Functional Lab Testing

The term “functional labs” has become a bit of a buzz word in the field of medicine over the last 10 years. It could be said that all blood tests are functional tests since they help the doctor get a better idea of how certain systems or organs are working.

However, functional blood tests take it to another level giving the doctor a better understanding of not just what is wrong, but also why it’s wrong. Functional blood tests often look at multiple systems simultaneously because a problem in one system will often throw things off in another system. 

Here’s an example: 

Let’s take a look at the traditional tests ordered when a thyroid problem is suspected. 

• TSH
• T4

A traditional approach only looks at two factors, TSH and T4. If there is an obvious problem with the thyroid it will usually show up on those tests. They are sensitive to thyroid problems, but not helpful in determining the underlying cause. So the patient gets a prescription drug to artificially and temporarily manage the symptoms all the while ignoring the root cause.  

Now let’s take a look at the functional tests ordered for suspected thyroid problems:

• TSH
• T4
• T3
• FT4
• FT3
• T3 Uptake
• Reverse T3
• TPOAb
• TgAb

As you can clearly see, the functional approach includes several tests that will not only show the obvious problem, but will also shine a light on why the obvious problem exists. With the doctor’s help the patient can work on the root cause(s) and stand a much higher chance at getting back to normal instead of taking medication for the rest of their life. 

Chiropractic Care

The type of chiropractic care we specialize in is called upper cervical chiropractic. There are several different ‘techniques’ in chiropractic just like there are different branches of medical care (cardiology, endocrinology, neurology, etc).

Even though it’s called upper cervical (cervical means neck) it doesn’t mean this type of chiropractic care is only useful for people with upper neck pain. Quite the opposite actually. This type of chiropractic care is good for the whole body. 

Both the alignment of the entire body and the function of the entire body are affected by the alignment of the upper neck, specifically the top two bones in the spine, often called atlas and axis, or C1 and C2. The unique relationship between the upper neck and the rest of the body is rooted in the nervous system. 

Whole body alignment:

The body will automatically align itself to keep the head level. The eyes and ears need to be kept as level as possible in order for us to keep our balance, so any tilting of the head (which also tilts the eyes and ears) will cause the rest of the spine and hips to compensate. The top two bones (atlas and axis) cause a slight head tilt when they are misaligned, but they don’t often cause pain in the upper neck, hence they often get overlooked. 

This is why some people get dozens of chiropractic adjustments to their lower back yet fail to see any lasting relief from pain or any change in their overall alignment (they get the same adjustment week after week for months and only get temporary relief). In cases like this both the  patient and the doctor are simply chasing pain and the location of pain doesn’t always lead to the root cause of the problem. 

Whole body function:

Every system of the body is controlled and coordinated by the nervous system. The brainstem (located at the base of the skull)  is where the decisions for how to control all the various bodily functions are made and those decisions are sent as signals over the nerves. Any disruption of the signal will cause problems in the body.

The upper neck has unique and powerful neurological connections to the brainstem. Which means any problem in the upper neck will cause a problem with the brainstem. Like a line of dominoes, knock the first one over and the rest will eventually fall down too.

The testing process:

Not every person with a chronic or recurring health problem has the type of problem in the upper neck that we trained to fix. We need to use specialized equipment to determine if someone is a candidate for this treatment or not.

Digital infrared thermography is how we test the function of the nervous system. This test will let us know if there is, in fact, a disruption of the signals between the brainstem and the rest of the body. Much like how a medical cardiologist will use an EKG test to evaluate the function of the heart. 

We also use x-rays to help determine if there is an alignment problem in the upper neck related to the nervous system problem we found using thermography. What we’re looking for in the top two bones of the neck (atlas and axis) cannot be seen with the standard x-ray views, so we take a couple extra x-rays from different angles. 

Detox 360 Program

We know that the word “detox” can send some people running in the opposite direction since it seems like every business even remotely connected to health has a detox program to sell. Rest assured though, our program does not involve any crystals, magical lasers, gimmicky foot baths, or tinfoil hats.  

And please don’t underestimate the importance of detoxifying the body! In spite of all the weird stuff you’ve probably heard or seen about detoxing, there is plenty of legit science behind it. The fact is our world is loaded with chemicals that are impossible to avoid and have both known and unknown side-effects. Every modern country has its version of the EPA and FDA because they all know how harmful these chemicals are to your body. 

