As an alternative health practitioner, you may be looking to expand the tools you use to help your clients. One of these valuable tools is functional blood chemistry analysis.
Often, clients will have standard blood work done by their personal physician as part of an annual checkup or as part of a sick visit. And while these tests may be normal according to the laboratory reference ranges, you can glean a lot of information about the health of your client by understanding how to look at these test results through a functional filter.
Differences between the ranges
Conventional lab testing and assessment have very broad reference ranges and are used to identify disease. Conventional treatment is then typically some form of medication.
A functional approach to interpreting these labs incorporates a much narrower range and looks for patterns of change in physiology. The aim of this type of analysis is to catch patterns of dysfunction before they become disease states and then correct them with lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, stress management, quality sleep and supplementation.
Following laboratory reference ranges can be problematic because these ranges vary greatly from lab to lab. They are also based on the average population…but there is so much chronic illness, that those ranges are looking at people who are already sick!
But functional lab ranges are based on a population that is free from disease. These ranges have also not been associated with an increased risk of dysfunction or disease in research studies.
When “Normal” Isn’t Normal
Many times clients have been told that they are “normal” because their test analysis was in the lab reference range. And yet, they are still experiencing symptoms and know that they are NOT well. But although the test may appear normal, it may not be optimal. If action is not taken to address the dysfunction, then eventually it will progress to disease.
You have an opportunity to see those test results and take action before that happens and before health issues become more serious.
Do you want to learn more about how to recognize these red flags? Learn more about the FDN Advanced Course on Functional Blood Chemistry Analysis here!