Connie Jackson, M.D., practiced obstetrics and gynecology for 20 years before becoming a functional medicine practitioner 10 years ago. Today, Jackson sees patients in Stow and Brookline, where she specializes in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) and functional metabolic and nutritional medicine for men and women.

“My original training focused on diagnosing and treating diseases with medication, which mostly just covers up the problem,” says Jackson. “In functional medicine we try to figure out where things are going wrong that create symptoms and diseases, and we begin to intervene at that level.”

While the majority of Jackson’s patients are women, many of them are referring their male relatives to the practice as they see results with functional medicine and BHRT. “Men are beginning to reach for tools to help them with such things as low libido and loss of stamina, decreased muscle mass and weakness, hair loss, depression, anxiety, memory and sleep issues and brain fog,” she says.

Jackson says that because many of these symptoms overlap with hypothyroidism, a man that thinks he’s dealing with low testosterone may have issues related to diet or abnormal thyroid function. “Hypothyroidism is becoming something of an epidemic, and we have to think that part of it is nutritional,” says Jackson. “People’s diets are not as good as they used to be and contain more fast foods. Even the so-called fresh foods we eat may not be as vital as they were just 50 years ago.”

Some of Jackson’s patients benefit from a combination of thyroid replacement medication and the right nutrients, she says. Nutritional support for hypothyroidism can include iodine, certain amino acids and other vitamins and minerals that aid the function of thyroid-stimulating hormones in the body.

For male and female patients at mid-life, Jackson may prescribe bioidentical hormones to restore energy, good sleep, sex drive and greater enjoyment of life. “I get many patients who’ve done a lot of doctor shopping, and they’re often so relieved and happy that I really listened to them and wanted to help them put the puzzle together,” Jackson says. “I get much more satisfaction trying to find and fix the root of the problem, and I’m passionate about my work because I see positive results.”

Locations: Pond Ave., Brookline or 132 Great Rd., Stow. For more information, call 617-232-0202 (Brookline) or 617- 879-0403 (Stow) or visit ConnieAJacksonMD.com.