Functional Lab Testing
Comprehensive biomedical, functional, and genomic tests to pinpoint the underlying cause of illness and health imbalances.
At Natural Balance Wellness Medical Center we offer many biomedical, functional, and genomic tests to pinpoint the underlying cause of illness and health imbalances. Our library of testing options is used to help guide clinical planning, explain symptoms, and reveal subtle and obvious imbalances.
In addition to conventional medical blood tests, we provide a full range of functional, medical, and genetic testing options. Choose a category below to learn more about our testing services.
Insurance & Pricing
While many tests we offer are covered by health insurance, some are not. We have specifically partnered with the most innovative and reputable laboratories in the US and abroad to serve our patients at the highest level AND decrease surprise out-of-pocket expenses.
While cost varies based on insurance, you can be certain that we will order testing with the best pricing, insurance coverage, and payment terms available for each individual. For your peace of mind, regardless of deductibles and insurance details, all tests ordered by our clinic are considered "paid in full" when submitted unless otherwise stated in writing.
General & Methylation Tests
Our initial workup includes many of the same types of tests ordered by conventional physicians: blood sugar, electrolytes, liver function, thyroid, hormones, immune system markers, iron studies, and other standard blood tests. However, we also look deeper into specific markers of methylation, fatty acid status, oxidative stress, inflammation, cholesterol chemistry, and higher-level evaluations of hormones, thyroid, adrenal, and immune parameters.
We work exclusively with labs that understand the financial aspects of being out-of-network with insurance and have payment options that limit out-of-pocket expenses for our patients.
Gastrointestinal (GI) Assessments
Our extensive array of GI diagnostics comprehensively evaluate gut ecology and the presence of opportunistic bacteria, invasive yeast, and parasites. These tests also provide valuable insights into metabolic digestive weaknesses and gut lining integrity issues (i.e., leaky gut), as well as allow us to differentiate inflammatory processes and the gut's ability to digest and absorb nutrients from the foods consumed.
Genomic Testing & Translations
Nutrigenomics is the study of nutrients as it relates to gene expression. The software we use to translate genomics tests, including 23andMe, Ancestry, and many others, focuses on identifying molecular-level weaknesses in an individual's genome.
Nutrigenomics has been described as the influence of genetic variation on nutrients by correlating single nucleotide polymorphisms (or SNPs), for example MTHFR, with a nutrient's absorption, metabolism, or biological effects. For our clinic's purposes, SNPs cross-referenced to medical testing of blood, urine, saliva, etc. is the heart of our Precision Health and Genomics approach.
Understanding SNP Reports
In a SNP report, -/- means no abnormal gene, +/- means an abnormal copy inherited from mother OR father, and +/+ means an abnormal copy inherited from mother AND father.
The full report provides information for thousands of critical metabolic steps related to everything from methylation-histamine to neurochemistry-hormone balance, and the list goes on extensively.
View Full SNP Sample Report (PDF)
Nutritional Testing
Nutritional and organic acid testing is used to determine nutritional deficiencies associated with fatigue, metabolic impairments, mood and sleep problems, hormone dysregulations, toxin accumulation, cognitive impairment, and more.
Standard blood tests ordered by conventional doctors evaluate for obvious health problems which may or may not represent the full picture. Our functional medicine tests look more fully at metabolized byproducts of toxins, neurotransmitters, hormones, amino acids, organic acids, fatty acids, nutrients, and antioxidants, providing crucial insights that can help outline the root cause of health imbalances.
Hormone & Neurotransmitter Testing
The final common pathway for all accumulated negative effects of physical, biological, and emotional stress is the hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal, thyroid, gonadal-hormonal (HPAGT) axis. This key axis comprises an intricate network of controls and balances coordinating the human nervous system with all aspects of hormonal regulation.
Regardless if one's stress is caused by inflammation, infection, toxicity, or emotional events, it is the HPAGT axis that takes the brunt of the burden. Once this system can no longer compensate, neurochemical-hormone imbalances linked to depression, anxiety, pain, insomnia, hypoglycemia, PMS, and more become the ultimate consequence.
Examples of hormones tested include progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, cortisol, melatonin, thyroid hormones, and several others. Urine neurotransmitter testing in combination with saliva hormones can be especially helpful when evaluating mood problems, anxiety, AD(H)D, insomnia, and phobias.
Environmental Toxins & Heavy Metals
Tests used to identify potential toxin and/or heavy metal burdens often correlate with debilitating fatigue, "brain-fog," mood changes, along with a multitude of other functional symptoms and clinical conditions. Testing patients for toxic burden allows us to identify and measure cellular stress and provides a rationale to treat and mitigate the consequences of toxin exposures or current toxicities.
The tests used to identify fat-soluble toxins, such as pesticides and plastics, are different from those used to identify heavy metals such as mercury. Some examples of tests we might recommend based on your individual circumstances include:
Food & Chemical Intolerance Testing
At NBW Medical Center we use a variety of tests to evaluate for chemical sensitivity and food/environmental intolerances. Some tests measure inflammatory markers and look indirectly at metabolic byproducts to assist in diagnosing sensitivities while others culture blood products, such as white blood cells, and challenge them directly under controlled laboratory conditions. Our clinic also uses specific tests to identify gluten sensitivity related to celiac disease and other more subclinical gluten sensitivity problems.
Immune-Allergy Testing
As compared to delayed sensitivity testing, allergy and immune tests, such as skin and blood allergy tests, evaluate for immediate reactions to foods and chemicals that are distinctly different. Such tests measure the direct release of histamine or the presence of allergen-specific IgE molecules resulting from allergen exposure.
IgG or delayed mediated testing does not reveal true "allergies." The two are distinct and different from each other. For allergy evaluation, we specifically use the following tests:
In-Home Sleep Diagnostics
In-home sleep diagnostics are an increasingly popular and convenient way to diagnose sleep apnea or other forms of disordered sleep not associated with brainwave abnormalities or restless leg syndrome (which require in-lab testing).
This approach is becoming the new standard for insurance, doctors, and patients because it is considered more of a "true test" of sleep, assessing multiple nights in a row in a comfortable and familiar setting. The units are portable and easy to use, and the test is self-administered, which also makes it more cost effective.
The test evaluates oxygen saturation and respiratory excursion, and uses a recorded microphone to evaluate for abnormal palatal noises to detect subtle and obvious apnea events. It also distinguishes the difference between central (brain mediated) mechanisms versus obstructive mechanisms.
3-Night In-Home Sleep Study
One of its most important utilities for our client base is that it will detect clinically relevant oxygen deprivation while sleeping, which tends to be correlated to many symptoms such as fatigue, hormone abnormalities, mood, high blood pressure, pain sensitivity, headaches, and a long list of other potential associations.
View Sample Sleep Study Report (PDF)
Biotoxin-Mold Assessments
Under the guidance of Dr. Yvonne Berry, Natural Balance Wellness Medical Center developed a cutting-edge treatment and diagnosis approach for people suspected to be suffering from biotoxin illness associated with water damaged buildings (i.e., Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome - CIRS) associated with mold toxicity. We use an array of evidence-based diagnostics to determine if exposure to mold biotoxin (past or present) is central to your health concerns.
Additional Diagnostics
Beyond our core testing categories, we offer additional diagnostic tools to provide a comprehensive understanding of your health status.
Ready to Uncover the Root Cause?
To learn more about our testing and diagnostic services, call our office or schedule an appointment with our New Patient Coordinator. We will answer all your questions, go over pricing and insurance details, and get you scheduled for the program that best fits your individual needs.