Services · Specialty Lab Testing
Comprehensive blood work answers most of the question. When it points somewhere more specific, this is where we go next.
When Blood Work Points Deeper
Comprehensive blood work is where every new patient starts in my Springfield office, and for most people, it answers the question. But every so often, a pattern in your results, a symptom that won’t move, or something in your history points somewhere more specific: gut function, hormone metabolism, toxic burden, or a food reaction that won’t resolve on elimination alone.
That’s what specialty testing is for. It’s targeted follow-up, ordered because something specific pointed there, not a bundle of extra tests I sell to everyone up front. You can read more about the full workup on my services page.
What I Test For
The targeted panels I turn to most often, each ordered only when your picture points to it.
This is a dried urine test that maps your sex hormones, your cortisol pattern across the day, and how your body actually metabolizes those hormones, not just a single snapshot number. I turn to it for fatigue that doesn’t match your sleep, mood swings, stubborn sleep issues, or hormone shifts that blood work alone couldn’t fully explain.
A stool test that profiles your gut microbiome, screens for pathogenic bacteria, parasites, and yeast overgrowth, and flags markers of digestive and immune function. If bloating, irregular bowel movements, or food reactions keep circling back no matter what you cut out, this is usually where I look next. I go deeper into gut and SIBO issues on their own page.
A urine test that reads metabolic byproducts tied to gut yeast and bacterial overgrowth, mitochondrial energy production, and key nutrient needs. It’s useful when fatigue or brain fog won’t resolve and a standard panel isn’t giving me the full story.
A blood test that measures delayed immune reactions to specific foods, the kind that don’t show up as an obvious allergy. Worth considering when bloating, skin flares, joint aches, or fatigue seem tied to what you’re eating but you can’t pin down the trigger on your own.
A urine or blood test that screens for accumulated heavy metals and select environmental toxins. I consider this for unexplained fatigue or brain fog, especially when symptoms started after a move, a renovation, or a known water or mold exposure.
How I Decide
I don’t guess and I don’t run everything just to see. Here’s how I decide what, if anything, comes next after your blood work.
Start With the Full Picture
Your history and a comprehensive blood work analysis come first for almost everyone. That’s usually where the driver shows up, and it’s the same prioritization process at the heart of Systems Health Care.
Follow What It’s Pointing To
A pattern that doesn’t fit, a symptom that won’t move, or a detail in your history tells me where to look next.
Order the Specific Test
I order the one test, or the few, that actually answer the open question. Never the whole menu just to see.
Common Questions
In most cases, yes. Comprehensive blood work is where I start with every new patient, and it answers the question for most people on its own. Specialty testing works best when it’s aimed at something that blood work, your symptoms, or your history already pointed to.
It depends on what your picture looks like. Digestive symptoms and food reactions tend to point toward GI-MAP stool testing. Fatigue, mood swings, and sleep issues often point toward the DUTCH hormone panel. Unexplained fatigue or brain fog can point toward organic acids or heavy metals testing. I’ll walk through your history with you and order what actually fits, not a bundle.
It depends on the specific panel, so I don’t post a flat number here. I’ll confirm the exact cost with you before anything gets ordered, so you always know what you’re committing to.
I don’t bill insurance directly for specialty testing. I provide a superbill you can submit for possible reimbursement depending on your benefits, and I accept HSA and FSA.
Have Questions About Testing?
If you’re in Springfield, MO or willing to travel in, let’s start with a free 15-minute consult and talk through your picture before anything gets ordered. If you’re already a patient, reach out directly and we’ll figure out which test, if any, actually fits.