Standard Lab Testing
At Renaissance Health Centre we can order standard blood work from local labs such as Quest, Lab Corp and CPL for those with insurance. We’re contracted for special cash rates with Primex. We’re also working on contracting with another cash lab provider in the near future.
Specialty Labs
Adrenal Balance
We utilize saliva testing to measure your adrenal hormones through out the day. The adrenals are responsible for your stress response, your fight or flight mode. Modern day stressors can fatigue our adrenals. Our adrenals were not designed for modern day life and often they can become sluggish trying to keep up. If you’re suffering from fatigue, low energy and difficulty sleeping an adrenal test can give us some insight as to why you’ve been feeling that way.
Chemical Exposure
We utilize the GPL-Tox Profile to measure for toxic non-metal chemicals. We are exposed to chemicals on a regular basis via pharmaceuticals, pesticides, packaged foods, household products and environmental pollution. Exposure to these chemicals can lead to chronic disease such as cancer, heart disease, chronic fatigue, chemical sensitivity, autism-spectrum disorders, ADD/ ADHD, autoimmune disease, Parkinson’s & Alzheimer’s, etc. This test measures 172 toxic chemicals.
Food Allergy/Food Sensitivity Testing
If you suspect that you have sensitivity to certain foods we can test to see whether you have a true food allergy or a sensitivity. This is measured via a blood test to check your antibody levels to foods. Antibodies are the immune system’s defense against invaders. If you’ve had skin prick testing in the past this is measuring for IgE type antibodies or true allergy to foods. This will not tell you if you have IgG/IgA antibodies or food sensitivity. Many people don’t have true food allergies but instead have food sensitivity where their immune system will react to the food proteins in their blood and attack them as if they were foreign invaders. If your immune system is sensitized to certain foods this will impact your overall health and sense of wellbeing. Removing these foods from your diet can decrease inflammation and reset your immune system to reduce allergies and other symptoms you may be suffering from.
Genetic Testing
If certain diseases run in your family, we can test to check if those genes have been passed on to you.
Heavy Metal Toxicity
If you’ve ever been exposed to heavy metals like mercury or lead, from things like mercury thermometers, silver dental amalgams, old lead paint or old lead filled cosmetics, then you may have hidden heavy metals in your body. Heavy metals get stored in your bones and organs so the best way to test for them is through a heavy metal challenge. For a heavy metal challenge, we test via a urine sample, unprovoked first morning void and then a provoked urine collection. After the first morning void you take the oral chelator (DMSA) and collect your urine for the next 6 hours. The difference between the unprovoked and provoked testing will let us know if your heavy metal burden is considered standard or whether it would be best to undergo heavy metal chelation. Heavy metals can be passed down through the womb and it’s been shown to have significant impact on neurological and developmental health.
Intestinal Health
If you’ve been diagnosed with IBS, IBD, or other gastrointestinal disease, or if you’re suffering from diarrhea, constipation, GERD or abdominal bloating and pain, we can order a stool test to check your intestinal health. We can see if you have an imbalance in your gut flora that is contributing to your symptoms. Genova GI Effects checks for common parasites, proper digestion and absorption, inflammation of the tissues, and balance of the gut microbiome.
Mold Toxicity
If you suspect that you’ve been exposed to mold and are suffering from mold toxicity we utilize the GPL-MytoTox and RealTime labs mycotoxin testing. These toxins are secreted by mold as a protective function but they can wreak havoc on the human body and can play a role in many diseases such as heart disease, rheumatic disease, cancer, memory loss, and much more. If you’ve lived or been exposed to a building with water damage and now you’re having unusual symptoms that no one can explain and nothing you’ve tried so far has been able to help then testing for mold toxin exposure can be a good idea.
Organic Acids Testing
This test can be very important to uncover hidden infections and deficiencies in metabolism. This test is from Great Plains Laboratory and measures 75 different metabolites in the urine. These metabolites can tell us your neurotransmitter function, intestinal yeast & bacteria, and much more. Many people with chronic disease and neurological disorders show abnormal organic acids in their urine. Identifying these deficiencies and treating them can be a very important step to getting you healthy.
Salivary Hormones
We work with ZRT and Genova Diagnostics to measure hormones via saliva. This testing is best when you’re using bio-identical hormone creams. Hormone creams can be difficult to measure in the blood because they are absorbed through the skin and are available for direct use by the cells without having to undergo liver metabolism the way oral hormones do.
Urinary Hormones
We work with ZRT, Dutch and Genova Diagnostics to measure hormone metabolites in the urine. While this type of testing is not ideal for telling us the current status of your active hormones, it can tell is if you’re metabolizing those hormones correctly. This testing can tell us indirectly whether your have decencies in methylation which is very important for overall health and wellbeing.