Testing Services

"Health is the harmonious integration of cellular activities in the various systems to meet an ever changing environment, and disease is disturbed function ... out of time, out of tune as well as disturbed structure."

- Dr. Howard Loomis

    You would never take your car to a mechanic and ask him to guess as to why it isn't working properly. You would naturally expect him to run tests to diagnose the problem. Otherwise you would  just be spending money endlessly until he got it right. And if he did get it right how much time was wasted in the process? 

    The human body is so much more complex than any machine. It is biological, chemical, electrical and neurological. It is a living being. Unlike a machine, your body requires the most favorable conditions and nutrients daily to function optimally and stay healthy. If these are not  met, the body will begin to break down, function poorly and over time disease will set in. Fortunately, there are dozens of tests available to help pinpoint the underlying problems. Many of the newer tests are more precise and can tell you how and why your body is not functioning properly. Below are links to laboratories that perform the tests available through Phoenix Wellness Services. These are  the cutting edge tests in what is known as Functional or Integrative medicine. 

Allergy Testing

Adverse reactions to food can set off a cascade of physiological effects in the body. Other allergens can include food additives, coloring agents and inhalants such as grass, tree, weed and mold that are region-specific. These reactions may be immunological or non-immunological mediated and can result in symptoms ranging from mild to a life threatening anaphylaxis shock.  Ig is an abbreviation of the term "Immuno globulin" which is a specialized protein operating in our immune system as antibodies. It is the Ig's that are involved in allergic reactions and there are a few different categories: IgA, IgE and IgG. The majority of severe reactions are thought to be immunologically mediated by IgE, while other immune globulins, such as IgG and IgA, are thought to be responsible in adverse reactions to food. 

For some people, exposure to common foods, chemicals, molds and other allergens trigger chronic activation of the immune system. This chronic immune response creates inflammation relating to a variety of diseases including:

The most reliable allergy testing is done through an Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. The test uses components of the immune system and chemicals to detect immune responses in the body (can be against food or infectious microbes). The ELISA panel tests an enzyme's reaction to antigens including hormones, bacterial antigens and antibodies. 

www.meridianvalleylab.com - Meridian Valley Laboratories        

Meridian Valley Laboratories has been a leader in the field of Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) since 1976. Through its medical director, Dr. Jonathan Wright - one of the first pioneers in CAM, Meridian Valley has provided health care practitioners the tools to access their patients and make available alternative treatments based on laboratory findings. Along with ELISA allergy testing, Meridian Valley has many other unique tests designed to assist the patient and health care practitioner uncover the source of one's health problems. 

www.alcat.com -  ALCAT Worldwide Laboratory    

ALCAT  specializes in the testing of food intolerances, food additives and colorings, molds, pharmacoactive agents and environmental chemicals. The ALCAT test is not an "allergy" test nor is it an IgG or IgE test. It measures the body's cellular response to challenges from many items. Currently, there is a debate about the methods used by ALCAT and those laboratories using IgG and IgE test methods. Clinical evaluations and studies have not drawn any absolute conclusions regarding which method is superior. That having been said, the ALCAT method was shown to be better in identifying adverse responses to food additives, colorings and some environmental chemicals. When is comes to reproducibility and accuracy for food intolerances, the IgG test methods were shown to be superior. 

"Autism - A Multidisciplinary Approach to Treatment" C. A. Kostanis MD, Lyn Dart RN, LD; Christopher Harjes M.S., C.C.S. - A, Renay Miller EMT

"Non-lmmunologically-Mediated Food Sensitivity", John A. Anderson, M.D. Nutrition Reviews Vol. 42, No 3, March 1984

"NMJ Original Research: Reproducibility and Reliability of Two Food Allergy Testing Methods", Wendy Hodsdon, ND, Heather Zwickey, PhD, Natural Medicine Journal 2(3), March 2010

"The Role of Hidden Food Allergy/Intolerance in Chronic Disease", Alan R. Gaby, MD, Alternative Medicine Review  Volume 3, Number 2, 1998

"Increased IgG4 levels in children with autism disorder", Amanda Enstrom, Brain Behav Immun. 2009 March ; 23(3): 389–395

