Laboratory Testing

It is important to be able to test the functioning of the adrenal gland. The adrenal gland produces the hormones (such as cortisol) that allow us to tolerate stress. The role of the adrenal gland is often underappreciated. Extreme disorders of the adrenal gland include conditions such as Cushing’s disease or Addison’s disease. However, more commonly, a person will be struggling with suboptimal adrenal function which can cause a variety of symptoms ranging from lethargy, poor stress tolerance, insomnia, and mood disorders.

The doctors at the CFNM use a medical device called a BIA (bioimpedance analysis) to determine a patient’s body composition (percent lean body mass, percent fat, liters of water). An electrode is placed on the hand and on the foot. Muscle, fat, and water all have different electrical resistances, allowing the person’s body composition to be accurately measured. A patient’s body composition is an important parameter in achieving optimal health.

BIA (Bioelectical Impedence Analysis) test brochure and instructions.

the most advanced blood testing in assessing cardiovascular risk profile. The doctors test a variety of parameters including:

• Subdivision of the lipoprotein size LDL type I,II,III,IV, HDL type 2B
• Homocysteine, insulin, inflammatory markers such as hsCRP

The strategy is used to better assess the level of cardiovascular risk for a patient using the most advanced technologies in blood testing. Blood is drawn, fasting, at the CFNM, and sent to the appropriate laboratory.

It is often important to determine if a patient is reacting allergically to the environment. A very sensitive test for determining environmental allergies is to measure the circulating antibodies in the blood. The doctors at the CFNM will conduct an environmental panel that tests for antibodies in the blood to a wide variety of common allergens ranging from different mold species to dust, to pollen, to animal dander. A suitable strategy is chosen once a patient’s full allergic status is known. Commonly, food antibody testing is done in conjunction with environmental allergy testing to determine the complete allergic status of the patient.

Food allergies and sensitivities are common contributing factors to chronic illness. Food allergies can cause gastrointestinal symptoms (such as those found in IBS). Interestingly though, food allergies play a role in many immune-mediated conditions such as asthma, autoimmune conditions, or frequent infections.

There are several ways to test for food allergies. One of the most reliable and advanced techniques is to use IgE/ IgG4 blood testing (E95, A95).

This allows the practitioner to see both the short-acting immune response (IgE class) and, importantly, the delayed or longer-acting immune response (IgG4). Once the allergies are identified, a suitable treatment protocol is developed.

“If I test negative on a celiac test does that mean that I am not reacting to gluten?”

Please note that there is a range of reactions that a person can have to gluten. A person can be struggling with an allergic reaction to gluten without testing positive on a celiac test. The IgE/IgG4 testing offered by the CFNM in conjunction with Meridian Valley Laboratory will identify reactions to gluten without necessarily being celiac.

Diagnos-Techs Laboratory offers a comprehensive GI panel. This test is a stool and saliva test that can offer important information about the health of the gastrointestinal tract. There are a number of important features tested for including:

• Bacterial balance: identifying if the bacterial balance of the intestine is appropriate or if there are harmful bacteria affecting the health
• Yeast/fungal strains including candida
• Parasites; tested for both as an ova and parasite, but importantly a more sensitive antibody/antigen test
• Helicobactor pylori antibody test (also, when needed, a helicobactor breath test can be done (this is often done to confirm that antibiotic treatment has been successful)

Diagnostic Solutions GI-MAP stool test utilizes cutting-edge, Quantitative PCR technology to provide a true DNA/PCR-based stool test. This technology has high sensitivity, specificity, and a rapid turnaround. The GI pathogens include bacteria, parasites, and viruses.

GI Testing by Genova DiagnosticsThe Gastrointestinal/Immunology product lines include both GI and Immunology tests. This includes the GI Effects® Profiles, as well as CDSA 2.0 and all other branded GI/Immune profiles from Genova Diagnostics.

Heavy metals such as mercury, lead, arsenic, and cadmium can accumulate in the body causing a variety of health concerns. Unfortunately, blood testing for heavy metals is helpful only for acute exposures. More commonly, the majority of patients inquiring about heavy metal testing have had a slow exposure to heavy metal over years; such as people with dental amalgams containing mercury; or people working in a vocation with a higher exposure level (such as industry, farming, autobody, etc.).

For patients that suspect elevated heavy metals that have accumulated over time, a “provoked chelated” urine test is used. The patient must first take a provoking agent that attaches to the heavy metal allowing the body to excrete it in the urine. The urine is collected for six hours after taking the chelating agent and a sample is sent to the laboratory for testing.

The CFNM is pleased to partner with Doctor’s Data Laboratory, an industry leader in the field of heavy metal testing.

