Do you Understand your Blood Work? Why Normal does not always mean Healthy!
Kimberly Marrone L.Ac., CFMP
What You Need to Know
Many of our patients first come into our practice suffering. They arrive to their first appointment with a variety of symptoms ranging from pain, fatigue, brain fog, digestive issues, and anxiety just to name a few.
Most have already seen a number of Doctors and Specialists. They have had lots of testing and blood work only to be told that everything looks “normal”and there is nothing the doctors can find that is wrong. Often, they will be told that their blood work is “fine” but are prescribed medications to alleviate the symptoms without ever figuring out what is causing the symptoms to begin with.
One of the most important pieces of knowledge that I received in my training was from one of my Professors in regard to patient care. He said to me “ Your patients know their body…they know what it is to feel good…they know what health feels like, and when they come in and express to you that they do not feel well, you need to listen.” We were then trained to investigate deeply into the entire arena of their health. We were trained not only to look at their symptoms, but to look closely at their blood work and physical function and their health history. We were taught that these were critical pieces to truly asses with the eyes of Health and Wellness.
Many doctors dismiss people’s health complaints because of an incomplete blood test that only looks for full-blown diseases instead of trends toward disease. In Functional Medicine, however, we use a blood test for assessing risk of disease before it develops. This way we can do something about it before it’s too late. For instance, a fasting blood glucose over 100 mg/dL can identify a risk for diabetes long before a diagnosis. Or more complete thyroid testing can explain hypothyroid symptoms when a standard test shows results are “normal.”
Fortunately , there is a way to look at blood work results through a different lenses. This helps us see a deeper and more complete picture of whats happening in the body of each patient. One tool we use to accomplish this is to interpret blood tests using functional ranges, which outline the parameters of good health.
In contrast, the ranges most doctors use are based on a bell-curve analysis of all the people who visited that lab over a certain period of time, many of whom are very sick. These lab ranges have broadened over the last few decades as health of the American population has declined. As a result, more and more people with real health problems are told the they are fine because their lab results fall within these wide ranges.
There are two main types of ranges in the field of blood chemistry analysis: a Pathological range and a Functional/Optimal range. The Pathological range is used to diagnose a specific disease. The results will tell us unequivocally that the body has passed the threshold for wellness for that disease state. As for Functional/Optimal ranges, they are used to assess the risk or movement towards those disease states. It allows us to see the trend before the disease develops.
Another benefit to working with a Functional Medicine Practitioner is that we see our role as helping with Prevention and treating of the Root cause of disease. Because functional medicine is based on an in-depth knowledge of human physiology and how various systems in the body work together, we also look at a blood test for patterns instead of just looking at individual markers. By doing this, we see how these different systems influence one another to cause a constellation of symptoms.
For instance, looking at different white blood cells reveals whether an immune reaction is chronic or acute, and whether a virus, a bacterial infection, allergies, or parasite may be causing it. Other patterns can help us identify fatty liver, leaky gut, different types of anemia, or even a possible autoimmune disorder.
A Functional medicine doctor will use ranges that are based on optimal physiology and not the “normal” population.
This results in a tighter “Functional Physiological Range,” which allows us to evaluate the gray area in the above image that’s within the “Normal” range that to us tells us that something is not quite right in the physiological systems associated with this biomarker.
So we increase our ability to detect patients with changes in physiological “function”. More important is the fact that we can begin intervention whether its nutritional support, organ system support or recommendations for further testing.
This process allows us to identify the factors that obstructor patients from achieving optimal physiological, biochemical, and metabolic functioning in their body.
To Summarize…
Don’t settle for “Normal” ranges of blood chemistry
“Normal” is almost never “Optimal”
Blood-work or Lab analysis should reveal functional highs and lows rather than just High or Low.
Blood-work or Lab analysis should almost always result in nutritional recommendations, organ system disease risk and further testing
We want to address health issues before they become diseases or disabilities. Schedule an appointment now to see what your blood work is truly saying about the state of your health.
“The most essential skill in life is to learn how to take care of ourselves, nutritionally, physically and emotionally”
One of the reasons that I became a Holistic HealthCare Practitioner is a strong desire to help people attain their optimal health. I have learned over the years that the key to great health and a long active life is Life Style Medicine. I believe that there are Five Cornerstones that need to be addressed in the Regenerative / Lifestyle Medicine approach to health. They are Nutrition, Sleep, Physical Activity, Social Interactions and Mindfulness.
Nutrition is the First Cornerstone and one of the most important tools that we can use to attain and keep our good health. The food that we eat everyday will affect our immune system, inflammation, blood sugar, insulin levels, detoxification pathways, hormone balance, cardiovascular health, not to mention that it speaks directly to our genes. It is extremely important that we are choosing the right food for ourselves giving consideration to our unique makeup and personal health concerns. Many of us would benefit greatly from working with a Holistic Nutritionist to develop a healthy nutrition plan that is tailored for us. Ultimately though can keep in mind the advice of food writer Mark Bittman which is to “Eat REAL food [ not processed ], Not Too Much and eat mostly plants.”
Sleep is the Second Cornerstone for improving and keeping our health. Sleep is often something that we take for granted (until we don’t have it). Most of us are not aware of the critical things that happen in or bodies when we sleep. Good Sleep helps us fight stress, maintain a healthy weight, and strengthens our immune system. Sleep should be taken seriously and the timing of our sleep matters. There are many systems in our bodies that depend on a circadian rhythm in order to get their jobs done, It is during these optimal times that our bodies repair and regenerate tissue and organs systems. The closer we can get to the sleep window of 10 pm – 6 am the better our body can recover from what it has been exposed to day in and day out.
Physical Activity – Moving our Bodies is the Third Cornerstone of good health. Because most people in our modern society do not get adequate physical activity in their jobs we must find a way to integrate physical activity into our daily lives. Sedentary lifestyles are on of the major causes of disease in our country. We need a combination of movement that includes strength, flexibility and cardiovascular activity to be fully healthy. Movement influences the genetic expression of each individual cell.
Social Interactions, the Fourth Pillar, are critical to our health. There is research that says that are the average of the five people that we spend most of our time with. We must choose these people wisely because they affect our thinking, our self esteem, our habits ( good and bad) and our decisions. When we have social interactions with people we love and admire we have a better quality of life and ultimately better health. When we socialize we have greater releases of a hormone called Oxytocin, “The Love hormone.” When Oxytocin is present in out bloodstream it is known to reduce the stress response, it improves our sleep, it fosters generosity and it promotes attachments which create a nurturing and enriched community.
The Fifth Pillar focuses on Mindfulness. Mindfulness has been found to be a key element in happiness and vibrant health. Every study on Mindfulness tells us that it is proven to reduce stress and its negative side effects, lowers blood pressure, reduces heart disease, reduces chronic pain, decreases anxiety, depression as well as decreases fatigue. Mindfulness can be any practice that purposely focus our attention to the present moment. Developing a Mindfulness practice does not have to be a “one size fits all”. There are many ways to incorporate this into our lives. Walking mediation, prayer, Yoga Nidra, listening to peaceful music and a simple walk on the beach are all forms of Mindfulness.
Ultimately, we have to recognize that OUR health is our own hands First. We must take the care and responsibility for creating good health and longevity in our lives. If we touch on each of these Cornerstones in our daily habits and activities we have an opportunity to have the health that we want.
The primary mission of all of us at Evolve Acupuncture and Wellness is to help our patients and future patients be successful in these Five Pillars of health. We have a dedicated team of Health Care Practitioners that are trained to give knowledge and guidance to each and every patient.