Functional vs. Conventional Lab Testing

24

March, 2023

Has this happened to you?

You don’t feel good or like yourself, for probably months now, and looking for some answers. It feels like a huge feat that your doctor is actually going to run some labs! But then you get the call.

“Everything is normal”

“You’re just fine”

“It’s just some stress”

Or worse

“It’s probably because you’re getting older”

“We have a medication that might help”

The labs are never really explained to you and you feel even MORE lost, discouraged and a little mad too.

The labs are never really explained to you (or sometimes you’re not given a copy) and you feel even MORE lost, discouraged and a little mad too. Why is no one able to help with anything?!

I’ve met so many women who feel frustrated & defeated after visiting their doctor. I’ve been there myself!

If your “labs are normal” but you DON’T feel normal, it’s from one of these 3 reasons:

    • Not getting full testing and panels
    • Using conventional ranges and averages
    • Not using a comprehensive approach and looking for the ROOT CAUSE

For example, your doc says “we’ll test your thyroid”. But they only test TSH. However, the thyroid works on a feedback loop, and you need to know levels of T4, T3 and antibodies, to see how your thyroid is actually functioning!

In Functional Medicine we look at creating GREAT levels, not just average. Also if your levels are slightly low or high, we don’t ignore it and say “we’ll wait until it gets worse to do something”. For example, the range for TSH is 0.5 to 4, but in FM it is only to 2.0.

So what is a comprehensive approach?

Image of a woman exercising at home on a yoga mat

    Let’s say you have fatigue, PMS, breakouts & gaining weight every year. Instead of just testing thyroid, a functional approach will also look at:

    • Nutritional deficiencies
    • Gut health
    • Sex hormones
    • Lifestyle: stress levels, mindset, movement, food
    • What you do on a daily basis matters. Finding the root causes and triggers MATTER.

    It’s important to test and look at all the systems of the body that can be contributing to how you feel.

    Remember chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, PMS etc…those aren’t diagnoses, but signs of a bigger issue.

    A different approach IS out there!

     We use comprehensive, advanced diagnostic tests to find the ROOT CAUSE of your health concerns and to help you HEAL from the inside out!

     Some of the testing I utilize in my office:

     > Salivary cortisol and hormone testing (such as the DUTCH test). This test looks at how the adrenal glands are functioning and putting out cortisol.

    > Stool analysis- This looks at bacteria species in the gut and gives us a comprehensive inside look at digestion, overall gut health, inflammation, and immune function.

    > NutraEval- This measures the amount of micronutrients (vitamins, minerals) within your body. This can pinpoint nutrient deficiencies and how to use food & supplementation to optimize these levels.

    > Food intolerance testing to identify food sensitivities & intolerances, which could be causing inflammation, pain, digestive upset etc.

    >Other specialized tests may include antibody testing, heavy metal testing, and mycotoxin testing.

    Interested in learning what you may need? Send us an email at whisperhealthnow@gmail.com to set up a complimentary getting to know you call!