The Center: Natural Health Specialists, 8404 Six Forks Road, Suite 201, Raleigh, NC 27615
Functional Lab Testing
The more pieces to a puzzle you have, the more clearly you can understand the picture.
​
​
FUNCTIONAL LAB TESTING
Imagine that you are trying to put together a 100-piece jigsaw puzzle, but you lost the box. You aren’t sure what picture you are trying to put together. Now imagine if you take half of the puzzle pieces and throw them away. It will be very difficult to fully understand the image you are putting together. Lab values and test results are each like a piece to the puzzle in understanding your overall picture of health. Sometimes we have enough puzzle pieces to know the picture we are trying to put together. Other times, we really need more information (puzzle pieces) to clearly understand what we need to do.
​
In an attempt to treat you as comprehensively and holistically as possible, I will review the previous laboratory work which you have available. In many cases, I have found that the typical conventional Western medicine laboratory test findings leave many unanswered questions, and simply fail to recognize some imbalances causing pathology and ailments.
​
As a result, in some cases, additional lab work may be necessary to detect and understand internal imbalances that conventional laboratory testing fails to identify. The following are some of the most common tests which can provide a wealth of information necessary in becoming and maintaining health.
​
Each of these test kits can be sent to you, where you can collect the samples required in the privacy of your own home. Some of these samples may require a small finger stick and a few drops of blood, a stool sample, or a few vials of saliva. Clear and easy instructions will be included. Once the testing is complete, simply place the samples in the pre-paid packaging included and drop in the mail.
​
Conventional Blood Chemistry
We have partnered with several different labs throughout the country where you can go to and have your blood drawn by a licensed phlebotomist. These labs will run the blood chemistry values and panels that we request and provide us with the results. In most cases, the fees for these tests are at a significantly reduced price compared to rates billed with insurance companies.
Food Allergy Testing
This very simple and easy to do test provides you with a wealth of information on how foods may be adversely influencing you. This test measures 96 of the most commonly eaten foods and displays the severity of IgG antibody production to these foods. Food allergies are very prevalent and have the ability to affect the body adversely in so many different ways. For many of my clients, this is a key step in recovery. It is virtually impossible to heal your system when you are continuously exposing yourself to an allergen.
G.I. Function Testing
This stool and saliva test can provide a great amount of information to really understand exactly what is happening inside your digestive tract. Through this test, we can understand if there is inflammation in your small or large intestine, the pH levels, if there is a presence of pathogenic bacteria, if there is an overgrowth of yeast or Candida, the overall intestinal immune function, adequate pancreatic enzymes, the presence of parasites, and much more.
Adrenal Stress Index
This saliva test will show exactly what is happening with the output of stress hormones throughout the day. Out of balance stress hormones can play a key role in weight gain, difficulty losing weight, insomnia, reproductive functions, lack of energy, and many more symptoms. Understanding these hormonal fluctuations will aid me in creating herbal formulas and/or nutritional supplement recommendations for your specific needs.
Hormone Testing
Salivary hormonal testing can provide a wealth of information on the excesses or deficiencies of a wide variety of hormones. This may be a valuable tool in understanding a wide variety of ailments and balances.
