Blood Analysis

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 Let’s look at some science, blood work, saliva, food sensitive, and micronutrients. 

In my office, in-order to understand reoccurring injuries, nutrition may be affecting the recovery process. Because we need nutrients from our foods to be assimilate into the cells themselves which produce tissues, nerves, muscles and the energy and vitality we all need.

I first start by collecting some lab tests which you may have already taken, such as your yearly physical. I like to see at least 3-5 tests in the past to see what trends that you are following, high or low normal. We take the tests and line them up by each lab in chronological order to see how long your values have been offline. Sometimes I can work off these old tests and try some changes in your diet, herbs, etc. 

I then generally set up an “electronic ticket” to Labcorp or Quest with results in 24-72 hours. This starts a new evaluation process compared to your old tests, using your current diagnostic components on your insurance coverage. We also have a national co-op which allows us to have labs testing done for anyone regardless of insurance coverage. 

This begins the process of analyzing the blood values to unlock imbalances the body is having when we interpret the values from a Wellness point-of-view. 

We may also need to run others test; i.e. food sensitivities, saliva analysis, hormones, and micro-nutrient testing when Labcorp or Quest no longer provide test panels. There are other labs that will provide this information. 

Utilizing the medical model tests, we can evaluate you to see if you are normal: are you on the high side or low side of normal. Most of you have always been told, blood test are normal. 

I want to actually see how normal the values look. 

With this quantitative evaluation we can then match your values up against functional medicine values and see your trend pattern - high or low in these categories.

Based on these pathways we apply homeopathic herbal formulas and/or Chinese herbal formulas to improve your nutrition, organ function and meridian balance. 

This allows your values and body to change or “reboot” its bio-chemical balance.

I can see with follow-up testing which herbs, and which metabolic changes that occur. This way you and I can be directed to the next pathway. 

Using diet and exercise and better food combinations we can then exit from herb therapy and see how well your body is accepting the changes on its own. 

We need to always have an exit strategy with herbs and/or your medication. 

For example, cholesterol is a familiar issue. You have the medical model therapy, high cholesterol is bad and should be reduced as soon as possible to reduce the triglycerides, LDL, and HDL components to avoid heart attack. 

However, in the functional medicine view and wellness model. We need cholesterol for hormone production. Likewise, if you are under mental stress and have physical stress on the body then cholesterol will rise to accommodate the need to more hormones and stress related chemical like cytokines, etc. 

So, the rise in cholesterol alone may be a warning sign that we have “imbalance” in the system. Maybe your triglycerides are normal, or the LDL is slightly raised. 

From a homeopathic view-point, excess sugar will also raise cholesterol across the board especially the triglycerides. Which is a marker for sugar as well as LDL. I have seen some triglycerides over 500. (Normal 0-149)

So maybe a diet change is all that is order. 

That would be my conservative approach first. 

In my opinion, we need to use as little medication as possible since they all have side effects. When its necessary use it and then have an exit strategy. 

When abnormal values occur, as wellness health care physician, I must look at the “whole” picture and make changes slowly and consistently in 30 days to retest and know for sure we are heading into the right direction.

I once had a patient with excessive joint pain, and medication was not helping from the allopathic physician. With reoccurring pain and no response from conservative care, diet change, physical therapy, and allopathic care, I was suspicious we were not looking at the full picture. So, I ordered a blood test. 

Wow, the iron levels on this individual was 2500. When it should be around 27-139.

This discovery and further evaluation lead to the diagnosis of hemochromatosis. An iron absorption defect in the liver. It was also discovered that the patient had a gene mutation that promotes this type of illness. So, we began to set up a phlebotomy every month over 1 year reduce his values to 100 and a little below before stopping the phlebotomy procedure. In addition, to diet change and no iron supplementation.  Over time the joint pain has eased off. However, this condition leaves the joints synovial tissues, and liver damage from the excessive overload of iron. 

This is why when I order a blood work up, I add to the standard smac24 lab values to about 50 or more tests to look at the “whole” body. This is crucial when we evaluate reoccurring pain, continued conditions and reoccurring injuries that never seem to heal, go away, or don’t improve. 

There are many other pathways that need to be reviewed such as the, thyroid axis, iron pathway, gallbladder pathway, sugar pathway, heart pathway, gastric pathway, etc. 

Together, we will find the cause, we just have to look closer. 

More importantly we need to ask the question.: “why’ are you not responding, “why” are you having reoccurring pain, or “why” are the values high or low.

What’s also valuable, is that I can integrate Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, food choices, just a sample or options, to uncover meridian dysfunctions that could be blocking the progress. 

I am amazed and excited in each case because it’s a “puzzle” I have to figure out. I love puzzles. 

Do we look at structure, posture, exercise, diet, nutrition deficiency, or metabolic nutrition and meridian dysfunction. They are all possible avenues of the puzzle. I am just tenacious to look under each rock and figure your specific situation. 

The adventure is always different because we are all individuals, some patients and  their conditions may to similar, but I feel all cases need to be customized for you to have the best outcome and results to live a better life. 

Let’s begin,

Dr Ron Farotto