Autoimmune & Inflammatory Concerns
Patients seeking a deeper look at autoimmune patterns, inflammation, and rheumatology-related symptoms that have not felt fully addressed.
Board-certified rheumatologist and Functional Medicine physician
Smitha Chiniga Reddy, M.D.
Bridging Rheumatology and Functional Medicine.
Dr. Reddy helps patients better understand inflammation, autoimmune disease, fatigue, gut health, hormone and metabolic patterns, and complex chronic symptoms through a careful physician-led model.
- ABIMBoard-certified rheumatologist
- IFMCPInstitute for Functional Medicine
- 15+ yrsSan Diego clinical experience
Founding physician
Functional Health Institute
La Jolla and Poway · Virtual care in California when appropriate.
About
Board-certified rheumatologist. IFM-certified Functional Medicine physician.
Dr. Smitha Reddy is a Board-Certified Rheumatologist and Internal Medicine Physician with over 15 years of experience caring for patients with autoimmune, inflammatory, and complex chronic medical conditions.
She completed her Internal Medicine residency at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego and pursued Rheumatology fellowship training at Scripps Green Hospital in Torrey Pines, where she developed advanced expertise in autoimmune and inflammatory disease management. Dr. Reddy also has experience in musculoskeletal ultrasound, regenerative medicine procedures, and ultrasound-based research involving Giant Cell Arteritis during fellowship training.
Over the years, Dr. Reddy worked closely with patients struggling with chronic inflammation, fatigue, pain, immune dysfunction, metabolic imbalance, and long-term chronic symptoms that significantly impacted quality of life. Through this experience, she recognized that while medications are often important, many patients experience the greatest improvement when medical care is combined with personalized lifestyle, nutrition, recovery, stress, sleep, gut health, and metabolic health interventions.
This clinical experience led her to pursue advanced Functional Medicine training through the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), allowing her to provide a more comprehensive root-cause and whole-person approach to chronic disease.
At Functional Health Institute, Dr. Reddy focuses on physician-guided Functional Medicine care designed to help patients better understand the underlying drivers of inflammation and chronic symptoms while creating sustainable strategies to support healing and long-term wellness.
Clinical interests
- Autoimmune disease and chronic inflammation
- Fatigue and immune dysfunction
- Gut health and microbiome support
- Joint and musculoskeletal health
- Metabolic and lifestyle optimization
- Longevity and healthy aging
- Nutrition, recovery, and whole-person wellness
Care at Functional Health Institute
Care at Functional Health Institute is intentionally personalized, structured, and collaborative.
Patients undergo a comprehensive physician-led evaluation focused on understanding their symptoms, medical history, lifestyle patterns, nutrition, sleep, stress, gut health, metabolic health, and inflammation triggers. From there, individualized care plans are developed using Functional Medicine principles, evidence-based medicine, and personalized lifestyle strategies tailored to each patient’s goals and physiology.
The Functional Medicine approach at Functional Health Institute incorporates core principles focused on identifying and addressing root causes of chronic disease rather than simply treating symptoms alone. Care plans emphasize restoration of physiologic balance through targeted nutrition, lifestyle support, recovery planning, stress regulation, sleep optimization, gut and metabolic support, and clinically appropriate supplementation guidance.
- Certification
- American Board of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology
- Functional medicine
- Institute for Functional Medicine certified practitioner
- Residency
- Internal Medicine, Scripps Mercy Hospital, San Diego
- Fellowship
- Rheumatology, Scripps Green Hospital, Torrey Pines
- Additional training
- Musculoskeletal ultrasound and regenerative medicine procedures
- Care model
- Private-pay structured care through Functional Health Institute
Philosophy
Bridging Rheumatology and Functional Medicine
Dr. Reddy’s approach grew from specialty training, patient care, and the clinical reality that chronic symptoms do not always fit neatly into one answer.
Over the years, Dr. Reddy worked closely with patients struggling with chronic inflammation, fatigue, pain, immune dysfunction, metabolic imbalance, and long-term symptoms that affected daily life.
That experience led her to build a care model that combines evidence-based rheumatology, lifestyle medicine, and Functional Medicine under appropriate medical guidance.
- Symptoms need context. Two patients with similar lab values often have very different clinical pictures. Reading symptoms in context matters.
- Patients deserve to feel heard. The work begins with time, attention, and an honest conversation about what the patient is actually experiencing.
- Inflammation and immune health connect across systems. Gut, hormone, metabolic, lifestyle, and nutrition factors can all influence the picture and inform how a plan is shaped.
- Education matters. Patients who understand the reasoning behind their plan can participate more actively and follow through with more clarity.
- Structured follow-through matters. Chronic concerns often need more than 1 visit. A structured care arc gives the work enough room to happen.
- Patient participation matters. The strongest results come when the patient is ready to engage with lifestyle, nutrition, and follow-up over time.
Areas of expertise
Where the work tends to focus.
Specialty
Conditions
Conditions
Systems
For patients
Care model
Functional Rheumatology
Inflammation, immune patterns, joint pain, and rheumatologic symptoms examined through a broader, physician-led lens.
Read on FunctionalHI MethodRoot-Cause Functional Medicine
Clinical history, biomarkers when appropriate, and lifestyle context to support a more personalized care discussion across immune, gut, hormone, and metabolic systems.
Read on FunctionalHIComplex Symptoms
Patients with overlapping or layered symptoms who want a structured, broader-context evaluation rather than a single rushed visit.
Gut, Immune, Hormone & Metabolic Pathways
How those systems connect to inflammation and chronic concerns, and how that picture can shape a plan.
Patient Education
Clear explanations so patients understand what is being recommended and why they are being asked to participate.
Structured Private-Pay Care
A focused 2-month, comprehensive 3-month, or extended 6-month program structure depending on what the assessment shows. Private-pay so the work can include time, coaching, and follow-through that fall outside standard insurance billing.
Read on FunctionalHIThe practice behind the philosophy
Patient care is provided through Functional Health Institute.
Functional Health Institute is where Dr. Reddy’s physician-led approach becomes a structured patient care model for patients seeking more time, private-pay care, Functional Medicine principles, clinically appropriate testing, health coaching, supplementation guidance, lifestyle support, and follow-through.
Featured education
Foundational reading from Functional Health Institute.
Foundational
What Is Functional Rheumatology?
How a physician-led functional lens looks at inflammation, autoimmune patterns, and rheumatologic symptoms in context.
Read article MethodRoot-Cause Functional Medicine for Autoimmune and Inflammatory Concerns
How clinical context, testing when appropriate, and personalized planning can support a deeper understanding of complex presentations.
Read article Care ModelWhat to Expect from a Private-Pay Functional Medicine Consultation
What private-pay care can include, what the first step looks like, and how to know whether the model is a fit.
Read articleBecome a patient
Interested in becoming a patient?
Patient care is provided through Functional Health Institute. The first step is a short application so the team can determine whether the model may be the right fit.
Functional Health Institute is a private-pay practice and is not intended for urgent or emergency medical needs.