Oakwood Chiropractic
A Natural Health Center

Blood Testing For Optimal Health:

Why you should do more testing than your Insurance allows!!

The primary function of lab testing for insurance purposes is to confirm a diagnosis or follow the course of a known disease. This is of great benefit at certain times, but when you are interested in pursuing optimal health and desire to gather information about your personal health, insurance does not normally extend coverage.

If you have insurance, your primary care physician may order testing that is medically necessary. The problem with this standard is that the doctor has significant restrictions and limited options when ordering tests. In other words, he or she must already have a diagnosis and use lab tests to confirm it. This doesn’t allow for testing that may provide significant information into your personal health status.

For instance, if you have a history of heart disease in your family, you would probably want to take preventive measures to ensure that you are doing the right things with your health. You might want to order a CRP-HS, fibrinogen or a homocysteine test. Also, the PLAC test, an assessment for stroke and heart attack risk, might be something you want the Dr. to order. However, unless you have had a heart attack or stroke, your insurance will not pay for these tests. Therefore, if you want to make your health a priority, you may want to step outside the “insurance box” and do the test yourself and pay out of pocket. Don’t you feel that your health is worth it? You will never be as healthy as you can be if you wait for your insurance to take care of everything!

Call for pricing…

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Opti-Chem and Urinalysis:

– measures glucose, BUN, Creatinine, Uric acid*, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Calcium, Phosphorous* Magnesium*, Total protein, Albumin, Globulin, Bilirubin, Alkaline phosphatase, GGT*, LDH*, SGOT, SGPT, Iron*, CBC differential, Cholesterol Panel, Thyroid Panel*(total T4, TSH, T3, T3 Uptake and FTI) and Urinalysis.

* These are tests we do that are not normally found on insurance based blood work.

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Additional tests to add to Opti-Chem Profile:

  1. Vitamin D – Optimal levels are helpful in preventing many cancers such as breast, prostate, and colon. Also good for diabetes, blood pressure, osteoporosis, bone and muscle pain, and many other chronic diseases.
  2. C-Reactive Protein , high sensitivity - very important marker for heart disease.
  3. Homocysteine – another important marker for heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
  4. Ferritin – Iron storage, important not to have too high a level or too low. Good to know this number along with Iron.
  5. Fibrinogen – another heart marker, clotting in arteries, do not want a number that is too high.
  6. Fasting Insulin – goes along with glucose and Hemoglobin A1C. Important number to know for preventing diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
  7. Hemoglobin A1C – this is a reflection of a 3 month blood glucose level. Important number to know for preventing diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
  8. Leptin – a good number to know for a weight loss program, especially if you have a hard time losing weight.
  9. Rheumatoid Factor – a marker for this disease.
  10. Sed Rate - Inflammatory marker.
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Additional Blood Testing Available:

  1. Thyroid Panel (TSH, free T4, and T3)
  2. Thyroid Panel (same as opti-chem)
  3. Lipid Panel (same as opti-chem)
  4. Hormone Panel – Female – Pregnenolone, DHEA, Progesterone, estradiol, total estrogens, total testosterone.
  5. Hormone Panel – Male – Pregnenolone, DHEA, Progesterone, total estrogens, total testosterone.
  6. PSA Serum – Prostate Specific Antigen.
  7. PLAC Test – Risk assessment for heart attack and stroke.
  8. NMR LipoProfile – Provides number and size of several HDL, LDL, and VLDL subclasses of lipid particles – the true picture of cholesterol.
  9. Blood Draw
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Saliva Testing:

  1. Adrenal Function ( done 4 times daily) – assesses stress levels via cortisol
  2. Hormone Profile – 2 Female – assesses hormones and am/pm cortisol levels
  3. Hormone Profile – 3 Female – assesses hormones and 4 cortisol levels
  4. Hormone Profile – 2 Male – blood spot
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Specialty Lab Testing through Metametrix:

  1. Organix - urine test that provides a view into the body’s cellular metabolic processes and how efficiently it is working. Finding the metabolic blocks that can be treated nutritionally will lead to improved patient outcomes.
  2. AA/EPA Ratio – Blood spot test - Balancing these fats in the body is an excellent way for managing heart disease and other chronic and inflammatory processes.
  3. Toxic Elements – Urine test – testing for heavy metal toxicity such as mercury, cadmium, lead and many others.
  4. Amino Acid Testing – Urine or blood spot – a good test for depression, Attention Deficit and other disorders.
  5. Bone Resorption – Urine test that can identify accelerated bone breakdown.
  6. 2/16 OH Estrogen Ratio - Urine test – risk assessment for breast cancer.
  7. Basic Metabolic Profile – Urine test – consists of an organix profile and lipid peroxides.
  8. Comprehensive Metabolic Profile – Urine and blood spot – consists of an organix profile, lipid peroxides, fatty acids, and food allergy testing.
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