Sometimes it may be necessary to recommend specialised pathology testing to help further investigate the underlying cause of various health problems. These specialized tests known as functional pathology tests can help provide more information about digestive function, hormone balance, and metabolic needs. They can be used to help develop the most effective treatment plan to improve your health issues. The samples used are from either blood, saliva, or urine.

When you go to a GP in Australia, testing is restricted to medicare funding. Only the basic tests are covered under the Medicare bulk-billing program. Doctors cannot send patients for advanced testing unless there is a very specific reason or a pre-diagnosed condition. Furthermore, functional testing is rarely used because this explains the workings of your body, not pathological changes in disease.

Medicine and health care are undergoing a paradigm shift. We are seeing more and more demand from our patients to look at their complex cases from a holistic rather than a mechanistic or reductionistic perspective. To do this we need to have diagnostic methods that focus on physiological function as a marker of health, rather than merely the presence of pathology or tissue change as a marker of disease. The following lists the differences between a reductionistic, pathological view of the body, and the view of the body as functioning physiology.

In a nutshell- Functional testing looks at functional health and well-being. It seeks to answer the question ‘How is my body functioning?’ Test results do not seek a diagnosis but rather they uncover levels of dysfunction. Often these areas of dysfunction may have not been revealed by conventional pathology tests. Dysfunction can be detected across the board – metabolic, nutritional, digestive, hormonal, etc.

Mr Sandeep Kumar (Naturopathy diploma, Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) has spent many years forming close relationships with some of the best labs in Australia and around the world. Functional testing is paramount in identifying causative factors affecting your health. Many advanced tests are not offered by doctors simply because they are not covered under Medicare. This leaves people unable to find some of the answers they have been looking for.

By doing advanced lab testing we can identify the underlying causes of your health concern, allowing us to treat the root cause rather than focus on symptom reduction. With access to hundreds of different advanced tests, our Naturopaths can effectively treat many conditions relating to weight gain, gut health, fatigue, anxiety, depression, hormone imbalances, skin issues, autoimmune conditions, and many unexplained health concerns.

Points to be noted:

1. Lab Tests are only recommended when it is necessary for a proper treatment plan. Old lab tests done by GP or other health practitioners are checked first, only those tests which are required will be recommended.

2. As these tests are not covered by Medicare, so our doctors will try to get your GP’s referral for these tests so that your hard-earned money can be saved. But keep in mind, in most cases your GP could refuse as not all Advanced Tests are covered under Medicare.

3. You will be requested to pay money directly to the Laboratory to keep transparency in the transaction amount.

4. You can directly get your lab report or we will receive it first, the choice will be yours.

5. At any time you can refuse to go for tests, or seek another Doctor, your decision will be at the top. If you cancel to go for tests after paying for tests, then the decision to return money will depend upon the respective Laboratory. Our doctors will not be able to interfere in this matter.

6. If our Doctors find any critical Lab results, they can refer you to a GP/ Hospital – their decision will be final, and saving your life will be their priority.