Blood tests can be a simple way of getting more information about what is going on inside your body.

Why would I bring my blood work information?

Blood tests are usually done to check how your body copes with illness, injury, inflammation, infection, and some types of medication. Blood needs a very precise balance for your body to work well. If blood test results are abnormal, it gives me a good indication of how to treat you or prevent problems occurring in the future.

With most routine blood work, I am trying to catch early warning signs of disease–before symptoms arise. The tests your practitioner orders will depend on your age and sex, along with your medical history and family risk factors. Baseline tests check for blood sugar levels, blood cell counts, and metabolic function (how your body converts what you eat and drink into energy). Your doctor will generally order panels that test for several things with one draw. Here are some of the most common blood tests I see in my practice:

• A Complete Blood Count (CBC) checks red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. A CBC can identify conditions including anemia, heart disease, autoimmune disease, leukemia, and other cancers.

• A Basic Metabolic Panel (BMP) checks kidney function, lung function, and blood sugar levels by testing blood filtration, blood sugar, and electrolyte levels. This test can identify common kidney problems, lung problems, and diabetes or pre-diabetes.

• A Complete Metabolic Panel covers the tests included in a BMP with additional tests related to liver function.

• A Lipid Panel checks for cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood and can detect the buildup of plaque in your arteries. This test is an important early screening for coronary artery disease.

Some other frequently ordered tests include:

• Nutrient tests for levels of certain minerals or vitamins: iron and vitamins D and B12 are low in many adults.

• A Thyroid Panel checks the thyroid gland, which regulates crucial hormones and can impact mood, energy level, and metabolism.

• For patients with diabetes, a hemoglobin A1C test offers a more accurate overall picture of blood sugar than basic glucose tests.

Aims of this service to improve patient knowledge, adherence, and use of their medicines by:

• establishing the patient’s actual use, understanding and experience of taking their medicines

• identifying, discussing, and resolving poor or ineffective use of their medicines

• identifying side effects and drug interactions that may affect adherence

• improving the clinical and cost effectiveness of prescribed medicines

• supplementing with minerals and vitamins that have been depleted with taking current medications.

• possibly eliminating certain medications over time with correct diet plan.

Muscles serve as a reliable way to check for nerve pathways compromised by nutritional deficiency. While the Food and Nutrition Board set recommended daily allowances of vitamins for a healthy person, a distant research council cannot know the individual dietary needs of any person.

Each person’s nutritional needs are influenced by their lifestyle choices, age, sex, weight, the amount they exercise, blood type, personality type, and well as their genetics, and heredity. In addition, the quality of the water they drink and the food they eat, the amount and type of sleep they get, and their living and working environment all impact their nutritional needs.

These influences cannot be captured by an RDA, but the impact on their dietary needs can be assessed with muscle testing using Applied Kinesiology.

The body never lies. If a patient is experiencing symptoms, the condition might not have advanced sufficiently to be detected by blood tests.