One of the principles of Naturopathic Medicine is to address the underlying or “root” cause of disease. In addition to taking a thorough health history and physical exam, Naturopathic Doctors often rely of specialized testing which can help to uncover the underlying reasons for your health concerns.
Food Sensitivity Testing
Food sensitivities are becoming increasingly common due to a variety of factors including our over-consumption of processed and genetically-modified foods, chronic stress, and long-term use of certain medications (e.g. heartburn medication and antibiotics) which can disrupt our digestive health. In contrast to classic food “allergies” such as peanuts allergies, food sensitivities can be harder to identify because symptoms may appear 24 to 72 hours after eating an offending food. To complicate matters, the symptoms of food sensitivities don’t always affect our digestion and may also include headaches, fatigue, skin concerns, joint pain, etc.
In order to help our patients identify both food allergies and sensitivities, I offer food sensitivity testing through a simple blood test that assesses allergies and sensitivities to 96 foods.
Cost: starting at $250
Saliva Hormone Testing
Saliva testing is a simple, non-invasive method of testing. In addition, it has the advantage of allowing for the collection of several samples over the course of a month, for example, which can provide more detailed and accurate results compared to a one-time collection.
How is saliva hormone testing different than blood tests?
Our bodies tightly regulate the amount of hormones present in our blood in order to preserve health. It can be difficult to identify hormone imbalances in the blood unless there are large abnormalities. Furthermore, hormones found in the blood are bound to proteins and are therefore in their “inactive” form. On the other hand, saliva testing will reflect free or “active” hormone levels and can identify mild imbalances.
We offer a variety of saliva hormone testing options, including:
- Female Hormone Panel
Are you struggling with symptoms of hormonal imbalance such as irregular periods, PMS, PCOS, acne or endometriosis. Saliva testing of estrogen, progesterone, DHEA-S, and testosterone to identify the problem can be the first step towards solving your concern. In contrast to blood testing, this saliva test allows us to monitor your hormone levels throughout your cycle providing more detailed information about your hormone levels.
Cost: starting at $300
- Menopause Hormone Panel
Take the guesswork out of knowing your hormone levels. This test was specifically designed for women who are experiencing menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, fatigue, and weight gain or who are considering bio-identical hormone replacement therapy. By testing your estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA(S) we can better understand your hormone levels and create a targeted treatment plan just for you!
Cost: starting at $225
- Adrenal Function Panel
Is your stress level affecting your health. Stress can affect your body and your health in many different ways. This stress measure your stress hormones cortisol and DHEAS throughout the day to get a more complete picture of what role stress is playing in your symptoms. This test is especially helpful for individuals with fatigue, insomnia, or unexplained weight gain.
Cost: starting at $225