Meet Andrea Bisson, Naturopathic Physician and Women’s Health Expert
B&S: Tell us a little bit about yourself. A.B: I am a Naturopathic Physician and Chiropractor who recently relocated to Shanghai from Michigan in the U.S. I had a successful practice for over 20 years in the Ann Arbor area, focused on holistic wellness and nutrition.
B&S: Why did you come to Shanghai?
A.B: This was such an exciting opportunity for me. My husband (we’re newlyweds!) had the chance to come here for his work with General Motors. Years ago I had an offer to take over a practice in Australia for a year and have since regretted not doing it, so I knew this was an opportunity we could not pass up. It turns out that one of the experts in my field of functional medicine is from Suzhou, so this is also a wonderful career and personal opportunity as I can be on the forefront of this exciting worldwide health movement here in China. I was thrilled to connect with Doris Rathgeber and the integrative team at Body & Soul. It is the perfect environment for me to practice.
B&S: How did you come to specialize in women’s health issues using functional medicine?
A.B: My education began at Georgia State University in Physical Therapy. I started in stroke rehabilitation but I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the medical model of symptom treatment. So, I moved onto sports medicine but still found I was looking for a more holistic approach. This led me to pursuing my degree in chiropractic, which I obtained from Life College in Georgia. I had a successful practice after returning to Michigan. We were often pitched many nutritional supplements. I didn’t feel comfortable promoting it, as it was packaged as a one size fits all, which didn’t sit well with me. This started the seed of the importance of nutrition. Fast forward several years and I was experiencing a personal health crisis. Even pursuing holistic treatment, I found it was symptom-oriented. I would be asked to list all my symptoms and then be given a long regimen of treatments for each symptom, with little understanding of underlying cause. I learned a lot about nutrition and holistic health during this journey, but it was not until I discovered functional medicine that I regained my own health and found the ultimate way to help patients.
B&S: Tell us briefly about functional medicine.
A.B: In summary, functional medicine’s testing and treatment protocols are based on addressing the underlying functioning of the body’s systems. Symptoms can be misleading, but by testing blood, saliva, urine, etc. we can base treatment on evidence of imbalances in the body so we can heal them. I use whole food nutritional supplements as the healing mechanism (along with lifestyle changes to support long-term health). This has been especially beneficial for patients who have attempted the medical model of symptom-based treatment and continue to suffer from an array of problems.
B&S: Who can functional medicine help?
A.B: Functional medicine can help most chronic conditions, especially when people are experiencing multiple symptoms and have had little success with other treatment. My practice has been 98% women between the ages of 20-60. The primary areas I have focused on are:
1. Chronic fatigue, sleep issues/insomnia, depressive and anxious moods
2. Reproductive issues (infertility, PMS, menopause)
3. Digestive issues (IBS, heartburn, inflammation and many seemingly unrelated issues that stem from leaky gut syndrome)
Andrea is a leader in natural and alternative techniques. Her vast knowledge of health, healing & rehabilitation brings an eclectic approach to the unique needs of her patients. She will share a full presentation of functional medicine in an upcoming post so make sure to check our blog regularly. She is also available to present the concept and principle of functional medicine to groups so feel free to get in touch with us for any inquiry.
Andrea offers consultations in our Century Park Clinic – Pudong and Downtown Clinic – Xintiandi. Click here to schedule an appointment with her.