"Celiac disease and epilepsy", C.C. Cronin, et al; Q J Med 1998; 91:303–308

Hair Mineral Analysis 

Hair mineral analysis measures the mineral content of your hair. It reveals mineral imbalances; copper to zinc, calcium to magnesium and potassium to sodium ratios. The analysis shows low or elevated minerals representing long term associations. It reveals one's exposure to environmental heavy metals such as lead, mercury and aluminum. It is especially useful in neurological disorders or when a person's general health is in question. Using the information from the analysis, an individualized program is recommended to correct imbalances, raise or lower specific minerals or detoxify heavy metals. This test is primarily used when there are no apparent associations between a patient's signs and symptoms and heavy metal toxicity. Should there be a questionable association to heavy metal toxicity and immune system disorders the MELISA® is recommended.

(See below)

www.arltma.com - Analytical Research Laboratories provides expert hair mineral testing and forged the field of hair tissue mineral analysis interpretation. Beginning in 1974, ARL has won the respect and support of health care professionals throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia.

Bland, J., "Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis, An Emergent Diagnostic Technique", Thorsons Publishing, 1984

Eleonor Blaurock-Busch; Omnia R. Amin; Hani H. Dessoki,  Thanaa Rabah; Medica, Vol 7, No 1, 2012

"The toxicity of cadmium and resulting hazards for human health", Johanness Godt, et al; Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology 2006, 1:22

'Metals and Neurotoxicology", Robert O. Wright and Andrea Baccarelli, Journal of Nutrition Symposium: Heavy Metal Exposures in Women and Children, the Role of Nutrients

"Low dose mercury toxicity and human health", Farhana Zahir et al, Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, March 20, 2005

MELISA® (MEmory Lymphocyte Immuno-Stimulation Assay) Test for Metal Sensitivity

We live in an environment that has accumulated toxins from herbicides, pesticides and heavy metals due to the industrial world we have created over the last few centuries. We are all exposed to an array of foreign materials on a daily basis. Human physiology has tried to adapt to this but we have not been very successful. Our bodies, while strong in many ways, suffer from a host of diseases directly related to the poisoning of our air, water and food. The human body was never designed to handle the level of toxicity of the modern world. Dental amalgams, cosmetics, jewelry, cookware, vaccines, preservatives and medications are a few of the sources impinging on human health brought about by the industrialization of society. The everyday onslaught of metal exposure causes hypersensitivity leading to chronic inflammation and over-stimulation of the immune system. 

The difference between hair mineral analysis and the MELISA® Test is that while a hair mineral analysis shows the levels of common minerals, the ratios between paired minerals and the presence of a few heavy metals, the MELISA® test shows how one's immune system is responding to those heavy metals - 24 in all. If there is a suspected link of one's signs and symptoms to metals (jewelry, cookware, vaccines etc..) the MELISA® test  unmasks what can be the underlying cause - an immune response to metals. A hair mineral analysis might show undetectable or low levels of lead but the MELISA® shows the degree to which a person's immune system is responding to lead exposure at any level - even so-called undetectable levels. It may show an elevated or a weak immune response. 

MELISA® testing is performed by Pharmasan Laboratory of Wisconsin, one of only a handful of laboratories around the country carrying out the MELISA® analysis. 

Below are links to other laboratories Phoenix Wellness Services works with to pin-point the underlying causes of your health problems.

www.biohealthlab.com - BioHealth Laboratory              

www.diagnostechs.com - Diagnostechs Laboratory  

www.metametrix.com  - Metametrix Laboratory        

www.microtrace.de  - MicroTrace Minerals Laboratory    

www.neurorelief.com  - NeuroScience                         

www.pharmasan.com - Pharmasan Laboratory         

The information on this web page is for educational and information purposes only. The ideas and opinions expressed herein are published under the Freedom of Speech, guaranteed by the 1^st Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America . The author does not assume responsibility for decisions made by the reader regarding their health. The author does not diagnose or treat illness. If the reader decides to pursue natural or alternative treatments, they should consult with their health care practitioner.

This article/web page is Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved. No reproduction of this article/page in it entirety or in part is permitted without written permission by Mark Rojek.