traditional naturopathic training. Her background in conventional nursing gives her a foundation in clinical medicine; her naturopathic training shaped how she uses it.
Philosophy of care. Does the practitioner lead with root-cause thinking, or does the visit feel like a conventional appointment with a few supplements added? Look for someone who spends time understanding your full picture before making recommendations.
Testing and personalization. A strong functional approach uses data. Functional labs, bioenergetic testing, and genetic tools like Boro Gene Mapping™ exist to give your care plan a foundation beyond guesswork.
Accessibility and location. If you're in Murfreesboro or the broader Middle Tennessee area — Smyrna, La Vergne, Shelbyville, Lebanon, or the Nashville suburbs — proximity matters. A practice you can actually get to consistently is a practice that can actually help you.
Functional Medicine at Boro Holistic Health in Murfreesboro, TN
Boro Holistic Health is located at 1602 West Northfield Blvd, Suite 509 in Murfreesboro — and it's been serving Middle Tennessee since 2014. The practice was founded by Dr. Suzanna Underwood and Jamey Underwood around a simple but firm conviction: your body has a God-given ability to heal, and the role of a good practitioner is to support that process by understanding it deeply.
The practice operates as a Private Membership Association, which means care is delivered free from insurance restrictions, pharmaceutical influence, and the time constraints that define most conventional appointments. That freedom translates directly into the depth of care members receive.
Services at Boro Holistic Health include functional lab interpretation, Boro Gene Mapping™ for personalized genetic insight, LENS Neurofeedback for nervous system support, bioenergetic testing, and the Eden21™ Program — a structured whole-body wellness protocol. The practice also offers a curated line of practitioner-formulated supplements through Boro Labs™ and an on-site organic Corner Market, because the philosophy of whole-person care extends to what you put in your body every day.
This isn't a clinic that sees you as a set of symptoms to be managed. It's a practice built for people who are ready to ask better questions about their health — and who want a practitioner in their corner with the experience, tools, and conviction to help them find real answers.
If you're ready to explore root-cause care in Murfreesboro or the surrounding Middle Tennessee area, we'd love to start a conversation.
Contact us to learn about membership and schedule your visit.
Conclusion
You deserve more than a normal lab result handed back with a shrug. Functional and naturopathic medicine exist because the conventional model — however well-intentioned — isn't built to ask the questions you actually need answered. Root-cause care takes time, requires commitment, and asks something of you. For the right person, that's not a deterrent. It's exactly what they've been waiting for.
Boro Holistic Health is here when you're ready to reclaim the health modern day took away.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a functional medicine doctor do?
A functional medicine practitioner works to identify the root causes of symptoms rather than treating those symptoms in isolation. They use detailed health histories, functional lab work, and sometimes genetic data to understand how your body's interconnected systems — hormonal, digestive, neurological, immune — are interacting. The goal is a personalized care plan built around your specific patterns of imbalance, not a one-size-fits-all protocol.
How is functional medicine different from conventional medicine?
Conventional medicine is largely designed to diagnose named conditions and prescribe corresponding treatments. Functional medicine asks why those conditions develop — examining diet, lifestyle, stress, genetics, and environmental factors as contributing context. The focus shifts from managing a diagnosis to understanding the whole person whose body is expressing those symptoms.
Is a naturopath the same as a functional medicine doctor?
Not exactly, though there is meaningful overlap. Functional medicine is a methodology that practitioners from various backgrounds can use. Traditional naturopathic care is a distinct philosophy and practice tradition rooted in the body's innate ability to heal. Many naturopathic practitioners incorporate functional medicine tools — at Boro Holistic Health, the two approaches are intentionally integrated.
Will insurance pay for functional medicine?
At Boro Holistic Health, care is delivered through a Private Membership Association model — outside the conventional insurance-based system. This is an intentional structural choice that keeps care decisions between you and your practitioner, free from insurance restrictions. Services are out-of-pocket and membership-based.
What is the downside of functional medicine?
A root-cause approach requires time, commitment, and a willingness to engage with lifestyle changes. It is not a quick fix, and results develop over weeks and months rather than days. For people genuinely ready to understand their health at a deeper level, this depth is a strength — but it does require realistic expectations and active participation in the process.
This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Boro Holistic Health is a Private Membership Association. Services are provided outside the conventional insurance-based medical model. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding your individual health needs.