Virtual care for women in Western Springs and La Grange
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in Western Springs and La Grange, IL
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving Western Springs and La Grange?
Western Springs and La Grange women have a functional medicine and menopause doctor in Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., who sees patients entirely by video. Her credentials come from three organizations: board certification from the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM), FMCP-M certification from the Institute for Functional Medicine, and MSCP certification from The Menopause Society. Her care covers perimenopause and menopause, bioidentical hormone therapy when appropriate, thyroid conditions, gut health, PCOS and weight that has stopped responding to the usual efforts.
Western Springs and La Grange share a rhythm: school mornings, errands along La Grange Road, weekends on the sidelines. It is a full life, and the last thing it needs is a health plan that only works if everything else stops. Dr. Maren's philosophy is progress over perfection. The plan you build with her team is meant to be lived, not admired, with a few changes at a time, adjusted as you go, and video visits that fit inside the week you already have. Busy as this season is, a brief online application is how you begin.
Read how she approaches perimenopause and menopause, hormone replacement therapy and thyroid care, or start with Christine's journey.
What does Dr. Maren treat for women in Western Springs and La Grange?
Hormones, thyroid, gut, metabolism and the immune system all influence one another, so she treats them as one connected picture.
Sleep, mood, hot flashes, cycles and weight, treated as one connected picture.
Bioidentical estrogen, progesterone and testosterone when appropriate, prescribed and monitored by a physician.
A full thyroid panel with antibodies, not just TSH, and medication tuned to how you feel.
Testing for SIBO, dysbiosis and infections, then a plan to remove, repair and rebuild.
Insulin resistance, muscle and body composition, with GLP-1 therapy when appropriate.
Irregular cycles, androgen excess and estrogen dominance, traced to the root cause.
Finding the triggers that keep inflammation going, alongside the care you already have.
How is Dr. Maren's care different from a typical visit?
She combines the power to prescribe with the precision of functional medicine, and she looks for the root cause instead of treating one symptom at a time.
| What you get | Dr. Maren | Typical general visit |
|---|---|---|
| Training | Board-certified physician, IFM certified (FMCP-M) and MSCP | Varies, and menopause training is often limited |
| Hormone therapy | Prescribes bioidentical HRT when appropriate | May avoid it or offer one option |
| Testing | Hormones, a full thyroid panel, insulin, nutrients and gut health | Often one hormone level or TSH alone |
| The big picture | Sleep, mood, weight, gut, libido and energy together | Symptoms treated one at a time |
| Time with you | A 90-minute initial case review | Often a brief appointment |
| Follow-up | Regular follow-ups and portal messaging between visits | Often a one-time prescription |
When should women in Western Springs and La Grange see a hormone or menopause specialist?
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Irregular, heavier or closer-together periods
- Trouble falling or staying asleep
- Anxiety, irritability or low mood
- Brain fog and forgetfulness
- Weight gain around the middle
- Bloating, reflux or a gut that will not settle
- Exhausted, but told your labs are normal
These symptoms are common, but they are not something you simply have to live with. See the early signs of perimenopause.
How does virtual care work if you live in Western Springs and La Grange?
Apply online
Share your symptoms and goals in a brief application. The team confirms you are located in Illinois and that the practice is the right fit.
Talk it through
If it looks like a fit, you will be invited to a complimentary discovery call with the team.
Meet from home
Your 90-minute initial case review and initial nutrition consultation happen by video, from home in Western Springs or wherever you are in Illinois.
Test and personalize
A lab near home in the western suburbs draws your conventional blood work, and your results are then explained in detail, with room for everything you want to ask. Your step-by-step plan follows, with regular follow-ups and secure portal messaging between visits.
What is Dr. Maren's approach?
Her signature three-pillar approach: address root causes, optimize hormones and build resilience. We don't guess. We test.
Address the root cause
We go deeper to uncover and treat what is driving your symptoms, starting with gut health and its links to the immune system, hormones, metabolism and nutrients.
Optimize hormones
With comprehensive labs and clinical expertise, we dial in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, thyroid medications and innovative therapies like peptides and GLP-1s, when appropriate.
Build resilience
By integrating individualized nutrition, movement, lifestyle and mindset strategies, we help you strengthen your foundation for long-term health, energy and vitality.
Serving Western Springs and La Grange and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in Illinois does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in Western Springs and La Grange, and throughout the western suburbs in Cook County.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in Western Springs and La Grange: FAQs
I'm 47 and out of energy by mid-afternoon. Where would Dr. Maren start?
With your story and real testing. Afternoon crashes have several possible drivers, including blood sugar that rises and falls after lunch, a sluggish thyroid, depleted iron, broken sleep and changing hormones, so Dr. Maren looks at all of them rather than guessing. The plan starts with protein-centric meals, strength training and sleep, then adds targeted treatment where the data points.
Can a functional medicine doctor prescribe hormone therapy?
It depends on the doctor's license. Dr. Maren is a board-certified family physician as well as a certified functional medicine practitioner, so she can prescribe bioidentical estrogen, progesterone and testosterone when appropriate, along with thyroid medication and other treatments, and adjust them as your labs and symptoms change.
Does PCOS still matter after 40?
Yes. PCOS does not simply switch off in your 40s. Its links with insulin resistance and weight can continue, and its cycle changes can blur with those of perimenopause, which makes symptoms harder to read. Dr. Maren tests hormones and metabolic markers to sort out what is happening, then treats the pattern she finds.
Do I need to be in Illinois during my visits?
Yes. State licensing laws require you to be physically located in Illinois, or in another state where Dr. Maren is licensed (California, Colorado, Michigan and Texas), at the time of each video visit.
Is there a doctor near La Grange who treats SIBO and constant bloating?
Yes. Dr. Maren treats gut problems, including SIBO, by telehealth for women in La Grange, Western Springs and across Illinois. Bloating that is new and persistent should also be checked promptly by your own doctor to rule out other causes. Testing can include a SIBO breath test and stool analysis, and treatment goes after the cause rather than just the symptoms, with nutrition support from her team. Because your gut and hormones influence each other, it all fits into one plan.
How do I become a patient in Western Springs?
Start with the brief online application. If it looks like a good fit, you will get an email inviting you to book a complimentary discovery call with the team. If it is a match, you will be scheduled for a 90-minute initial case review and an initial nutrition consultation, all by video from home in Western Springs.
Do you accept insurance?
We do not contract with insurance, Medicare or Medicaid. This allows us to provide personalized, unhurried care without the limitations of insurance-based models. However, the vast majority of patients use their insurance to cover conventional lab work, and many also use HSA or FSA funds to pay for our services.
Can Dr. Maren be my primary care doctor?
No. The practice functions as a specialty consulting service. You will still need a primary care provider near Western Springs for general medical needs, physical exams and urgent issues like infections or injuries.
Ready to feel like yourself again, only better?
Dr. Maren and her team see women in Western Springs and La Grange and across Illinois by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.