Liberty Clinic 
Liberty 
Clinic 


"Where Patients Choose, and Diseases Lose!"

"Where Patients Choose, and Diseases Lose!"

"Where Patients Choose, and Diseases Lose!"

DIAGNOSTIC TESTING

Since there are thousands of tests available, for both practical and economic reasons it behooves us to perform only those tests deemed most useful in order to identify the nature, cause, and or severity of a particular disorder. One important guideline is "never order a test if the results won't change the way you will treat". While there may be some exceptions, it is still useful to think in those terms.

The tests doctor Mundall finds most useful include the following:

General chemistry panel:

Nowadays this is often called a comprehensive metabolic panel, or CMP. This panel typically includes the blood sugar or glucose, electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride, etc.), certain other minerals (calcium, phosphorus), liver enzymes, kidney function tests, and occasionally another test or two.

Lipid panel:

This profile usually includes the cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL and LDL fractions of cholesterol, and occasionally other calculated values such as the VLDL and the Total cholesterol:HDL ratio.

CBC:

The CBC, or complete blood count, looks at the three types of blood cells: White blood cells, or WBC's, are the body's "soldiers", attacking microbes. Red blood cells, or RBC's, transport oxygen to all the cells of the body. Platelets repair damage to blood vessels, creating blood clots to fill "holes" in the walls.

Sedrate:

The sedrate, or, more correctly, "sedimentation rate", measures the lack of homogeneity of the blood, which increases in the presence of inflammation, whether from infection, anemia, immune disorders, tissue damage, or cancer. While non-specific, it is useful in monitoring the severity and trend of certain disorders. Another test which has a similar function is the C-reactive protein, or CRP.

Zinc Protoporphyrin:

The zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP), is ordered primarily to help detect iron deficiency in children and to detect and monitor chronic exposure to lead or other toxic heavy metals such as mercury in adults. Heavy metals inhibit the action of ferrochelatase, resulting in increased ZPP formation even when adequate amounts of iron are present. ZPP is thought to be a better screening test for lead burden (the total amount of lead being held by the body) than a lead concentration because lead levels tend to vary day to day in the blood and because lead moves from the blood into organs and bone. While blood samples for lead may be contaminated by any environmental lead present at the time of collection, ZPP is not affected.

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone:

Thyroid Stimulating hormone, or TSH, is a hormone produced by the pituitary (base of the brain) which tells the thyroid gland how hard it should work. More TSH usually means that the thyroid gland is not producing an adequate supply of thyroid hormone. In addition to checking the TSH, we sometimes choose to measure the amount of circulating thyroid hormone (T4), and other thyroid hormone levels.

Thyroid antibodies:

The presence of increased thyroid antibodies indicates the immune system is attacking the thyroid gland. This usually results from toxic substances which attach to thyroid gland proteins.

Anti Nuclear Antibody:

This test checks to see if the immune system is attacking the body's own DNA. Diseases caused include Lupus, Scleroderma, Polymyositis, etc.

Rheumatoid Factor:

This test is used to identify the presence of antibodies directed towards the joint proteins, and is thus used to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis.

ABO and Rh blood typing

Other Cardiovascular risk factors:

Homocysteine

Homocysteine levels are found to be a useful way to assess the adequacy of vitamins B-6 (pyridoxine), B-12 (cobalamin), and folic acid. Higher levels indicate that the body is lacking one or more of these vitamins.

Lipoprotein a [Lp(a)]:

This test can help identify those at increased cardiovascular risk based on imbalanced fatty acids in the blood stream.

Other blood tests:

Occasionally other blood tests are ordered, depending on the symptoms.

ELISA testing for Immunoglobulin G levels:

Immunoglobulin G levels indicate that the immune system is creating "ammunition" to fight particular proteins. If we measure the amounts of IgG for specific food proteins, we can determine whether certain foods are being perceived by the body as "foreign invaders". In such cases, the body attacks these proteins and inflammation will result. Sumptoms such as colitis, headaches, arthritis, dermatitis, etc., are often caused by these reactions to food proteins.

Tissue levels of toxic and nutrient elements:

A very important exam. Normally, hair is utilized, as collecting a sample is painless. The cost is quite affordable. Since our bodies excrete many minerals, both toxic and nutrient, through the skin and hair, this becomes a useful way to determine the levels of these substances within the tissues of the body. Since many toxic elements are excreted very slowly from the body, hair sampling becomes a very useful way to identify exposures which may have occurred many years in the past. If the hair test reveal deficient levels of nutrient elements, these also need to be addressed and corrected in order to achieve optimum wellness. It can also be important to compare the relative amounts of the toxic elements with the amounts of the nutrient or essential elements. Problems arise when a significant imbalance exists.

Urinalysis

Simple tests can indentify blood or protein in the urine, which usually suggest significant damage to the kidneys.

Urine levels of toxic and nutrient elements

Toxic elements create a host of health problems, including kidney damage, neurological disorders such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Multiple Sclerosis, etc.

EKG

An important test used to assess the health of the heart.

Pulmonary function testing

Good lung function depends on good nutrition and freedom from toxic substances.

Liberty Clinic Locations:
Jon R. Mundall, M.D. P.O. Box F 111 North Columbia Ave Connell, Washington 99326 Phone - (509) 234-7766 Fax - (509) 234-4320		Jon R. Mundall, M.D. 507 1st St. Cheney, WA 99004 Phone - (509) 235-9121 Fax - (509) 235-9124
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