Functional Blood Chemistry Analysis is the process of organizing, analyzing, and interpreting complex and comprehensive blood biomarkers to provide a comprehensive assessment of the state and trends of the main body systems, supporting body accessory systems, nutritional status, and trends toward and away from clinical dysfunction.

Why blood testing?

The blood chemistry and CBC / hematology test is the most routinely requested medical lab test worldwide, and it tells us a lot about our health. These blood tests are an important aspect of Western clinical practice and are used to help doctors make diagnoses. Blood testing is the standard for health assessment, and patients are aware of this. However, many, many people start to feel unwell long before a traditional blood test becomes diagnostic and more often than not, our patients are told by their physician that “everything on your blood test appears normal.”

“Normal” is not optimal

A blood test will show that most patients who are “unwell” are “normal.” Clinical experience indicates that these individuals are far from “normal” and far from being functionally optimal. They may not yet be in a defined disease state, but they are dysfunctional, in the sense that their physiological systems are no longer operating properly and they are beginning to feel unwell. The problem isn’t that the blood test is a bad diagnostic tool; just the contrary. The problem is that typical lab test ranges are based on statistics rather than whether a certain value signifies good health or optimal physiological performance. The problem is that “normal” reference ranges typically indicate “average” populations rather than the optimal amount required for good health. Most “normal” ranges are too broad to detect health issues before they progress to disease, and they are ineffective at detecting the onset of dysfunction.

The functional approach

The functional approach to chem screen and CBC analysis is focused on physiologic changes rather than pathology. We employ ranges based on ideal physiology rather than the “average” population. This leads in a narrower “Functional Physiological Range,” which allows us to assess the area within the “Normal” range that signals something is wrong with the physiological systems linked to this biomarker. This enables us to identify patients who are experiencing changes in physiological “function.” We can figure out what’s preventing the patient from having their body’s physiological, biochemical, and metabolic functions at their best. Another difference between the Functional Blood Chemistry Analysis and the Traditional approach is that we don’t only look at one biomarker at a time in a linear display of the data. Rather, we apply trend analysis between individual biomarkers to uncover a client’s otherwise undetectable tendency toward or away from a functional health ideal.

Blood testing is no longer simply a part of disease or injury management. It’s an important part of a comprehensive Functional Medicine evaluation, and it aids in the discovery of hidden health trends, as well as comprehensive health promotion and illness prevention.

The interpretation of your Blood testing through a Functional lens could be part of any of your Follow-up sessions with me and it is not provided as a standalone service.