The Wellness Library

3 Functional Tests You Need This Year

by | Mar 7, 2018 | Wellness

At Minneapolis Integrative Medicine Center we are data driven. We can get to the root of your concerns by knowing exactly what is going on inside your body & base our recommendations on your biochemistry. It may sound complicated – but it’s actually really neat & useful. We take the time to explain your results to you, leaving no question unanswered.

We can test practically anything and you can give blood, breath, stool, or saliva samples all in the name of science. But when you’re taking a whole-body, root cause approach to medicine, data is absolutely necessary. These are some tests you’ll find us recommending to our patients:

Comprehensive thyroid panel

When you think of thyroid screening, you may think of a standard TSH test your doctor once ran. TSH is the hormone that comes from your brain, and messages the thyroid to keep working. Conventionally we assume that if our brain keeps telling our thyroid to work – it just will. But what this test lacks, is information about the levels of hormones our thyroid is actually producing (is it even doing its job?), and whether those hormones are being utilized by our cells.

In a comprehensive thyroid panel we include:

  • Free T4 – inactive hormone that is produced by the thyroid (is it producing enough?)
  • Free T3 – T4 gets converted into T3 and is the active hormone that is bioavailable to be used by the cells. (can you actually convert to active form?)
  • Reverse T3 – When your body cannot use the Free T3 for any reason (say, inflammation, environmental toxins, stress…) it gets converted into this inactive ‘stored’ version of T3 which is not able to be utilized.
  • Thyroid Antibodies – an often underdiagnosed condition is Hashimoto’s, which is an autoimmune condition where your immune system attacks your thyroid gland. Prolonged attack can wear out your thyroid and cause constipation, hair loss, fatigue, weight gain, low libido, amongst others.

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Stool testing

With gut issues on the rise, it’s time we start taking an inside look at the bacteria that live in your digestive tract. This test shows us the actual bacteria population that lives in your gut and can get to the bottom (no pun intended) of your bloating, gas, abdominal cramping, constipation, diarrhea, IBS & more. It also shows gut inflammation markers, yeast overgrowth, & how well you digest your foods.

 

Inflammation markers

We can get specific about the type of inflammation we test for – from generalized inflammation, heart-specific to autoimmune – we can find and quench the inflammation to get you back to health. By also testing your omega 3 & 6 fatty acids, we can also determine if have the right balance to be preventing rather than promoting inflammatory damage.

Customized just for you

The care you receive with us is as individual as you are. We take the time to listen to your concerns, and order the tests that are necessary for us to dig deeper into your health issues. Our membership option allows us to get to know you on a personal level, over time, and give you the support you need to feel well again. You can also learn about more testing options we have available for you by scheduling a free 15-minute consultation call and find out if MPLS IMC is right for you.

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