Tests and Procedures Page

Tests and Procedures

Following is a description of many of the available Functional Health tests and procedures that we offer.

Comprehensive Medical History

Accurate assessment begins with thorough evaluation of all fundamental physiological processes, clinical imbalances, environmental exposures, genetic predispositions, and fundamental clinical imbalances. Detailed screening of the body's systems including cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, immune, neurologic and endocrine is also performed.

Complete Physical Exam

After one-on-one consultation reviewing your medical history, examination includes blood pressure, pulse, inspection of ears, eyes, throat, audible assessment of heart and lungs, palpation of kidneys, liver, gallbladder, and abdomen, palpation of thyroid, lymph node assessment, and visual inspection of skin surfaces and nails for clues to altered physiologic processes. Neuro-musculoskeletal examination is also performed. The practice of in-office physical examination gives many clues for full, accurate diagnosis.

Body Composition Testing

Using a Bio-impedance Analyzer (BIA), an individuals fat to muscle ratio is objectively measured. This highly accurate, fast, painless, and sanitary method for measuring body composition also measures the energy storage capacity of cells. Energy storage capacity is an indicator of the integrity of cell membranes. This electronic tool also measures many other indicators of cellular health. For weight-loss programs, this is an essential tool for assessing weather weight loss is fat loss or muscle loss.

Dental Materials Compatibility Testing

Materials used in dentistry can significantly impact your health. Biocompatibility testing and desensitization of materials prior to placement can save you years of potential health problems. Bioenergetic desensitization from already placed materials can decrease the toxic load on the body. Compatibility and sensitivity evaluation is performed using computer-assisted bio-energetic testing. We work collaboratively with several dental offices so that the most individually biocompatible materials are used for each person.

Laboratory Testing

Many preventable problems show up in blood, saliva, stool, hair, and though other physiologic tests long before any apparent illness. Certain tests, when properly interpreted, will indicate if you are progressing toward a serious illness, such as cancer, heart, liver, or many other diseases. On the other hand, these tests can also confirm if you are eating and supplementing appropriately. Some of the tests we offer and use for assessment:

CBC, and Chem panel:
A complete blood count (CBC), and measures of liver, kidney function, fasting glucose, and electrolytes. This is a basic screening tool that gives basic, limited, though often useful, information.
Hormonal Evaluation:
Performed using either blood, urine or saliva, dependent on the clinical situation. For both sexes, DHEA-S, IGF-1 (indicative of Growth Hormone output), FSH and LH (Pituitary hormones), and Cortisol. For men: Testosterone, DHT, Androstenedione, Estrone and Progesterone...imbalances predispose to sexual dysfunction and prostate cancer. For women: Progesterone, Testosterone, the Estrogens (Estradiol, Estrone, Estriol), and the 2 and 16 hydroxyestrogen metabolites significant for determining propensity towards breast cancer, Fibrocystic Breasts Disease, Polycystic Ovarian Disease and other disorders. All hormonal imbalances are modifiable using nutritional, lifestyle modification and plant-based bio-identical hormones.
Cardiovascular Assessment Panel
Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides and VLDL, only give part of the story: Elevated homocysteine is intimately involved in plaque formation and is a key biomarker for Alzheimer's and many chronic diseases. Accordingly, this is included in all our cardiovascular assessments, irrespective of age or family history. In many cases, C-reactive protein and fibrinogen give valuable information towards the inflammatory component involved in cardiovascular disease, and is evaluated as clinically indicated. All these are modifiable by diet, supplements and lifestyle changes!
Adrenal Stress Panel
An invaluable test for assessment of physiologic imbalances of adrenal gland function. Most accurately assessed by salivary testing. A key diagnostic test for low energy states in Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Adrenal imbalances are often involved in inability to lose weight, weight gain particularly in the midsection, decreased immunity and thyroid dysfunction.
Toxic Element Analysis
Either hair or urine, is used for toxic element analysis, dependent on clinical history and other lab findings. Useful for discovery of hidden heavy metal toxicity held in tissues. An essential assessment for finding the hidden causes of disorders when many other tests are normal. Nutritional resolution of heavy metal toxicity is extremely important for behavioral disturbances, depression and progressive dementia such as Alzheimer's.
Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis
Functional gastrointestinal (GI) imbalances are prevalent in many people. A compromised GI tract lining is central to the development of many diseases. Without proper nutrient digestion, absorption, assimilation and waste elimination, all physiologic processes suffer, leading to multiple chronic degenerative diseases. This test is one of the key tests that we perform on many of our patients.
Genetic Testing
Genetic predisposition to diseases can be significantly modified by nutritional, lifestyle and environmental factors. Being aware of specific genetic predispositions to disease enables the patient-physician partnership to make early interventions without waiting for symptoms to appear.