What Is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine is a patient-centered medical healing process because it asks the question ‘WHY’ and not ‘WHAT’. Conventional medicine only asks the ‘what’ questions–what disease is occurring in your body and what prescription will be needed. Functional medicine asks ‘why’ a symptoms is happening and why is it occurring in this particular way–what is the root cause of the symptom and how can it be relieved. Functional medicine is a medical based, natural path to become healthy again. While conventional medicine only creates short-term relief, functional medicine locates the root cause of your symptoms and offers long lasting relief. Below is some of the functional medicine testing we offer at our clinic and what they do:
- IgG food sensitivity testing
Everything we eat has some kind of an effect on our body–whether it is good or bad. If you have certain intolerance to a specific food and continue to eat it, your body will start an inflammatory reaction which can cause headaches, chronic pain, GI disorders, and many more. The IgG food sensitivity test helps determine which foods are causing negative effects on your body. - Adrenal Stress Testing
Is a non-invasive way to help evaluate the effects of stress on your body. It includes 10 tests for 6 different hormones (through analyzing 4 saliva samples) and immune markers that may be affected by chronic stress or other conditions. - Comprehensive Stool Analysis and Parasitology x 3 Testing
The CSAP x 3 is one of the most commonly ordered functional stool tests because it has the ability to pinpoint a wide range of intestinal conditions by testing for dozens of different digestive markers. This test determines your ability to digest, metabolize, and absorb nutrients, as well as locate any abnormalities, such as dysbiosis (an imbalance or overgrowth of certain bacteria or yeast). - SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth) Breath Testing
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is a condition in which invasive bacteria is present in the small intestine, or there is an overgrowth of good bacteria developing too much fermentation, inflammation, or malabsorption. SIBO is commonly linked with bowel symptoms including chronic diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain, and IBS. The SIBO breath testing in a noninvasive technique commonly used to determine if you have SIBO. - Lactose & Fructose Intolerance/Malabsorption Breath Testing
Your body produces enzymes (lactase) to help breakdown and digest milk products. Without enough lactase, your body will not be able to properly breakdown lactose resulting in abdominal bloating, cramps, diarrhea, and nausea.Fructose intolerance is similar to lactose intolerance as it makes your body unable to efficiently breakdown fructose (sugar) in your body resulting in abdominal symptoms. The hydrogen breath test is used as a noninvasive medical procedure used on people who experience IBS and common food intolerances to determine if they are lactose or fructose intolerant. - Yeast Imbalance/Overgrowth Testing
Yeast/fungal overgrowth are typically known as Candida. Chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, stress, malabsorption, sinusitis, or GI complications are all common conditions associated with yeast imbalance/overgrowth. The yeast imbalance test helps determine what steps need to be taken in order to prevent yeast overgrowth. - H. Pylori Testing
Helicobacter pylori (H. Pylori) tests are commonly used to locate an infection in the stomach and upper region of the small intestine. H. pylori bacteria can cause an ulcer or other irritations to the stomach lining which may develop into pain, bloating and other symptoms. - Hormone Testing
For women, hormonal testing is highly recommended when irregularities start to occur in your menstrual cycle or during a physical examination. The hormonal testing looks at estrogen and progesterone levels, FSH and LH levels, thyroid tests, and Prolactin levels. Hormone testing can also determine imbalances which can cause fatigue, insomnia, PMS, headaches, hot flashes, and many more. The results that show after the test help determine what treatments are best for each patient. - Heavy Metal Testing
The heavy metal test is specifically designed to locate the presence of toxic heavy metals in your body by using urine or saliva. Having heavy metals in your body is the main cause of too much free radical activity which can develop into bone disorders, kidney and liver damage. IBS, and more. - Micronutrient Testing
The term micronutrient is used to describe multiple vitamins and minerals necessary for your body to function properly. The micronutrient test is used to determine any micronutrient deficiencies a patient might be experiencing. - Bone Resorption Testing
Bones are made up of living proteins in which mineral crystals are placed. When bones break down to make room for new bone growth, bits of the living protein show up in urine. Too much bone loss without the creation of new bone to take its place is often associated with bone disorders such as osteoporosis. The bone resorption test is a simple urine test that helps clarify if you are losing bone or not. - Lipoprotein Particle Profile Testing
Lipoprotein (cholesterol) particle profile testing has been used throughout history as the common indicator for cardiovascular disease. The test measures the lipoprotein subgroups which is the only effective way to determine new risk factors for heart disease. Keeping an eye on your cholesterol level is crucial to maintain a healthy heart. - Genetic/MTHFR Testing
The MTHFR gene, medically known as Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase, is one of the main enzymes needed to metabolize homocysteine. Mutations that occur on the MTHFR gene can cause high blood levels of homocysteine which can lead to coronary artery disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression and other mood dysfunctions, and obesity. This test will be able to determine if you need folic acid supplementation or other medical course of action.
If you have any questions regarding our functional medicine testing, or would like to schedule an appointment today, please call our office!
