Why I Ask For Current Blood Panel

I love my medicine. However, there are some issues that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), herbal formulas and acupuncture just can’t treat. These issues require me to be armed with additional information that can benefit patients and guide their treatment.

Acupuncture and TCM are in part about prevention. Practitioners trained in these modalities are also lifestyle coaches, incorporating exercise, diet, herbs and nutrition into treatment plans. We have our own methods of diagnosis but to more effective, we sometimes need additional information in the form of comprehensive blood panels.

Many of my patients come in with blood panel results from their primary physician and they wonder why they still feel so lousy when they seem to be fine on paper. To begin, the blood panels completed are often too simple. It is like trying to put a 35 piece puzzle together with only 7 of the pieces.

Proper case management starts with proper cases assessment. Medical history, lifestyle, Metabolic Assessment and blood panels give the most important pieces of information to answer questions about a patient’s health. These questions are:

• Does the patient need referral to a physician or specialist outside of my scope of knowledge?

• Does the patient need further testing or diagnostic tools performed?

• Is the patient a good candidate for the care and services that I provide?

• Have all red flags been identified and addressed?

• Is my health strategy justified?

Once these questions have been answered, I am well-equipped and confident that I can formulate a treatment plan that addresses the whole body and can help my patients find lasting solutions.