Functional medicine is individualized medicine that focuses on primary prevention and underlying causes instead of symptoms of chronic illness. Evaluating how organ systems are functioning, rather than looking for a specific disease is a basic principle of functional medicine.
These tests are used check your nutritional status, digestive function, hormones, food sensitivities, detoxification ability and more. These are cutting edge evaluations that generally are not available through conventional laboratories. Laboratory testing is an integral and essential part of your work up at the Moday Center. It helps us get a clear picture of your unique physiology and guides our treatment plan
These are the tests that we routinely use to evaluate our patients.
- Comprehensive Stool analysis - Doctors Data labs. This test is a thorough look at gut health. It assesses levels of good and bad bacteria, fungi and parasites. In addition, it tests for markers of inflammation and malabsorption. This is an essential test for those with IBS, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis), cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune issues and weight problems.
- Micronutrient testing -Spectracell Labs: Micronutrient testing is an innovative assessment of a patient’s nutritional status. Core nutrients are measured in in 5 key areas: antioxidants, B Vitamins, digestive support, essential fatty acids, and minerals. Nutritional deficiencies are often at the root of many chronic diseases and symptoms such as: mood disorders, depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, fibromyalgia, and fatigue, diabetes, and heart disease . It can also be used to optimize health and fitness for athletes.
- Adrenal Stress profile -Bio- health labs: This test is a measure of an individual’s response to stress. It is also an important tool for pointing to adrenal imbalances that may be impacting a patient’s health. This test assesses 4 cortisol levels, and DHEA. Adrenal imbalances are often at the root of many other hormone imbalances such as sex hormones and thyroid hormone. It is also crucial in fatigue, mood disorders and autoimmune disease.
- Organic Acid Testing -Organix by Genova labs: The Organix Comprehensive Profile provides a view into the body’s cellular metabolic processes and the efficiency of metabolic function. Organic acids are metabolic intermediates that are produced in pathways of central energy production, detoxification, neurotransmitter breakdown, or intestinal microbial activity. Marked accumulation of specific organic acids detected in urine often signals a metabolic inhibition or block. The metabolic block may be due to a nutrient deficiency, an inherited enzyme deficiency, toxic build-up or drug effect. Several of the analytes are markers of intestinal bacterial or yeast overgrowth.
- Hormone testing (Genova and Biohealth labs) for both pre-menopausal women, women dealing with fertility issues and post-menopausal women. Depending on the test done, these may be urine or saliva tests and will direct the clinician in prescribing appropriate supportive supplements, bio identical hormone therapy, and also can screen for risk factors of breast cancer and osteoporosis.
- Advanced Celiac Profile: Cyrex labs Celiac disease is an immune mediated response to gluten in wheat and other grains that affects not only the gastrointestinal tract but may be related to other body symptoms. Standard Celiac screening only picks up patients with full blown celiac disease and tissue damage but often miss many patients with gluten sensitivity causing other symptoms.
- Advanced cardiometabolic testing: Traditional cholesterol testing is not adequate to assess an individual’s true risk factor for heart disease. We know that about 50% of patients who have heart attacks have normal cholesterol and high cholesterol in most populations is not always cause for alarm. The other risk factors include the types and size of cholesterol particles, markers of inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and clotting issues. Advanced cardiometabolic testing can reveal these risk factors and direct preventive care.
- Heavy Metal/Essential element testing: ZRT. We live in a very toxic world where we encounter chemical and toxins on a daily basis. In some occupations the risk for heavy metals and toxin poisoning is much greater. Evidence suggests that chronic toxic element exposure can adversely affect: energy levels, reproductive function, cancer risk of all kinds, neurological development and function, respiratory, cardiac, liver, and immune functions, cognitive and emotional health and degenerative conditions. Chronic toxin exposure may masquerade as many different diseases.
- IgG Food Sensitivity Profile: This test measures levels of IgG antibodies specific to anywhere from 30-200 foods causing patient reactions. IgG antibodies are associated with “non-allergic” or “delayed” food reactions that can worsen or contribute to many health conditions. It may also indicate the presence of leaky gut syndrome and other digestive issues.
For certain tests, the test kits are are provided to you in the office and in the case of urine, stool and saliva samples are collected in home and then sent off to the appropriate labs. Occasional blood tests may drawn in the lab or drawn off site for certain assays. There are many other functional medicine labs available in addition to the above.
How does Functional Medicine Lab Testing differ from traditional blood work, as done by my physician?
When a traditional physician runs standard blood work, they are looking for an already established disease process. Generally action is taken only when the lab results are out of the normal range. The trouble with this is that many people might not have an actual disease yet, but they are suffering from chronic symptoms already. Why wait until damage has been done? Functional medicine lab testing aims to prevent disease before it happens by assessing patterns of imbalance that without intervention will end up yielding chronic disease.
Why doesn’t my insurance always cover these tests?
Insurance companies base their coverage on diagnosis codes for established disease processes. They are happy to cover cardiac surgeries, and expensive procedures and hospitalizations but often won’t cover innovative testing that can save the patients and insurers millions of dollars.
We will work with you to order only the tests that are absolutely necessary for treatment and will provide a “superbill” to provide to your insurance for reimbursements or use with a health savings account.
For pricing on these labs check here.
