Functional Medicine · A Reason, Not A Refill · Serving Leesburg
Functional Medicine for Leesburg, FL
"Functional medicine doctor Leesburg" is typed by people who have had every test come back within range and a body that is clearly not working right: energy that dies at two in the afternoon, recovery that takes three days instead of one, sleep that happens but restores nothing, aches that move around. Functional medicine is a badly abused phrase, so here is what it means at this practice, in three rules: we look at systems rather than isolated symptoms, we care about what is measurable, and we do not sell open-ended protocols that never end. Functional medicine near Leesburg, FL is led by a board certified acupuncture physician with twenty-two years in The Villages and a medical doctor on site, using NAD+, peptides, acupuncture, a short supplement list and laser. About twenty minutes north on 27.
Led by Dr. Christopher Cheshire, MS, AP, LAc, DOM, NCCAOM board certified, 22 years in The Villages. Medical oversight by Dr. Thomas Phipps, MD. Meet the providers
In short: Functional medicine doctor for Leesburg, FL: a reason, not a refill. Systems not symptoms, measurable, no open-ended protocols, an MD on site. Functional medicine near Leesburg, FL is led by a board certified acupuncture physician with twenty-two years in The Villages and a medical doctor on site, using NAD+, peptides, acupuncture, a short supplement list and laser.
Three Rules
What functional medicine means here, and what it does not.
The typical patient is between sixty and eighty, active, and frustrated. These rules are why they stay.
Systems, not symptoms
Afternoon fatigue, slow recovery, unrestorative sleep and diffuse aches are usually one or two systems off rather than four unrelated complaints: cellular energy, repair signalling, inflammation, sleep. We work out which, and do something specific about it, rather than treating each symptom at a separate office.
Measurable
We review the labs you already have and request a specific test only when there is a clear reason. Progress is scored on things you can count: when the afternoon collapse arrives, how long the same active day costs you, how you wake. If it is not changing, we say so.
No open-ended protocols
Every tool here has a defined course, a checkpoint and an end. No twelve-month programs, no monthly membership, no supplement cupboard. Patients come back because something changed, not because a contract says so.
What we are not. We are not an endocrinology practice, we do not manage complex hormone replacement, and we do not run the enormous speculative lab panels some functional clinics use as a sales tool. If your problem needs a specialist, the honest answer is the referral, and with Dr. Phipps, MD, in the building it is the same week.
The Tools
Where integrative medicine meets real physiology.
Cellular energy support through NAD+ therapy, a take-home protocol for fatigue and fog that sleep does not fix. Tissue repair signalling through peptide therapy, for an injury that will not finish healing or recovery that has slowed with age. Nervous system and inflammatory regulation through acupuncture, which many insurance plans cover. A short, specific list of supplements, the handful most adults in this age group are genuinely short on. Laser and LED for inflamed or slow-healing tissue. Dr. Phipps, MD, oversees anything injectable or medically supervised. Full functional medicine page.
The evidence, honestly: functional medicine as a label has little trial evidence of its own. The tools do, each with limits. Acupuncture for chronic pain beat sham and usual care in a pooled analysis of about 18,000 patients Source: Vickers et al., Archives of Internal Medicine, 2012 (29 trials, 17,922 patients). NAD+ precursors reliably raise NAD+ in older adults, with outcome data still thin. Peptide evidence is mostly animal. We tell you which tool rests on what before you start it.
What To Expect
What happens at the first functional medicine visit for Leesburg patients?
A free consultation to decide fit
Twenty minutes with Dr. Cheshire to decide whether there is something specific here worth pursuing, or whether we are the wrong door. Bring the labs and the medication list.
The review
Sleep, medications, recovery, inflammation, the labs you have, and the one or two systems most likely off. A specific test only if there is a clear reason.
A short, specific plan
One or two tools, not five, each with a defined course and a cost in writing. Most of the work happens at home; visits are monthly or less.
Checkpoints
Energy-focused tools like NAD+ are often noticed within a few weeks; inflammation and recovery changes take several. Scored against your start. Continue, adjust, or stop.
Cost and Insurance
How much does functional medicine cost for Leesburg patients, and what does insurance cover?
By tool, not by program
No consultation fee, no program fee, no membership. Each tool is priced on its own and reassessed rather than sold as a package. You know the cost of each before you agree to it.
Insurance
Functional medicine as a whole is generally not covered. Acupuncture visits are covered by many plans and we check yours before the first appointment. NAD+, peptides, laser and supplements are self pay.
Medicare
Original Medicare covers acupuncture only for chronic low back pain and none of the rest Source: CMS National Coverage Determination 30.3.3. Some Advantage plans include acupuncture; we confirm yours.
The first 20 minute consultation is free and no referral is needed. Call 352-430-2720. For reference, consumer cost guides put a single acupuncture visit in the United States at roughly $50 to $150, and we quote your own course in writing at the free consultation. Source: Money.com guide to alternative medicine costs. Insurance and payment details.
Is This You, Leesburg?
Bring the symptoms nobody could explain.
- Energy that dies at two in the afternoon despite adequate sleep.
- Recovery from exercise, activity or illness that takes days instead of hours.
- Sleep that technically happens but does not restore, including waking at 3 AM.
- Chronic low grade inflammation and aches that move around.
- Every test within range, so nothing was done.
A specialist, not us, for hormone management, thyroid disease, autoimmune conditions and anything that needs a diagnosis you do not yet have. We say so at the consultation and refer, rather than fit the problem to our tools.
Common Questions
What do Leesburg patients ask about functional medicine?
Patient Reviews
What patients say on Google.
Dr. Cheshire is rated 4.6 of 5 on Healthgrades from 11 patient ratings as of October 2026 (Healthgrades profile). The quotes above are from Google.
Getting Here From Leesburg
~20 min door to door.
Head north on US 441/27, then take County Road 466 west to Old Camp Road. Free parking right at the door.
Address910 Old Camp Road, Suite 162
The Villages, FL 32162
Phone352-430-2720
HoursMonday to Thursday, 7 AM to 3 PM
Friday, 7 AM to 12 PM
From Leesburg~20 min. Ground floor, step-free entry, free parking. Directions
Many Leesburg patients come to us looking for another option before surgery. The drive is quick, and parking is right at the door.
Nearby Communities We Also See Patients From
Medically Reviewed
Checked by the doctors who treat you
This page was written and reviewed by Dr. Christopher Cheshire, MS, AP, LAc, DOM (NCCAOM board certified). Last reviewed September 2026. Content updated October 26, 2026. Serving Leesburg patients from The Villages.
Educational content only. Not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Results vary between patients and nothing here is a guarantee of outcome.
Further reading: NIH NCCIH: complementary, alternative or integrative health, what is in a name ยท MedlinePlus: fatigue.
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