Board-certified providers Functional medicine experts Hormone specialists

You Don’t FEEL Like YOURSELF —and You’re Not Imagining It

If you feel tired, inflamed, foggy, anxious, or frustrated by “normal” lab results, there may be more going on beneath the surface. At Vitality Renewal, we take the time to look deeper and help you understand what your body is trying to tell you.

I’m Dr. Yvonne Karney. Many of my patients say the hardest part is being told everything looks fine when they know it doesn’t. Functional medicine helps us connect the dots, look for root causes, and build a plan that fits your body and your life.

Start With a Conversation

Could hormone imbalances be contributing to your fatigue, brain fog, or mood changes?

Take our hormone quiz to find out!

Take Our Hormone Quiz

You’re not just dealing with symptoms.

You’re dealing with patterns.

Many patients come to us after years of chasing separate symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, and anxiety without getting a clear explanation. Functional medicine helps us step back and see how those symptoms may be connected.

We commonly help patients with:

Persistent fatigue or low energy
Brain fog, memory issues, or trouble concentrating
Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
Hormonal imbalance (perimenopause, menopause, testosterone concerns)
Anxiety, low mood, or feeling “off” emotionally
Poor sleep or waking up exhausted
Inflammation, pain, or autoimmune symptoms
Digestive issues and food sensitivities

We help you get to the root of hormone symptoms by looking at the whole picture.

Hormones are only one part of your health.

Functional Medicine for Women with Fatigue, Brain Fog and Hormone Imbalance

Traditional medicine is often very good at treating disease once it appears. Functional medicine asks an earlier question:

What’s driving the symptoms in the first place?

At Vitality Renewal, we take the time to understand how your body systems work together — hormones, metabolism, gut health, brain chemistry, inflammation, and stress response. When one area is out of balance, others are affected too.

Instead of chasing symptoms, we look for patterns.

That means:

Longer, more thoughtful appointments
Advanced and personalized lab testing
Care plans built around your biology — not averages
Education, so you understand what’s happening in your body

This isn’t about doing everything — it’s about doing the right things for you.

See What Working Together Looks Like

What it’s like to work together

Functional medicine is different from most medical visits — and that’s intentional. We take the time needed to understand your health story and create a plan that makes sense for you.

Here’s what you can expect at Vitality Renewal:

1. A thoughtful first visit
Your initial appointment is unhurried and focused. We review your health history, current concerns, lifestyle, and goals — often connecting dots that haven’t been discussed before.

2. Deeper insight through testing
When appropriate, we use advanced lab testing to better understand hormones, metabolism, inflammation, nutrient status, and other key systems.

3. A personalized care plan
Your plan is built around your body, your priorities, and your capacity. We focus on what will make the biggest difference — not doing everything at once.

4. Ongoing guidance and support
Healing is a process. We adjust your plan over time, track progress, and make sure you understand each step along the way.

You don’t need to have it all figured out before you start.

Praise From Our Clients

View More Testimonials

Functional Medicine Tools We Use

At Vitality Renewal, we combine the best of traditional medical practices with innovative Functional Medicine to create a personalized healing plan. You are UNIQUE, and so is your path to healing. Below is a sampling of tools we may recommend.

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
Neurofeedback Therapy
Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM)
Far Infrared Sauna
Genomics
Low Dose Naltrexone
Health Coaching
Laboratory Testing
Why Functional Medicine?

Call Today! (815) 271-7300

Understand Your Body, Take Charge of Your Health

Knowledge is power. We’re here to help you take charge of your health.

Check out our wellness resource blog here to get more valuable information.

Why Aren’t My Hormones Working??

Do you ever feel like your hormones just aren’t working right? I see this A LOT in patients that first come to see me. Sometimes it’s that there aren’t the right amount of hormones. I’ve talked in the past about how much I hate the word “normal” when discussing health, and it applies especially to […]

The (Reluctant) Rebel Medical Doctor

Not long ago I had an analysis of my messaging called the “brand archetype”. It’s a method to determine the “voice” you use in describing and delivering your services in order to be able to attract the kind of people who will most benefit from your work and be a joy to work with. My […]

The 7 Hidden Signs Your Hormones Are Screaming for Help (That Doctors Miss)

You’ve been to three doctors. Your labs are “normal.” But you feel like you’re living in someone else’s tired, foggy, irritable body. Sound familiar? What if I told you these aren’t separate problems, but your hormones sending you an SOS signal that most doctors are completely missing? As a gynecologist with 30 years of experience—8 […]

Shop Our Store

Find essential oils, supplements, and self-care products. Clients receive special discounts. Learn more by talking to our team!

Browse Products

Stop surviving on caffeine and willpower!

Grab my free eBook and go From Fatigued To Fabulous!

Download: From Fatigued to Fabulous

Featured In

HHH-Episode-234-QT-Scan-Revolutionizes-BREAST-IMAGING-for-Women

1208648150326116.Pr8fjJXU5Jy8w7s3hM4s_height640

Thoughtful care, guided by experience.

I’m Dr. Yvonne Karney, a physician who believes medicine works best when we slow down, listen carefully, and treat the whole person — not just lab values or diagnoses.

Over the years, I’ve seen how often patients are left feeling unheard or rushed. Functional medicine allows me to practice the kind of medicine I believe in: thoughtful, science-based, and deeply personalized.

