Lab Testing: Functional Medicine Vs. Traditional
Functional medicine lab testing and traditional lab testing differ in their approaches to evaluating and understanding your health. Here's a closer look at few key differences between them:
Focus and Philosophy
Functional Medicine Labs: Functional medicine lab testing is holistic and preventive, with a focus on identifying underlying dysfunctions and promoting optimal health. Illness does not occur in isolation, and the Functional Medicine Matrix is a key tool used to organize and prioritize seemingly unlinked factors into a complete story.
Traditional Labs: Traditional lab testing is usually more narrow in scope and geared toward diagnosing and monitoring diseases once they manifest.
Scope of Testing
Functional Medicine Labs: The tests cover a wide array of biomarkers, including ones that are not routinely measured by traditional labs, giving me more data points to provide an in-depth and comprehensive perspective into your health. This holistic approach enables me to see patterns and identify imbalances, deficiencies, toxicities, and other hidden factors that may be affecting your well-being.
Traditional Labs: The tests are usually more limited in scope, focusing on commonly accepted biomarkers for specific conditions (such as blood cell counts, cholesterol levels, or blood sugar levels). The tests selected are aimed strictly at diagnosing diseases or measuring their severity.
“You may be curious about what “biomarkers” are.
Biomarkers, or biological markers, are measurable indicators or characteristics in the body that can provide valuable information about your health, disease risk, or the effects of a particular treatment. They are typically biological molecules or physical parameters that can be detected and measured through lab testing or medical imaging.
Biomarkers exist in different types, such as proteins, hormones, enzymes, genetic sequences (like DNA or RNA), metabolic byproducts (metabolites), antibodies, or even physical measurements such as blood pressure or heart rate. These markers are present in body fluids—blood, urine, saliva, or spinal fluid—or can be evaluated directly in tissue or cellular samples.”
Reference Ranges
Functional Medicine Labs: Have narrow reference ranges that represent optimal health and can account for individual differences. These optimal ranges are intended to identify health imbalances at the cellular level and at an earlier stage before they become clinically significant diseases.
Traditional Labs: Have wider reference ranges that are statistically established based on the average of a specific population and can actually vary from state to state.
“Many people start to feel symptoms long before a traditional test shows something out of range, leading to the common phrase “everything looks normal.”’ These numbers may not be within disease ranges yet, but they are often far from optimal, signaling there is dysfunction within your body. In other words, functional ranges assess risk for disease before disease develops while traditional ranges are used to diagnose disease.
For example, traditional “normal” ranges for TSH levels are quite broad, usually ranging from 0.40-4.50 mlU/L and used for determining if a patient needs medication. However, functional medicine’s optimal range for your TSH is 0.40-2.5 mlU/L. Plus, this optimal range takes into account that the ideal TSH level can vary widely based upon a person’s age, gender and stage of life.
Moreover, it isn’t just about your TSH level, the entire process should be looked at. To determine how your thyroid is working, I test TSH, Free T4, Free T3, and Reverse T3. And, because all hormones are tied together, I will test your adrenal glands and cortisol levels to get a larger snapshot of your hormones and overall clinical picture.”
Interpretation of Results
Functional Medicine Labs: Lab results are only part of the equation and are interpreted in the context of your whole health history, lifestyle, and environmental factors. There is an interpretation of multiple data points and measurements with intention and purpose aimed at creating personalized treatment protocol for you.
Traditional Labs: Results are typically interpreted as separate data points according to strict medical guidelines and protocols to determine if there is a diagnosable disease that fits within established medical categories.
Both traditional and functional lab testing can be beneficial; however, due to its holistic approach, functional medicine testing can be more advantageous for identifying elusive symptoms that have stumped the traditional approach. Remember, the essence of functional medicine lies in the commitment to address the root cause(s), not just merely alleviating symptoms. Any functional lab testing recommendations I make are guided by your personal, family, social, and medical history obtained during the Discovery Session appointment. This personalized approach is at the heart of what I do—it's about devising a health plan that's as unique as you are.
Examining your overall health allows me, and you, to take a step back and look at the big picture—mind, body, and spirit. If you are interested in moving forward with functional medicine lab testing, please feel free to contact me or schedule a Discovery Session.
The content provided is for informational purposes only and does not intend to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.