Explanation of Tests
Our laboratory testing program serves two important purposes:
- It may reveal the nature of the physiological disturbance underlying a person’s symptoms;
- Abnormal levels may serve as a measure of the progress a patient makes as we work together.
There are a number of categories of tests that we may turn to when working with a new patient. The comprehensive list is below. You can call us at (919)-945-0300 to schedule an appointment.
Within each testing category we have provided a link to the clinical laboratory that we have chosen to do our testing analysis. For non-specialty lab testing we use Quest Labs. We suggest Any Lab Test Now in Durham, NC as a convenient local option for test sample collection, and help our non-local patients locate a collection facility near them.
Please call us if you have questions, or would like to set up an appointment today for diagnostic testing, at (919) 945-0300.
- Nutritional Deficiencies and Metabolic Overview
- Targeted Metabolic Overview
- Lipid Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease
- Comprehensive Stool Analysis
- Food Sensitivity Testing
- Small Bowel Overgrowth
- Toxic Burden
- Neurotransmitter Testing
- Genetic Risk factors
Nutritional Deficiencies and Metabolic Overview
Assessing whether a person’s metabolism is compromised by nutritional deficiencies is
difficult. In many instance, (vitamin B12 and iron are two good examples) measuring
the actual level of the nutrient says little or nothing about whether the level is adequate
to support optimum function.
There are a variety of solutions to this dilemma and we have chosen three labs that strive to be excellent in this area of testing. Metabolic testing may also reveal areas of a person’s physiology that are hampered by either genetics or environmental toxins.
The three tests mentioned above assess broad domains of metabolism. For a more restricted analysis we use the following test.
Lipid Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease
Routine testing for blood cholesterol is a crude and insensitive measure of the good and bad fats in our blood. This company has an advanced analysis that is much more precise in determining actual risk factors for heart attack and stroke.
The gut is the center of our wellbeing. If it is not working properly no other major physiological domain is safe from the effects of toxin accumulation and inadequate nutrition.
Many patients have leaky gut and don’t know it. One of the most damaging long term consequences of this condition is the activation of the immune system by foods that we eat every day. Because these immune reactions are delayed it is very difficult for an individual to determine which foods are causing symptoms such as irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, muscle and joint pains and chronic fatigue. Leaky gut is thought by many scientists to lead to autoimmune illness.
The small intestine is the region of our digestive system where we make the final breakdown of our food and absorb it into our bodies. This process may be seriously disrupted by bacterial, fungal or parasitic overgrowth. Techniques to determine the presence of this condition are imperfect but there are some tests that can suggest its presence.
Illness caused by chronic heavy metal (lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium) burden is not well understood. The standards for acute poisoning, in comparison, are better established. Much of the difficulty associated with the treatment of chronic heavy metal illness is the difficulty in establishing the tissue burden since baseline blood, urine and stool testing is unreliable. Hair testing is useful in some situations.
The majority of our patients have mood disorders that are at least a part of their un-wellness. Mood, attention and sleep are modulated by a family of molecules called neurotransmitters. Tests are now available to determine their level in the urine and it is
possible to draw some implications about how a person’s health may be compromised by inadequate levels in the body from this information. The tests must be interpreted with caution.
All individuals carry genetic code mistakes called Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs). More often than not, these genetic errors do not cause a disease but put a person at increased risk for a disease. Tests are available to determine if a person has genetic code mistakes in the following domains: heart disease, estrogen metabolism, capacity to absorb oxidative stress, inflammation and degenerative diseases of the CNS. Here is the link to the detoxification test, which is the test we find most useful. The link will also provide you with links to the tests for analysis of risks in the other domains.
The first step to becoming a patient is to complete our online registration and health history form under “Become a Patient”. All your data is secure and encrypted.
Please call us if you have any questions at (919) 945-0300.