Hormone testing is used to determine the levels of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA. Importantly, it is often the relative strength of the hormones, or how they vary over time, that is clinically important. Furthermore, one hormone can be converted into another hormone along metabolic pathways. Hormone panels are done to determine the levels of hormones along the different metabolic pathways.

The Centre for Natural Medicine will work with you to determine which laboratory option is most suited to your needs.

The DUTCH Complete™ offers an extensive profile of sex and adrenal hormones and melatonin, along with their metabolites, to identify symptoms of hormonal imbalances. Samples are collected in the comfort of your home and sent to the lab to be processed

Female Hormone Panel

The female hormone panel is a salivary test of the estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA levels. This test is used for menstruating women to help identify any hormone dysfunction. Importantly, many (eleven) salivary samples are collected from the beginning to the end of the menstrual cycle. Collecting several samples throughout the cycle allows the practitioner to see the trend of the hormones throughout the entire cycle and to determine the relative strength of the hormones throughout the cycle. This is an important consideration, for example, in fertility treatment. This test is also done when there is a strong cyclic variation of the symptoms that a patient is having; for example, migraines occur only in one part of the menstrual cycle. Please note, there is also an extended female hormone panel that includes LH and FSH.

Male Hormone Panel

The male hormone panel is a salivary test used to evaluate the testosterone levels and the metabolites in the testosterone pathway. This test is used to determine if the testosterone and the related hormones are in balance. This test is often conducted when a male is struggling with issues such as poor libido, erectile dysfunction, lethargy, muscle loss, or mood volatility.

Postmenopausal Hormone Panel

The postmenopausal hormone panel is a salivary test used to evaluate the hormone level for menopausal women. Importantly, the different forms of estrogen are measured (estradiol, estriol, and estrone) as well as the progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA levels. This test can be useful for guiding treatment for women struggling with postmenopausal symptoms.

Lyme disease has become increasingly prevalent in Manitoba. Unfortunately, accurate testing for Lyme disease has proven challenging in Manitoba. The CFNM provides patients access to IgeneX Laboratory for more comprehensive and thorough testing for Lyme disease. Co-infections such as Bartonella, babesia, and Ehrlichiosis can also be tested. Samples are collected at the CFNM and sent to the appropriate laboratory. Additional testing such as CD57 can also be done. The doctors at the CFNM work in conjunction with a Lyme disease specialist when appropriate.

LYME DISEASE: NEW OPTIONS FOR TREATMENT

Lyme disease prevalence is on the rise, arguably more now than at any time in human history. Millions of people have been diagnosed with this debilitating illness, while millions of others are suffering from a myriad of mysterious symptoms,  Click here to read more.

The CFNM enjoys full access to the Mayo laboratory in Rochester, MN. The CFNM uses the Mayo laboratory to give patients access to specialized testing not available in Manitoba. Part of the mandate of the CFNM is to give patients the highest standard of care including access to the most sophisticated laboratory testing. For example, in the treatment of Lyme disease, when patients are taking high-dose antibiotics, the Mayo laboratory is used to test the peak amoxicillin levels to confirm that therapeutic levels of antibiotics are reaching the central nervous system.

The CFNM offers a full blood nutrient deficiency test by Spectracell Laboratory. This test is used to help a patient detect any nutrient deficiencies, which can then be appropriately addressed with the guidance of the doctor. Additionally, this test offers insight into the level of oxidative stress (a redox test) a patient is experiencing.

The CFNM also offers omega 3 fatty acid testing, providing important information about omega 3 and 6 levels.

The doctors at the CFNM us a medical device called a pulse oximeter to help assess the oxygen saturation of the blood. This non-invasive method is useful for monitoring progress in conditions such as COPD.

The CFNM is pleased to partner with Spectracell Laboratory to offer telomere testing. It is now possible for Manitobans to determine their biological age based on telomere length and telomerase activity.

Thyroid testing can be conducted by most of the local labs (unless a reverse T3 is needed). The doctors at the CFNM feel it is important to do thorough testing and interpretation of the thyroid. This may include the freeT3, the freeT4, the TSH, and importantly, the autoantibody production against the thyroid (anti-TPO). The doctors at the CFNM consider all of the thyroid test results as well as the symptoms that the patient is experiencing in order to develop a treatment plan. The functioning of the adrenal gland (stress tolerance) can affect the functioning of the thyroid gland so the adrenal gland and thyroid may be tested together.

Vitamin D deficiency is an endemic problem for Manitobans and has been identified as an important risk factor in a variety of conditions. Vitamin D deficiency has now been shown as a risk factor for strokes, heart attacks, many forms of cancer, autoimmune regulation, anxiety, and depression. The doctors at the Centre for Natural Medicine routinely test levels of Vitamin D3 and instruct patients on how to supplement appropriately to achieve the optimal dose. After a period of supplementation, the Vitamin D3 levels are often retested to confirm that the target blood range has been achieved.