Functional medicine is an exciting expansion of modern medicine that includes rigorous testing of various biological factors in order to determine the underlying cause of disease. The approach is to address the root cause instead of just treating the client’s symptoms.
Let’s further explore functional medicine, how experienced clinicians use it to track and treat diseases as they change over time, and where you can go in Weatherford for outstanding functional and integrative medicine with a holistic approach to keep you healthy.
What Is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine is a client-centered approach, rather than a disease-centered approach, especially in the context of chronic disease. Those who have chronic health conditions know how frustrating it can be to see healthcare practitioners who only ask about their current symptoms and treat those reactively, rather than trying to proactively find out what caused those symptoms to develop.
In an appointment with a functional medicine clinician, you will be asked extensively about your medical history, even in areas that you may not even think are related to your disease. For instance, aspects about your diet and nutrition, exercise, exposure to toxins, microbiome health (the microorganisms that live on and inside our bodies), genetics, and any allergies.
This is because chronic diseases and their progression can be affected by many aspects of health and lifestyle. Diseases that are commonly treated through this approach include cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, psoriasis, and many others.
What Kind of Tests Are Performed in a Functional Medicine Consultation?
In order to assess your nutrition, exposure to toxins, microbiome health, and other aspects of functional medicine, specific tests must be done. During your consultation, your clinician will decide which specific tests are needed based on your medical history and symptoms.
The following is a list of the key tests performed in the arena of functional medicine:
- Nutrient and Toxic Elements Testing measures your levels of the nutrients selenium and potassium, as well as the toxic elements cadmium, mercury, and lead.
- Genomix Nutrigenomic Testing is a type of advanced DNA testing that provides individualized nutrition information.
- Celiac Profile uses a small blood sample to measure your body’s levels of the protein gliadin, which is found in wheat gluten. High levels of gliadin can indicate gluten sensitivity or celiac disease.
- Neurotransmitter Profile uses a urine sample to check for imbalances in neurotransmitters and hormones in the brain.
- GI Effects® Microbial Ecology Profile uses a stool sample to precisely measure your gut health and the presence of good and bad bacteria/parasites.
- Adrenal Stress Index Panel uses a saliva sample to measure your hormone levels, check for indicators of gastrointestinal problems, and overall health.
- IgG Food Antibody Assessment measures levels of the antibody IgG (immunoglobulin G), which is responsible for food sensitivities, and IgE (immunoglobulin E), which is responsible for true food allergies.
- SpectraCell Micronutrient Testing measures if there are any nutritional deficiencies at the cellular level.
- Pharmacogenomics (PGx) Testing can predict how you will respond to certain medications.
- Menopause Hormone Panel uses a saliva sample in women to measure six important hormones related to menopause: DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), estradiol, estriol, estrone, progesterone, and testosterone.
- Organix Comprehensive Profile tests for organic acids in the body which correlate to the health of cellular metabolism.
- Cycling Female Hormone Panel uses a saliva sample to measure hormones at various stages of the menstrual cycle in women, and how that impacts other functions in the woman’s body.
How Functional Medicine Testing Tracks Disease Progression
Although functional medicine tests give clinicians accurate and specific measurements of many hormone and nutrient levels in the body, each test only gives a snapshot at the time of the test. Because chronic disease can change over time, this is where functional medicine truly shines – these tests can be performed again over the weeks and months of treatment to quantify the healing process.
Your clinician collects this data to track which hormones and nutrients are increasing, decreasing, or staying the same. They use this data, combined with how you feel when these levels change, to determine what your optimal levels should be to minimize or even eliminate your symptoms.
For instance, for a client who is struggling with chronic gastrointestinal issues, the clinician may order an adrenal stress index panel, a celiac profile, a GI effects microbial ecology profile, an IgG food antibody assessment, and a nutrient and toxic elements test. After these initial tests are taken, the clinician may recommend an elimination diet over the course of a few weeks and continue testing.
By eliminating one type of food at a time and having tests afterward to check the levels, the clinician can see which foods were causing your gastrointestinal issues. You can then know which foods to permanently eliminate from your diet and reduce your gastrointestinal symptoms.
Functional Medicine Testing in Weatherford, TX
If you are looking for high-quality functional testing with a highly qualified clinician, look no further than Dr. Catherine Oseni at Alpha Care Wellness Center in Weatherford, Texas. She is a certified compounding pharmacist, first-line therapy provider, bio-identical hormone replacement therapy provider, and a board-certified clinical integrative pharmacist.
To arrange an appointment with Dr. Oseni, call us today at (817) 550-6332 or request an appointment via our online form. At Alpha Care Wellness Center, we value your physical, mental, and spiritual health and work hard to get you feeling your best. We look forward to taking care of you!