One of the best ways to help a client is to know their baseline levels. Sure, they have tests from their doctors but often these don't provide necessary information.
For example, someone is on anti-depressants. Ask for neurotransmitter tests and they say there aren't any. Who knows the state of their neurotransmitters? No one. Who prescribed medication to alter them? Their doctor. I'm not saying these meds don't help... I just think that knowing what's imbalanced might help before giving medication to change it.
In a recent interview with Ed Bauman, Share Guide Holistic Health Magazine (http://www.shareguide.com/) quoted him saying, "Doctors are sort of mechanical; they have a certain protocol. For instance, if your TSH is above four, they give you thyroid. If your cholesterol is over 200, they give you a statin drug. If your blood pressure is above 140, they give you a hypertensive drug and so forth. They’re not wondering what all is going on here? And the element of environmental toxicity doesn’t even enter their minds--or the fact that some of the medications are creating adverse interactions that will cause fairly severe side effects in a couple of years. They may not cause the side effects in the first couple of months, but over time you have these interactions, and people have liver issues, and gut issues, and bone issues, and neuropathy. There are all kinds of fairly advanced degenerative situations that are very, very hard to treat and correct. It’s hard to correct late-stage burnout. So my attitude is work with children and work with young people and let people do the nutritional evaluation to prevent this. If it costs them $1,000 that’s the best money they ever spent."
Holistic testing is an out-of-pocket expense for the patient. Of course this isn't too appealing when you consider how much they're probably paying for health insurance. Still, if that's not working for them and their health is important, the testing is not an option. Well, I guess it is an option if neither of you mind the guessing game and the myriad of supplements and combinations of treatments that you'll go through hoping to help them find their unique path of healing.
Allow me to share part of my story. I am by no means wealthy and at the time of this situation, I was a full-time student and a full-time employee. I went to a naturopath hoping to deal with some issues, one of which was emotional volatility. She urged me to take a neurotransmitter saliva test. At $170, I just couldn't. She explained, as I have above, that she could not know for sure what to do for me if she didn't know for sure what wasn't functioning. In my quest for deliverance from my symptoms, I agreed. What a good decision! The test results were delivered, I began a 6-week protocol, and I have never experienced those symptoms again. Worth it? Definitely.
There are so many tests that are not up to par in the medical world. Neurotransmitter testing, or the lack thereof, falls short. Hormone testing doesn't give a patient (or their nutritional consultant) the whole picture (TSH, T3, T4, Free T3, Free T4, Adrenal Stress Index). Food allergy tests are generally IgE tests (E for Emergency), which only tests the deadly allergic responses (obviously, you would already know this since they're, well, obvious - hives, lung failure, rapid heart rate, passing out). An IgA and IgG test would alert you to any antibodies present when faced with foods that the body is allergic and/or sensitive to. How many lives would be changed if they just removed their food allergens?
These are just a few examples and a few explanations of the values of nutritional testing at a holistic level. I have tons more as well as many tests available. If you're interested, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Peace and wellness to you all.
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