Laboratory Testing
Dr. Berusch offers routine conventional laboratory testing in addition to specialized laboratory testing.
Conventional Laboratory Testing
Conventional laboratory testing often consists of routine screening labs that help reveal your general health status. These can sometimes be called “annual labs”.
Complete Blood Count (CBC): This test looks at red and white blood cells that can reveal anemia, illness, infection, cancer, red blood cell abnormalities, nutritional deficiencies (limited), autoimmune disease (limited)
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP): This test looks at fluid balance, electrolytes, liver function, glucose, kidney function, gallbladder function, minerals, and proteins
Diabetes screening: detailed lab test that reviews key hormones in the body’s use of sugar (glucose)
Cholesterol Testing: blood fats, cholesterol levels, and their subtype ranges (usually referred to as “good” and “bad” cholesterol) that can indicate how well the body utilizes fat and risk of atherosclerosis
Thyroid Panel: thyroid health and thyroid hormone production, thyroid autoimmune disease
Routine vitamins and minerals
There are additional conventional laboratory exams, depending on your health concerns.
Specialized Lab Testing
Why might I need specialty lab testing?
When your health concerns or symptoms haven’t been answered yet through conventional testing or you have a long-standing or recurrent illness, Dr. Berusch often suggests specialty lab testing to get a deeper picture.
Specialty lab testing helps Dr. Berusch get to the root cause of what may be causing your health concerns. Instead of treating symptoms and experiencing discomfort, Dr. Berusch evaluates your whole body.
Types of Specialty Lab Testing
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Comprehensive digestive analysis assesses chronic or underlying imbalances within the digestive tract can lead to uncomfortable or painful symptoms throughout the body. Stool testing evaluates the balance (ratio) and types of yeast, bacteria, pathogens, blood, inflammation markers, and immune markers within the digestive system.
Beneficial bacteria live in us naturally and help us with everyday bodily functions. When harmful bacteria are present or overgrow, this causes imbalances that disrupt healthy body function. Once levels are determined through testing, a personalized wellness protocol is created to address any issues and restore the body.
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Many people are sensitive to things found within the foods and drinks we consume everyday. Food allergy and sensitivity testing can determine which food items may be causing an abnormal immune response resulting in symptoms such as fatigue, skin rashes, digestive distress, brain fog, runny nose, itchy ears and eyes, congestion, post-nasal drip, and/or mood irregularities.
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The candida lab test checks for candidiasis, which is the overgrowth of candida. Candida albicans is a healthy organism that lives in our GI tract and throughout our body. The normal balance of this organism can be disrupted by antibiotics, high sugar intake, certain medications, illness, irritation to the area, and diabetes. Candidiasis can result in symptoms of fatigue, vaginal infection, allergies, skin rashes, brain fog, and other symptoms. Candidiasis can be treated with accurate lab testing.
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Hormone testing looks at thyroid hormones, adrenal hormones, as well as male and female hormones. Hormone testing is important as hormones and gland function influence multiple systems within the body such as fatigue, weight gain, sleeping difficulties, food cravings, and help provide a framework for diagnosis and effective treatment.
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Small Intestinal Bowel Overgrowth (SIBO) is a serious digestive disturbance that can be treated when appropriately diagnosed. The lab test checks an individual's breath samples every 20 minutes over a 2 or 3-hour period to evaluate the levels of hydrogen, methane, or both to assess for SIBO.
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Neurotransmitters play a large role in our emotions and physiological function of the body. Testing can assess if deficiencies could be contributing to symptoms such as anxiety or depression, thus allowing for tailored treatment to meet your needs with less guess work.
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This test takes a deeper dive into cholesterol analysis and can provide Dr. Berusch further details about a client’s risk of heart attack or stroke. This is a good test for people with a family history of elevated cholesterol, heart attack, or stroke.
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This test is designed to evaluate amino acids, minerals, micro-nutrients, and vitamins within the body. By finding your specific nutritional provide, Dr. Berusch can tailor supplementation and wellness protocols more efficiently. Nutrients play an important role in cognitive function, general health, diabetes, heart disease, sports medicine and repair, obesity, and neurology.
Medications Depleting Nutrients?: Chronic use of medications, both prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, can deplete specific nutrients within the body. Historical knowledge and micronutrient testing can reveal if medication use is leading to nutrient depletion. Medications can be a necessary part of life, and with this information, Dr. Berusch can better support your body towards optimal health and wellness through a targeted nutrient plan.
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Adrenal stress tests provide a comprehensive 24-hour overview of adrenal function. Adrenal function can be tested in saliva or blood. Adrenal health can be implicated when individuals feel prolonged stress, exhaustion, fatigue, and other generalized physical and mental health concerns. There are many things that can contribute to fatigue, and often more than one cause is present.
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Many people are sensitive to things in the environment around them and this impacts their health day-to-day. Environmental sensitivity testing can assess your body’s response to mold, plants, animals, dust, and seasonal pollen.
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Every person has a unique genetic profile, some people have genetic “snips” that alter the way they process foods, medications, and environmental stressors. This test can help paint a more clear picture on the best way to support your health.
Symptoms that may warrant specialized testing:
Memory issues
Mood irregularities
Digestive distress
Muscle pain or weakness
Fatigue
Skin rashes
Headaches
Obesity
Chronic pain
Family history of chronic disease(s); diabetes, high cholesterol, stroke, and cancer
Nasal congestion and seasonal allergies
Fertility and menstrual issues
Understand The Results of Your Laboratory Testing
Conventional Laboratory Ranges
Conventional reference ranges in labs are important in medical decision making and diagnosis, but the ranges can be broad, and many symptoms and discomfort can still occur even within normal ranges
Optimal Laboratory Ranges
Naturopathic Medicine has a lot to offer to individuals when it comes to the prevention of disease and the reversal of chronic disease
Wellness is not the absence of disease, but the presence of health, wellness, happiness, and vitality; feeling good in our bodies and mind more often than not. We can do this through optimal physiology (body function)
You don’t have to settle for normal lab values, together we can support you to feel your best self
Special Offer: At-Home Laboratory Testing
Want to take control of your health for yourself while still being able to access expert advice?
These functional medicine kits are tests that are ordered online and can be taken within the comfort and privacy of your home. Each kit is quickly and discreetly delivered to your door. These tests are specifically curated to determine energy levels, food sensitivity, gut bacteria, and hormone levels that could be impacting and distressing your body.
You do not need to be a patient or client of the practice to order the test kits. If you are a patient, please contact Dr. Berusch before purchasing.
Select the test(s) you’d like to take
Self-pay for the test
Complete test at home
Book a 30-minute review with Dr. Berusch to analyze the results.*
* 30-minute integrative test review is required to discuss the results of your test, if you do not book this, Dr. Berusch cannot review the results.
At-Home Laboratory Review
Integrative Test Review $140