Photo courtesy of Aven Clinic.

Our community is committed to a healthy lifestyle, embracing diverse treatment options for physical, mental and emotional well-being. We value a holistic approach, combining conventional medicine with alternative therapies like acupuncture, herbal remedies and mindfulness. 

Aven Clinic specializes in a full spectrum of health conditions, including sexual health, aging, weight gain, hormone imbalance, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and more. Owner and Medical Director, Karolina Baker, MD is a board-certified family medicine physician and functional medicine provider. She has many professional interests including Integrative psychiatry and bio-identical hormones and holds several licenses and certifications.

“At Aven Clinic, we practice both integrative and functional medicine. Integrative medicine means that we implement an alternative approach to Western medicine. Functional medicine focuses on ‘why’ the disease happened and the root cause of the problem,” Dr. Baker explains. “What makes us different is that we approach our patients and their bodies as a whole. While treating the patient, we perform comprehensive diagnostics; we test and don't guess. Alongside the diagnostic tests, we implement diet and lifestyle changes, address physical, emotional, and dietary stressors, and use nutraceuticals. We are also very open to collaboration with our patient’s primary care physician or other specialists.”

Dr. Baker recalls seeing a patient who came to her with severe arthritis, back pain and depression. “She was on multiple medications for pain, depression, anxiety and insomnia. After six months with us, her pain level was reduced by 80%. When we met, she was limited to one hour of activity per day and after following my protocol, she is now able to bike ride and is not depressed anymore. Since her brain health improved and her pain subsided, she did not need so many pharmaceuticals anymore.”

The clinic often gets inquiries from people who have never experienced functional medicine and are curious about the treatment costs and their involvement in the process. “I emphasize education before they see us at the clinic. I will partner with and educate you, but you must actively participate in your healing journey. I am here to guide you, and you need to be involved in the whole process, including lifestyle, diet and stress management,” she says. “If you want to live a happy and healthy life, I encourage you to be your own health advocate and take action.”

Aven Clinic Functional Medicine, 1219 S East Ave Suite 308, Sarasota, 941-500-2093, avenwellness.com.

Photo courtesy of Aven Clinic.