Online Lab Testing in Phoenix
If you’ve ever visited your doctor to get to the bottom of your chronic symptoms, chances are they’ve sent you out for a lab test. While conventional lab tests can offer some clues about your health, many standard tests overlook some very important elements.
Functional medicine doctors order strategic lab tests that dig into the root cause of your symptoms so they can treat them at the source. Today we’ll review some of the most common tests functional medicine doctors will order, and how our team at Novis Health in Phoenix makes it easy and convenient to get your test results quickly with online lab testing.
Functional Lab Testing
Many patients turn to functional medicine after conventional methods fail to treat their symptoms. In many cases, patients are dealing with multiple vague symptoms such as bloating, insomnia, fatigue, joint pain, or anxiety, with no obvious root cause. The goal of functional lab testing is to identify the root of these symptoms by digging into potential causes that are often overlooked by conventional medicine. Some of the most common functional lab tests include:
- Food sensitivities or allergies
- Inflammatory markers
- Gut function
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Genetics
- Hormones
Your functional medicine doctor will review your health history, your family’s health history, and your current ailments to determine which tests would be most appropriate to start with.
Interpreting Your Lab Test Results
Once the results of your lab test come in, the way your doctor interprets those results will make or break how successful your treatment will be.
Most conventional doctors use the data collected from lab tests to diagnose and then prescribe the most appropriate pharmaceutical intervention. They use strict guidelines to match symptoms with medications, and rarely go beyond those instructions. Unfortunately, this process doesn’t address the root cause of a patient’s health issues, which leaves them in an endless cycle of doctor’s appointments and increasing amounts of medication. Without treating the root cause, a disease will only progress and worsen over time. Conventional doctors manage the symptoms with medications, increasing the dosage as they worsen.
By overlooking some of the most critical elements of optimal health, conventional doctors leave many patients suffering for years, sometimes even decades, with debilitating symptoms and no answers. Most preliminary lab tests are generic screenings for kidneys, liver, blood sugar, lipids, and certain cancers. They rarely include other vital factors that could be at the root of a patient’s health issues.
Most conventional lab tests are set up to detect a problem only after a disease has occurred. They are rarely designed to catch warning signs before a patient crosses that threshold. Many patients switch to functional medicine to help them sort out their health issues before they pass the point of no return. Functional medicine doctors order and interpret lab results with a holistic approach, understanding that the body works as one intricate, interconnected system.
Normal Does Not Mean Optimal
If you’ve had lab work done in the past, you’ll know that the results are based on what the lab views as “normal” values. However, functional medicine doctors recognize that “normal” does not mean “optimal”. In fact, many patients deal with debilitating symptoms for years despite being told that their labs are normal.
Functional medicine doctors use their own set of criteria to detect early warning signs before they progress into a full-blown disease. This gives patients ample time and opportunity to implement lifestyle changes that will help manage and reverse their symptoms.
Online Lab Testing
Functional medicine relies on the right lab tests to diagnose and treat each patient as a unique individual. Rather than guessing what could be wrong or sending you out for a generic workup, we order strategic and comprehensive tests to help you finally get to the bottom of your health issues.
However, we know that making an appointment and traveling to a lab can be inconvenient, especially for those with limitations due to physical disability, illness, or a busy schedule.
At Novis Health in Phoenix, we make it easy and convenient by using online lab testing. We’ll order your customized lab tests that you can conduct remotely. We’ll then review your results and create a treatment plan that is tailored to your needs, lifestyle, and health goals.
If you’re ready to take control of your health and finally eliminate the symptoms that have been holding you back, contact Novis Health in Phoenix today for a consultation!