At Vitality Renewal, care is guided by three core principles:

Listen first — your story matters
Look deeper — symptoms don’t happen in isolation
Partner together — healing works best when you’re informed and supported

This isn’t about doing more medicine — it’s about doing better medicine

Common Questions Answered To Your Functional Medicine Questions

Real Answers from Crystal Lake’s Hormone and Functional Medicine Experts

Health Condition FAQs

What are the signs of hormone imbalance in women?

Common signs of hormone imbalance include chronic fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest, brain fog and difficulty concentrating, unexplained weight gain (especially around the abdomen), mood swings, anxiety or depression, irregular or heavy periods, hot flashes and night sweats, low libido, hair loss or thinning, sleep disturbances, and digestive issues. At Vitality Renewal, we use comprehensive hormone testing to identify which specific hormones are out of balance and create a personalized treatment plan.
Why am I so tired all the time even though I sleep enough?

Persistent fatigue despite adequate sleep usually indicates an underlying issue beyond simple sleep deprivation. Common root causes include thyroid dysfunction (even subclinical hypothyroidism), adrenal fatigue or cortisol imbalance, hormone deficiencies (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone), chronic inflammation, nutrient deficiencies (iron, B12, vitamin D, magnesium), blood sugar imbalances, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Functional medicine testing can identify your specific cause.
Can hormone imbalance cause weight gain?

Brain fog describes a constellation of cognitive symptoms including difficulty concentrating, memory problems, mental fatigue, and feeling “fuzzy” or “cloudy” mentally. Common causes include hormone imbalances (particularly thyroid and sex hormones), blood sugar dysregulation, food sensitivities and inflammation, poor sleep quality, chronic stress and high cortisol, nutrient deficiencies, and gut health issues. Our approach at Vitality Renewal addresses the root cause rather than just the symptoms.
What lab tests do you use that regular doctors don't?

Beyond standard labs, we use comprehensive functional medicine testing including complete thyroid panels (TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3, thyroid antibodies), sex hormone panels including metabolites, comprehensive metabolic panels with optimal ranges interpretation, cortisol testing (salivary or DUTCH test), vitamin D and B12 with methylation markers, inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, homocysteine), gut health testing when indicated, and genetic testing for personalized insights. We interpret all results looking for optimal function, not just “normal” ranges.
Do you treat thyroid problems?

Yes, thyroid dysfunction is one of our specialties. We treat hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, subclinical hypothyroidism, and thyroid hormone resistance. Unlike conventional treatment that often only checks TSH, we run complete thyroid panels and look at the entire picture—not just whether you’re making enough thyroid hormone, but whether your body is converting it properly and whether it’s getting into your cells effectively.
What is the difference between regular HRT and bioidentical hormones?

Bioidentical hormones are molecularly identical to the hormones your body produces naturally, derived from plant sources like yams and soy. Conventional HRT often uses synthetic hormones or hormones from animal sources (like pregnant mare urine in Premarin) that are similar but not identical to human hormones. Bioidentical hormones can be customized to your specific needs and typically have fewer side effects because your body recognizes them as identical to what it produces.

Functional Medicne FAQs

What causes chronic fatigue in women over 40?

Chronic fatigue in women over 40 typically stems from hormone imbalances (particularly thyroid, estrogen, and progesterone decline), cortisol dysregulation from chronic stress, insulin resistance, nutritional deficiencies (especially B12, iron, and vitamin D), and mitochondrial dysfunction. At Vitality Renewal in Crystal Lake, we use comprehensive lab testing to identify your specific root causes rather than just treating symptoms.
How do I know if my fatigue is hormone-related?

Hormone-related fatigue often comes with specific patterns: worsening fatigue that doesn’t improve with sleep, brain fog that affects your ability to concentrate, unexplained weight gain especially around the midsection, mood swings or irritability, and changes in your menstrual cycle or hot flashes. Our hormone quiz can help you identify if hormones are contributing to your exhaustion. We serve patients throughout McHenry County and the greater Chicago northwest suburbs.
What's the difference between functional medicine and traditional medicine for hormone issues?

Traditional medicine often relies on standard reference ranges that define “normal” as average, not optimal. If your thyroid or hormone levels fall within the broad normal range, you’re told everything is fine even if you feel terrible. Functional medicine practitioners like Dr. Yvonne Karney look for optimal ranges, investigate the underlying causes of imbalance, and create personalized treatment plans. We don’t just prescribe antidepressants for fatigue—we find out why you’re fatigued in the first place.
Is bioidentical hormone replacement therapy safe?

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), when properly prescribed and monitored by an experienced functional medicine provider, can be very safe and effective. The key is individualized dosing based on comprehensive testing, using hormones that are molecularly identical to what your body produces naturally, and ongoing monitoring to ensure optimal levels. Dr. Karney has over 30 years of experience as a board-certified gynecologist and has specialized in BHRT for the past 8+ years, serving the Crystal Lake community with expert hormone care.
Can you fix hormone problems without taking hormones?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Many factors affect hormone function beyond just hormone levels—including stress management, sleep quality, nutrition, gut health, liver function, and inflammation. We look at your hormones like a locksmith: both the key (the hormone itself) and the lock (the receptor) need to work properly. We optimize diet, address nutrient deficiencies, reduce inflammation, support detoxification, and balance blood sugar. In some cases, this is enough. In others, hormone replacement is needed alongside these lifestyle changes for optimal results.
What symptoms indicate you need functional medicine instead of traditional care?

Ready to take the next step?

If you’re feeling stuck, unheard, or unsure where to turn next, a conversation can help bring clarity. Your first visit is an opportunity to be heard, ask questions, and decide if this approach is right for you.

There’s no pressure and no obligation — just a thoughtful starting point.

Schedule a Consultation