Functional pathology is the use of laboratory tests to assess the functional, biochemical, nutritional, metabolic and hormone status of an individual, and it can be a really useful tool used in naturopathic consultations.
Many different chemical, biological, functional and physiological processes are being performed by the body every second, minute and hour of each day, and suboptimal functioning of such processes can contribute to many health signs, symptoms or issues.
Functional pathology can be particularly useful to detect potential imbalances in
functional, biochemical, nutritional, metabolic or hormone levels or processes, before
they present as overt signs or symptoms.
Consequently, when used as part of a thorough naturopathic consultation, functional pathology can be a useful tool for early intervention and treatment.
Functional pathology can also be effective for:
- Assessing the baseline status of patients at the beginning of treatment
- Providing information about potential causes of health issues, signs or symptoms
- Enabling specific, personalised treatment plans to be formulated
- Monitoring the effectiveness and progress of treatment plans
Using the most appropriate and relevant tests for an individual case, interpreting the results accurately and utilising the correct treatment regimen are important considerations for the effective use of functional pathology assessments.
