Naturopathic Medicine Diagnostic Approach
At Neighborhood Naturopathic we offer detailed, personalized care utilizing modern and time tested diagnostic procedures.
One of the benefits of naturopathic care is we can take time to learn about your individual situation, and carefully consider WHY you are having symptoms. Many patients come to Neighborhood Naturopathic to understand why they are feeling ill after failing to get a helpful diagnosis with other providers. Others know why they are having symptoms, but are unable to find a reasonable treatment, or the needed treatments have side effects that must be mitigated. Some simply want comprehensive and proactive heath care so they can continue to be healthy, and enjoy an increasing quality of life.
At your intake, we will discuss your health history in detail while reviewing your medical record and previous test results. A careful and open conversation about the details of your situation can be illuminating, and may reveal the root cause of the problem.
We will perform common pertinent physical exams, and may do diagnostic procedures such as body composition monitoring or well woman exams (for women who work with Dr. Margaret Litchy-Miller). We may apply principles of Chinese medicine to guide our treatments and diagnosis. Appropriate additional testing may be recommended to help understand WHY there are symptoms, or how to best support health and quality of life.
Using this information, we will create a healthcare plan which addresses the long term root causes of your symptoms, and may help you feel better quickly. We can offer many solutions, so together we can find the best approach for your situation, lifestyle and health.
Here are examples of some tests we may order:
- Adrenal Stress Testing: Gather saliva samples over a 24 hour period to determine adrenal function. Compromised adrenals can be the cause of fatigue, mental health concerns, and other physical symptoms.
- Genetic Testing: Interpret your genetic make-up and learn about methylation pathways, your body’s detoxifying abilities, inflammation, and clues to mysterious symptoms. Optimizing these physiological processes with proper supplementation and diet will often reduce symptoms.
- Comprehensive Nutrient Testing: Learn your levels of fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in order to provide proper supplementation and make necessary changes in your diet.
- Comprehensive Stool Analysis: Assess for overgrowth of yeast, bacteria and parasites. This test is particularly helpful for those with digestive complaints, chronic conditions, and autoimmune conditions.
- SIBO Test: Assess levels of bacteria in your gut. If you have IBS, and have not had resolution of symptoms, this test is important
- Food Allergy and Sensitivity Testing: Learn what foods could be contributing to your digestive complaints, skin issues, joint pain, and more! This test can be particularly useful for children living with behavioral issues.
- Endocrine Testing: Assess hormone levels (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, etc.) to determine the cause of symptoms. Additional testing to assess thyroid and adrenal function may also be ordered in conjunction with these tests.
- Cardiovascular Screening: Receive a better understanding of your overall cardiovascular health by measuring specific vascular inflammatory markers.
- Infectious Disease Testing: Determine if you have active chronic or new infectious disease, such as Lyme and Co-infections, EBV, and inflammation related to bio toxin illness or autoimmune reactions like PANDAS.
- Adjunctive Oncology Testing: Personalized testing including: genetic profiling, tumor markers, chemosensitivity testing, circulating tumor cell levels, and the RGCC test.
- Routine Blood Work: Assess the function of your liver, kidneys, and thyroid. Check lipid levels including total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglycerides. Measure blood sugar, vitamin D, electrolytes, and more.
* If you are interested in a specific test, and do not see it listed, please contact us for further information.
