Chiropractor & Functional Medicine Headquarters

Baseline Assessments

• TSH - A TSH test measures the amount of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in your blood. TSH is produced by the pituitary gland. It tells the thyroid gland to make and release thyroid hormones into the blood.

• T3 - A free or total triiodothyronine (free T3 or total T3) test is used to assess thyroid function. It is ordered primarily to help diagnose hyperthyroidism and may be ordered to help monitor treatment of a person with a known thyroid disorder.

• T4 - Free thyroxine (free T4) tests are used to help evaluate thyroid function and diagnose thyroid diseases, including hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, usually after discovering that the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level is abnormal.

• Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody - A TPO test detects antibodies against TPO in the blood. ... The presence of TPO antibodies in your blood suggests that the cause of thyroid disease is an autoimmune disorder, such as Hashimoto's disease or Graves' disease. In autoimmune disorders, your immune system makes antibodies that mistakenly attack normal tissue.

• Anti-Thyroglobulin Antibody - Antithyroglobulin antibodies can be a sign of thyroid gland damage caused by the immune system. They may be measured if thyroiditis is suspected. Measuring thyroglobulin antibody levels after treatment for thyroid cancer can help your provider decide what the best test is to monitor you for a recurrence of the cancer.

• Vitamin B-12 - This test is most often done when other blood tests suggest a condition called megaloblastic anemia. Pernicious anemia is a form of megaloblastic anemia caused by poor vitamin B12 absorption.

• Folic Acid - A folic acid test is often done at the same time as a test for vitamin B12 levels because a lack of either vitamin may cause anemia. Check for malnutrition or problems absorbing (malabsorption) folic acid. See if treatment for folic acid deficiency or vitamin B12 deficiency is working.

• Vitamin D-25 with Hydroxy - The 25-hydroxy vitamin D test is used to detect bone weakness or other bone malfunctions or disorders that occur as a result of a vitamin D deficiency.

• C- Reactive Protein - A C-reactive protein (CRP) test is a blood test that measures the amount of a protein called C-reactive protein in your blood. C-reactive protein measures general levels of inflammation in your body. High levels of CRP are caused by infections and many long-term diseases.

• Iron with IBC - The TIBC test evaluates how well transferrin carries iron through your blood. In your blood, iron helps form hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is an important protein in red blood cells that helps carry oxygen throughout the body so it can function normally.

• Ferritin - A ferritin test is a laboratory blood test that measures the amount of ferritin in a person's blood stream. Ferritin is the major iron storage protein in the body, so the ferritin test is ordered as an indirect way to measure the iron stores in the body.

• Comprehensive Metabolic Panel - A comprehensive metabolic panel is a blood test that measures your sugar (glucose) level, electrolyte and fluid balance, kidney function, and liver function. Glucose is a type of sugar your body uses for energy. ... They also filter out waste and other unneeded substances from the blood.

• CBC with Diff PLT - A CBC with diff PLT test is a complete blood count with differential test. Usually, this test is ordered by a physician to provide information about the amount of various blood cells in the body. One of the cells that is tested is the platelet, which is abbreviated in the test as PLT.

• Lipid Panel - A lipid panel is a blood test that measures lipids-fats and fatty substances used as a source of energy by your body. Lipids include cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL).

• Homocysteine - A homocysteine test to determine if a person has a vitamin B12 or folate deficiency. ... Tests for both a urine and blood homocysteine may be used to help diagnose homocystinuria.

• Fibrinogen - A fibrinogen activity test is also known as a Factor I assay. It's used to determine the level of fibrinogen in your blood. Fibrinogen, or factor I, is a blood plasma protein that's made in the liver. Fibrinogen is one of 13 coagulation factors responsible for normal blood clotting.

• Hemoglobin A1C - The A1C test is a common blood test used to diagnose type 1 and type 2 diabetes and then to gauge how well you're managing your diabetes. ... Specifically, the A1C test measures what percentage of your hemoglobin — a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen — is coated with sugar (glycated).