In functional medicine we use as much information as we can collect to get to the root cause of a patients health concerns.  We start with an extremely detailed history so that we can identify any triggers or other contributing factors.  As was discussed in a previous blog, this history is often a lot more detailed than anything a patient may have experienced in the past because we understand that the path to the root cause may be complex and could involve multiple body systems.  We also use conventional lab testing on some patients that I'm sure you are familiar with, things like complete blood count, iron levels, thyroid levels, etc.  What I would like to talk about in this blog are some of the specialty tests that are more functional in nature.