We believe that some people do need to spend time early in their health restoration process detoxifying. Years of exposure to environmental toxins, years of a poor diet, years of poor sleep, and years of too much stress are simply too much for the body’s built in detox systems to keep up with. 

Our detox program, Detox 360™, is a 30 day protocol designed to both minimize the introduction of new toxins while helping the body rid itself of any accumulated toxins. The program is designed to maximize the body’s built in detox pathways (liver, kidneys, lungs, skin, lymphatic system, and glymphatic system) using therapeutic supplements and detailed meal plan (all meals and recipes included).

It’s not possible to avoid exposure to toxic chemicals, but it is possible to clear out accumulated toxins and help your body dramatically reduce its toxic load.

Regenerative Therapy

Regenerative therapy is a cellular level therapy that helps the body heal on a deep level and repair tissue. There are different types of regenerative therapies available and depending on the type used it can be helpful for musculoskeletal problems and systemic health conditions. 

The type of regenerative therapy we help give patients access to is the of the highest level services offered in the country, HUCT cells. Many people think this type of therapy can only be found in Panama or Mexico because of strict FDA regulations.

We have partnered with a highly trained team of medical doctors and their staff and they utilize the most well respected and established lab in the country to ensure all the FDA regulations are followed to the letter. 

“You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old.” –George Burns

Sleep Testing & Treatment

If there was only one thing you could do to help improve your health and stay well it would absolutely be sleep. Not just laying down with your eyes closed for a few hours every night, but deep and restorative sleep. 

The sad truth is that very few people get this type of sleep anymore. Our modern world glorifies the grind. Long work hours and hustling every day is something to be boasted about and rewarded for, like wearing a badge of honor. The actual reward is poor health.

What good is all that nice stuff you’ve got if you’re not healthy enough to enjoy it?

It used to be that the only options to help someone with poor sleep were medications and CPAP machines. Times have changed (in spite of what your insurance company says) and there are several treatments and devices available to help people get great, restorative sleep. 

We utilize FDA approved in-home sleep testing devices and have partnered with leaders in the industry to be able to offer our clients the very best in sleep restoration. 

Most people don’t get great sleep anymore, but you don’t have to be one of them.

Joint & Soft Tissue Injuries

Probably the closest thing available to a magic bullet when it comes to resolving joint pain and rapidly healing soft tissue injuries is Softwave Tissue Regeneration Therapy. 

The Softwave device we have in our wellness clinic utilizes shockwaves (pulsed sound waves) and it’s very effective for both chronic problems like tennis elbow or plantar fasciitis and new soft tissue injuries like a sprained ankle or “hot” low back.

The use of shockwaves in the medical field has been around for decades and much like computers, the devices have become smaller, more capable, and more available. Once exclusive to research facilities and renowned hospitals, shockwave therapy is now readily used in wellness clinics like ours, orthopedic centers, and with collegiate and professional sports.

The high amplitude pulsed sound waves break up the non-elastic fibrotic tissue (scar tissue) found in chronic joint problems, stimulates the activation of your body’s own tissue repairing cells, and increases the micro-vascularization of the treated area, all of which serve to maximize the healing capacity of your body. 

The actual treatment only takes a few minutes per session and it’s a healing experience you’re not soon to forget!

Therapeutic Supplements

We believe in responsible supplementation.

We know optimal health is not found at the bottom of a supplement bottle just like true happiness is not found at the bottom of a whiskey bottle. 

That being said, however, we do believe that there is a time and place for supplementation on the road to optimal health. The fact is that for most people (probably including you), eating an ideal diet of whole, organic, properly grown and prepared food for every meal is not possible. And combine the need for an ideal diet with the need for low stress levels and great sleep, the chances are even smaller that someone can sustain a lifestyle from which optimal health is the result without a little help. 

Enter the concept of responsible supplementation. Which means taking just enough to fill in the small gaps that a good diet and lifestyle leave open. And then filling those small gaps with the highest quality, most potent, and most absorbable supplements available. 

We base our supplement recommendations on both lab testing and well tested questionnaires so that we are sure to find just the right type and amount that will be useful and sustainable.