Everything You Want to Know
Before Getting Started

The best way is to book a free 15-minute call. You tell us what you're dealing with — your conditions, your symptoms, what you've already tried — and we'll be honest about whether we think we can help. We don't take on patients we don't believe we can meaningfully help. If we're not the right fit, we'll tell you and point you toward something better.

Your primary care physician works within a system that's optimized for acute care and 15-minute visits. Chronic disease management in that system usually means a prescription and a return visit in 3 months. Functional medicine takes a fundamentally different approach: we spend 90 minutes on your initial consultation, we order labs your regular doctor probably won't run, and we build a personalized plan based on your specific biology — not a population average. We ask why your body is malfunctioning, not just what drug to prescribe for the symptom.

No referral needed. You can book directly by calling (773) 266-1134, emailing MyRootCauseMedicine@gmail.com, or booking a free 15-minute consultation call online. We work directly with patients — no gatekeeping required.

Yes — we strongly recommend it. Root Cause Functional Medicine is a complement to your existing care, not a replacement. We communicate with and coordinate alongside your other providers. If you're managing serious conditions, maintaining your relationships with specialists and your primary care physician remains important. We handle the nutritional and lifestyle medicine side; we work alongside your other providers for the rest.

We are a cash-pay practice and do not bill insurance directly. This allows us to spend the time your case truly deserves — without being constrained by what insurance deems "medically necessary." Many of the labs and interventions that make functional medicine so effective simply aren't covered by insurance. By operating outside the insurance system, we can do what's actually best for you.

The Root Cause Program is $1,000 for the complete 12-week program. This includes everything: comprehensive advanced bloodwork, a 90-minute initial consultation, two 60-minute follow-up appointments, unlimited direct messaging, and medication management throughout. There are no hidden fees or add-on charges for labs. The program is priced as a full investment in your health — comparable to 3-4 months of many specialty medication copays, but with the goal of potentially eliminating the need for those medications long-term.

Weeks 1-2: Advanced lab work is ordered. You'll receive a secure message to set up the patient portal.

Week 2-3: 90-minute initial consultation. We go deep into your full health history, review your labs in detail, and build your personalized protocol — nutrition plan, lifestyle changes, and any medication adjustments needed.

Weeks 4-8: Implementation phase. You follow your personalized protocol with ongoing support via direct messaging. Questions are answered quickly. Adjustments are made as needed.

Week 6: First 60-minute follow-up visit. We review your progress, check in on how your body is responding, and refine the protocol.

Week 10-12: Final 60-minute follow-up. We review results, compare to baseline labs if needed, discuss long-term maintenance strategy, and determine whether continued support is appropriate.

We order a comprehensive advanced panel that goes far beyond what your primary care typically runs. Depending on your conditions, this typically includes: fasting glucose, insulin, A1C, advanced lipid panel, thyroid panel (TSH, free T3, free T4), comprehensive metabolic panel, CBC, inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, homocysteine), vitamin D, B12, magnesium, ferritin, and other markers relevant to your specific case. All lab fees are included in the program cost — no surprise bills.

Your nutrition protocol is built around your specific biology, conditions, preferences, and goals — not a cookie-cutter template. We work with a variety of evidence-based dietary approaches: low-carbohydrate, ketogenic, carnivore, anti-inflammatory, elimination protocols, and Mediterranean-style diets, among others. What we recommend will be based on what's most likely to work for you — and we explain the reasoning behind every recommendation so you understand why.

At the end of the program, we'll assess your progress and discuss the right next step for you. Many patients have achieved their primary health goals within 12 weeks and transition to self-managed maintenance with occasional check-ins. Others choose to continue with a follow-up program for ongoing optimization. We'll never lock you into ongoing services you don't need — the goal is for you to graduate to independence and excellent health.

Absolutely — you continue all your current medications exactly as prescribed when you start the program. As your body heals and your metabolic markers improve, we may adjust medications in coordination with your other providers. We never recommend abruptly stopping any medication, and we work carefully and conservatively when making any adjustments.

For many patients — particularly those with Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and GERD — yes, this is a realistic and achievable goal. The answer depends on how long you've had the condition, your current level of disease progression, how well you're able to implement dietary changes, and your individual metabolic response. We won't overpromise, but we will be honest about what's possible for your specific situation. Chris personally came off all of his UC medications — that's not a marketing claim, it's his lived experience.

Yes — Chris is a licensed Nurse Practitioner with full prescriptive authority. He can prescribe, adjust, and manage medications as clinically appropriate. This is uncommon in the functional medicine world, where many practitioners are health coaches or nutritionists without prescribing authority. Having a licensed NP managing your care means we can handle your full metabolic picture — including the medication side — within a single program.

Yes — Telemedicine visits are available for patients located in Illinois. All consultations and follow-up appointments can be conducted via secure video or phone call. Lab work is handled through a local lab draw near you. Messaging between appointments is via our secure HIPAA-compliant app.

We're based in Illinois and primarily serve patients in Illinois. Telemedicine availability in other states depends on state licensing requirements for nurse practitioners. Please contact us to confirm availability in your specific state — we'll be upfront about where we can and can't provide care.

We use national lab networks (such as Quest Diagnostics or LabCorp) with locations across the country. Once you enroll, we send your lab orders electronically. You find a local draw site near you, get your blood drawn, and results are sent directly to us. Most patients find a draw site within 10-15 minutes of their home.

Many patients report feeling noticeably better — more energy, less inflammation, improved digestion — within the first 2-3 weeks of implementing dietary changes. Objective markers like blood sugar, blood pressure, and weight typically show measurable improvement within 4-8 weeks. The 12-week timeframe is chosen because it's long enough to see meaningful, measurable, lasting change — not just short-term results that fade.

Results depend on many factors, including how well you're able to implement the protocol, the severity and duration of your conditions, and your individual biology. If you're not responding as expected, we dig deeper — adjust the approach, investigate other potential drivers, or recommend additional testing. We're actively managing your case throughout the program, not just handing you a plan and checking back in 12 weeks.

Yes. The interventions we use — particularly therapeutic nutrition, metabolic intervention, and gut microbiome restoration — are supported by a substantial and growing body of peer-reviewed research. The evidence for dietary intervention in Type 2 diabetes reversal, IBD remission, and hypertension management is particularly strong. We stay current with the literature and apply interventions that have solid evidence behind them. Chris keeps his practice grounded in science, not trends.