This summer, National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) was privileged to host Dr. Joshua Bletzinger, DC, as he spoke to members of the Student American Chiropractic Association (SACA) at a lunchtime session. The title of his presentation was Functional Medicine for High Performance: Bridging Biomechanics and Biochemistry.

For more than 20 years, Dr. Bletzinger, a former athlete and ice hockey player, has been helping individuals and teams through functional medicine, nutrition, fitness and more. Throughout his presentation, he shared personal challenges, some key milestones on his path to career success and what inspired him to become a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC). But it didn’t take long for functional medicine to catch his interest.

“Functional medicine became more than a professional interest; it became a personal mission,” said Dr. Bletzinger.

He said through witnessing his family’s health challenges and dealing with his own injuries and childhood obesity, he knew he had to find a better way. He discovered that addressing the root causes of health issues, rather than just treating symptoms, was the key to true healing and vitality.

“I saw firsthand the devastating impact of chronic diseases and the failure of traditional approaches to provide lasting solutions. It was a wake-up call that drove me to explore functional medicine deeply,” he said.

During his career, he has served Olympic and professional athletes and has developed an extensive public clientele. Dr. Bletzinger presented several actual patient case histories to NUHS students, detailing different evidence-based tests that functional medicine practitioners use in their practices.

“Remember that functional medicine means individualized medicine,” he said. “For example, the results of a patient’s blood chemistry testing are crucial to identifying the root causes of their health issues.”

A thorough blood analysis and evaluation of labs will help determine key insights into a patient’s immune function, liver function, food sensitivities, whether or not gut reconditioning should be part of their nutrition/treatment plan, a measure of their energy level (or lack thereof – crucial for athletes), cause of inflammation, or markers that may indicate a more serious health problem.

Dr. Bletzinger continues to pursue his post-doctorate education in functional medicine, clinical nutrition and functional endocrinology, while focusing on biochemistry and biochemical lab diagnostics with specific attention to neuro-biogenic health, biotoxicity and chronic inflammation.

NUHS student organizations such as SACA provide an opportunity to meet other students and explore both personal and professional interests. Participation in one or more such groups not only assists students in staying abreast of topics in their future field, but helps them network with professionals and build lifelong connections. Read more about special featured guest speakers here.