Where Does Blood Chemistry Analysis Fit in the Scope of Your Practice?

Many practitioners base their treatment decisions and follow-up care primarily on symptoms and patient history alone, because many lab tests, when analyzed using the conventional laboratory reference range, are “normal” and are often too expensive to repeat frequently. This is unfortunate, because many symptoms emerge later into a process of dysfunction or pathology and often disappear long before a dysfunction is fully addressed. This leaves a large prognostic “gray zone” both before and after a symptom is present.

It is essential in a practice of patient-centered preventative medicine to have the tools to assess where a patient lies upon this spectrum. Blood chemistry and CBC analysis from an optimal and functional perspective is one of the tools that allows the practitioner to assess that prognostic “gray zone”. We also recommend using symptom questionnaires, a thorough functional physical examination, and appropriate in-office lab tests along with regular blood chemistry analysis to get a thorough picture of what is going on.

Incorporating symptom questionnaires into the analysis can be very useful. We cannot over-emphasize the importance of a good, thorough history when interpreting baseline or serial laboratory values. Diet, lifestyle, and medication history is critical for the proper interpretation of a routine blood analysis, as many of these factors play an important role in establishing the etiology of a dysfunction.

We recommend running a comprehensive blood chemistry and CBC every 6 months for active patients and every year for those patients on a maintenance program. They should be run more frequently when dealing with an acute case. In between these visits we encourage the use of simple and inexpensive in-office laboratory tests that can be run economically to help track a patient’s progress. Recommendations for these tests are made throughout the book.

Please see my page on "How YOU can Make Hundreds of Dollars a Month With an In-Office Lab!" for a more comprehensive and detailed explanation of these in-office tests. Click here to order.

Most tests do not give immediate feedback and therefore take valuable time between data gathering and action or treatment. In our office we use a biofeedback technique called Neuro-Lingual Testing in conjunction with hands-on reflex testing to quickly and accurately gather data from the patient. We find that this system of analysis, when combined with blood chemistry and CBC analysis and appropriate in-office testing, allows us to accurately assess the individual needs of the patient.

For more information on health questionnaires, in-office lab testing, Neuro-Lingual Testing, and the hands-on reflex testing please Click on this link or on the Products button on the left hand navigation

© 2004 Dicken Weatherby, ND

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Dicken Weatherby is a graduate of the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon. He is the co-author of the best-selling book "Blood Chemistry and CBC Analysis- Clinical Laboratory Testing from a Functional Perspective". To learn more about Dr. Weatherby's functional diagnosis books and sign up for FREE functional diagnosis tips, tools, and techniques, visit his web site at http://www.BloodChemistryAnalysis.com

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