Integrative Medicine in San Diego, Built Around You
Most doctors have fifteen minutes. We have your full history, your labs, your goals, and a plan that actually fits your life. Dr. Aaron Erez combines conventional medicine with evidence-based functional and integrative care to find what’s actually driving your symptoms, not just quiet them down.
Dr. Aaron Erez
When the standard approach isn’t getting you better
You’ve probably been to plenty of doctors already. You’ve had labs run and been told everything looks “normal.” You’ve been handed a prescription and sent on your way. And yet you still feel exhausted, bloated, foggy, anxious, or stuck.
That’s the gap integrative medicine is built to close.
Our practice combines the precision of conventional Western medicine with the depth of functional and integrative care. Instead of chasing one symptom at a time, we look at how your gut, hormones, nutrition, sleep, stress, and genetics are interacting. Then we build a plan that treats the whole picture.
Hi, I’m Dr. Aaron Erez. I’m a board-certified physician and an IFMCP-certified functional medicine practitioner based in San Diego. My job is to figure out what’s actually going on with you and give you a plan you can follow.
Integrative medicine, in plain English
There’s a lot of overlap between functional medicine, integrative medicine, holistic medicine, and conventional medicine. Here’s how I think about it.
Conventional medicine is great at acute care, surgery, and emergencies. It’s less great at chronic, complicated, multi-system problems where there isn’t one obvious diagnosis.
Functional medicine asks why. Why is this person tired? Why is this person inflamed? It looks at the body as one connected system and uses advanced testing to find the upstream cause.
Integrative medicine is the bigger umbrella. It pulls in functional medicine, conventional treatments when they’re the right tool, nutrition, lifestyle work, supplements, and mind-body practices. The goal is to use whatever actually works for you, backed by evidence.
Our practice sits at the center of all of it. You get the science, the testing, and the prescription pad when it’s appropriate. You also get the time, the listening, and the long-term plan that conventional care usually skips.
How we’re different from other integrative and functional medicine practitioners in San Diego
San Diego has a lot of integrative health centers and functional medicine practitioners. Here’s what you actually get with us that you won’t find everywhere.
You get a doctor, not a team handoff.
I see you. I read your labs. I write your plan. You’re not bouncing between five providers who each saw you for ten minutes.
We test deep, not wide.
A lot of clinics order the same panel for everyone. We choose tests based on your specific situation: nutrient status, hormone panels, gut and microbiome testing, food sensitivities, toxin exposure, advanced cardiometabolic markers, and genetics when it’s useful.
We use prescriptions when they help.
Some functional medicine clinics avoid medication on principle. I don’t. If a prescription is the right call, you’ll get one. If we can solve the problem with nutrition, supplements, or lifestyle work instead, we’ll do that. Often it’s both.
We stay connected between visits.
Calls, texts, emails, and virtual follow-ups are part of the program. You’re not waiting six weeks to ask a question.
We stay with you between visits.
Calls, texts, emails, and virtual follow-ups are part of the program. You’re not waiting six weeks to ask
What We Treat
Our patients usually come in with one or more of these:
Testing that goes beyond the standard panel
Most “normal” lab results aren’t really telling you whether you’re healthy. They’re telling you whether you’re sick enough to be diagnosed with something. Those are different questions.
We run testing designed to find the upstream cause:
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Comprehensive bloodwork
A detailed look at heart disease risk, metabolic and insulin function, inflammation, and nutrient status, with reference ranges built around optimal function, not just disease thresholds.
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Functional testing
Stool and microbiome analysis, food sensitivity panels, hormone panels (including DUTCH testing when relevant), and organic acid testing to see how your body is actually functioning at a cellular level.
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Toxin and exposure screening
Heavy metals, mold, and environmental toxins that conventional testing rarely checks for.
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Genetics
When it makes sense, we use genetic data to flag predispositions and personalize prevention.
You only run the tests that fit your situation and budget. After your assessment, you get a superbill you can submit to your insurance for possible reimbursement.
What working with us looks like
Free 15-minute call.
We talk about what’s going on and whether we’re the right practice for you. No pressure, no sales pitch.
Detailed intake.
Before your first real appointment, you fill out a thorough health history covering symptoms, past care, diet, environment, stress, sleep, and goals. I read all of it before we meet.
First appointment and testing plan.
We sit down (virtually) and walk through everything. I order the testing that fits your situation.
Your personalized plan.
Once results are in, you get a written plan that covers prescriptions if needed, supplements, food, movement, sleep, and stress. Everything is explained, with links and resources so you’re not guessing.
Ongoing support.
We stay in contact between appointments through messages, calls, and follow-ups. Your plan adjusts as your body responds.
Rooted in science, built around you
Three things drive how we practice.
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Evidence First
Everything we do, from a supplement recommendation to a lifestyle change, is grounded in current research. “Holistic” doesn’t mean “unproven.”
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Patient-centered.
Your history, your preferences, your goals, and your real life shape the plan. You’re not getting a template.
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Sustainable.
A plan that works for two weeks isn’t a plan. We focus on changes you can actually live with, so the results hold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Three things drive how we practice.
Functional medicine focuses on finding the root cause of disease through a systems approach, looking at how all of your body’s systems interact. Integrative medicine is broader. It combines functional medicine with conventional treatments and other evidence-based therapies. Our practice does both.
They sound similar but they’re not the same. Integrative medicine combines conventional and complementary therapies to treat the whole person. Integrated health refers to coordinating care across different medical specialties and providers. We practice integrative medicine.
There’s overlap, but integrative medicine specifically blends conventional care with evidence-based complementary therapies. Holistic medicine often leans more heavily on traditional and natural approaches without always integrating conventional treatment.
A long, detailed conversation about your full health history, not a fifteen-minute visit. Testing that goes deeper than a standard panel. A written plan that covers food, lifestyle, supplements, and prescriptions when needed. And ongoing access between appointments.
That depends on what you compare it to. Patients who’ve been cycling through specialists, prescriptions, and unanswered questions for years often find that one focused program saves them money, time, and frustration in the long run. We’re also out-of-network with insurance, but you’ll get a superbill to submit for possible reimbursement.
No. Most of our care is virtual. We can work with patients anywhere in California, Oregon, or North Carolina.
Chronic fatigue, gut and digestive issues, autoimmune disease, hormone imbalances, weight that won’t budge, sleep problems, and patients who want a long-term plan for prevention and longevity.
Book a free 15-minute call. We’ll talk through your situation and figure out the next step together.