LAB TESTING ~ FINDING THE ROOT CAUSE
Blood Testing
Chances are that you have an insurance plan which dictates which blood tests are “medically necessary”. Because allopathic medicine and the insurance system are set up to look only for pathology, tests which assess general physiological function in absence of clear evidence of pathology are usually considered to be unnecessary. Sometimes, the tests your insurance company will authorize are simply not comprehensive enough to determine what is really going on. We order the tests we need to look for sub-clinical functional disorders, rather than ordering tests simply to confirm the presence of disease. While this may cost you more money in the short run, it provides significantly more information which we can use to find the root of your complaints rather than providing a band-aid solution. Blood work is ordered through Quest Diagnostics.
Comprehensive Stool Analysis
This test is a must if you are having chronic and vague GI symptoms –frequent bloating, gas, reflux, diarrhea or constipation. Non digestive system symptoms can also stem from gut dysbiosis as well. Fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, depression, food sensitivities, sinusitis, eczema and autoimmune conditions can all be coming from an imbalance in the gut flora.
This comprehensive profile identifies pathogens including bacteria, parasites, yeast and viruses. It also measures key markers of digestion, absorption and inflammation.
GI-MAP is considered one of the most sensitive and specific gene analysis techniques available.
SIBO Testing
SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) is a condition in which abnormally large numbers of bacteria – the types that are normally found in the large intestine – are present in the small intestine. SIBO can be a cause of many health problems, including diarrhea, abdominal pain, and protein/fat malabsorption.
Adrenal Testing
The DUTCH test gives a complete overview of adrenal hormones includes DHEA, cortisol and cortisol metabolites. To fully understand HPA-Axis function cortisol should be tested throughout the day to assess the diurnal rhythm. Only this test includes all of these, merging the diurnal free cortisol pattern seen typically in saliva with the cortisol metabolism picture and DHEAS.
Hormone Testing
DUTCH testing stands for Dried Urine Testing Comprehensive Hormones. This test measures estrogen, DHEA, testosterone, progesterone and their metabolites. Serum and saliva testing cannot offer an extensive overview of sex hormone metabolites. How the body is processing and metabolizing estrogens and androgens is important in making sound clinical decisions. Estrogen metabolites show a fuller picture of estrogen status and can help reduce risks for estrogen-related cancers by optimizing metabolism.
Hormone Cycle Mapping
This test maps out the hormonal pattern throughout a woman's menstrual cycle. This information is useful for women with infertility, cycling hormones and no menses, irregular cycles, as well as hormonal symptoms that tend to fluctuate throughout the cycle.
Gluten Testing
Researchers have proven that 50% of patients diagnosed with Celiac disease do not respond to the one protein (gliadin) being assessed in the conventional tests, instead they react to one or more of the other gluten proteins that are not measured in those conventional tests. Cyrex Labs measures both native and deamidated gliadin along with other gluten family proteins, the opioid peptides from both gluten and wheat, the lectin portion of wheat and wheat as a whole. Because not every person’s gluten reactivity manifests as Celiac disease, Cyrex Labs measures antibodies to multiple transglutaminases to capture those patients whose gluten reactivity manifests as skin disorders or neurological complaints.
Multiple Food Sensitivity Testing
This tests 180 food antigens in their raw and cooked state. Evaluates immune reactions to foods, raw and/or modified, food enzymes, lectins and food additives, including meat glue, artificial colorings and gums.
Heavy Metal Testing
Quicksilver Scientific's whole blood elemental metals analysis uses state-of-the-art inductively coupled plasma/mass spectroscopy. The test measures levels for 15 metals, including beneficial nutrient metals and potentially toxic metals.
Nutrient Elements: Calcium, Copper, Lithium, Magnesium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Selenium, Zinc
Potentially Toxic Elements: Arsenic, Cadmium, Cobalt, Lead, Mercury, Silver, Strontium