Functional medicine testing can be done through blood work, but we also have many other ways to look at the body. We can look at urine samples, saliva samples, stool tests, as well as microbiome and genetic analysis to get a comprehensive and holistic view of your health. These results can show us what we cannot discover through regular blood work, allowing us to create customized treatment plans that target your body’s unique needs.
For many people, their health begins in the digestive tract. The classic experience for people when they go to a GI doctor, or a gastroenterologist is to do some stool tests. However, the stool testing we use in our practice is much broader. We look to see if people are breaking down their food effectively, whether they are absorbing and assimilating their nutrients, and whether they have inflammation. Further, we do a comprehensive assessment of levels of beneficial bacteria, viruses, and fungi in your microbiome. We look to see if there is an overgrowth of anything that should not be there. These results help us to create a comprehensive customized treatment plan.
Urine testing can give us further clarity on your overall health. We can look at hormones, in particular cortisol (our main stress hormone) and the sex hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. We can also assess “Organic Acids,” which give us an insight into the biochemistry of our bodies, including levels of neurotransmitters that are essential for mood, energy, and sleep. We can also assess levels of oxidative stress to make sure that our bodies are getting the nutrients and antioxidants it needs.
Blood work – We take a “functional medicine” approach to understand your bloodwork.
Your mental and physical health are closely intertwined, and functional medicine testing can help reveal the underlying causes of your chronic condition. Contact our office in New York, New York, today at (917) 477-3538 to set up an appointment and learn more about integrative medicine.