Functional Medicine Foundations for Rehab and Nursing Professionals
Presented by Stacey Roberts
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Chronic pain is complex, and traditional approaches often fail to address its root causes. Functional medicine offers a systems-based model that explores the biological, nutritional, hormonal, and lifestyle factors contributing to persistent pain. This course introduces rehabilitation and nursing professionals to the foundational principles of functional medicine and how they apply to chronic pain syndromes, fatigue, inflammation, and recovery barriers. Through case-based examples and practical tools, learners will explore topics such as hormonal imbalances, gut health, food sensitivities, mitochondrial dysfunction, and stress-related dysregulation. Designed for PTs, OTs, and nurses in outpatient, integrative, or chronic care settings, this course equips clinicians to recognize when deeper, system-level dysfunction may be influencing musculoskeletal pain—and when collaboration with functional medicine specialists may enhance patient outcomes.
Learning Outcomes
- Define the core principles of functional medicine as they relate to pain management within rehabilitation settings
- Identify key hormones that may contribute to persistent pain in clinical populations, including their influence on inflammation and recovery
- Highlight how gut health influences systemic inflammation and pain perception through immune and microbiome pathways
- List common food sensitivity tests that help to uncover root causes of pain, fatigue, and inflammation
- Recognize the role of mitochondrial dysfunction and nutrient deficiencies in patients with chronic fatigue and pain syndromes
- Highlight how stress and HPA axis dysregulation affect healing, sleep quality, and pain outcomes
Meet your instructor
Stacey Roberts
Stacey Roberts is a highly accomplished physical therapist and nurse with over three decades of clinical experience specializing in outpatient orthopedics, sports medicine, and women’s health. A pioneer in integrated care, Stacey owned and operated a specialized clinic on Australia’s Gold Coast for 13 years, where she began…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Foundations of Functional Medicine for Pain Relief
This chapter introduces the principles of functional medicine and contrasts them with conventional care models. Learners will explore how systems biology and root-cause thinking can uncover hidden contributors to persistent pain—such as hormonal shifts, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Examples illustrate how non-musculoskeletal factors often play a key role in chronic symptoms.
2. Hormones and Their Role in Pain Perception
Hormones such as estrogen, testosterone, cortisol, and thyroid hormones significantly influence pain perception, tissue repair, and inflammation. This chapter explores how hormonal imbalances can manifest as chronic or treatment-resistant pain and offers practical strategies for symptom screening and basic hormone testing. Providers will gain insight into how endocrine patterns may delay recovery and when a referral is warranted.
3. The Gut Pain Connection
Gut health plays a critical role in systemic inflammation, immune signaling, and pain modulation. This chapter highlights how dysbiosis, leaky gut, and food sensitivities may contribute to musculoskeletal and widespread pain. Learners will review common signs of gut dysfunction and functional testing options that may help identify root causes that impact patient outcomes.
4. How Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Stress, and Sleep Relate to Pain
Mitochondrial energy production is essential for healing and cellular resilience. This chapter explores how mitochondrial impairment, chronic stress, HPA axis dysregulation, and sleep disturbances contribute to fatigue, inflammation, and pain sensitivity. Practical tools to assess and support these systems are presented, along with strategies for modulating stress and improving recovery.
5. Practical Applications and Next Steps
The final chapter brings together the interconnected systems explored throughout the course. Clinicians will learn how to ask meaningful intake questions, identify red flags for deeper dysfunction, and consider when to refer to or collaborate with a functional medicine provider. Learners will leave with a framework for applying systems-based thinking to chronic pain care in any clinical setting.