Functional Testing

Do you feel bad, even when your test results are normal?

If you’ve been to a physician and your medical lab tests are all coming back normal, then why do you feel so bad? The answer is that traditional lab tests are general. They are not designed to get to the root of a problem. Traditional medical testing and treatment often leads to masking symptoms with a one-size-fits-all treatment plan, rather than actually leading a patient back to good health and nutritional balance.


At Winters Wellness, we use a variety of functional tests that help us identify your body’s unique chemical make-up and deficiencies. The testing begins with a comprehensive questionnaire, which assesses your body’s functionality in terms of nutrient deficiencies, heavy metal toxicity, adrenals, thyroid, gastrointestinal and hormone deficiencies. Through administering a series of functional tests, we are able to determine which systems in a patient’s body are creating problems and address ways to fix those inadequacies. That often comes in the form of customized treatment plans, which include nutritional support that allows the body to return to optimal health. Functional testing is the first step to leading our patients back to good health and to improving their quality of life.

Adrenal Testing

For many of us, chronic stress has led to both adrenal hormone imbalances and a breakdown in the proper communication between the brain and adrenal glands. Resetting your adrenal health can influence your metabolism, hormone production, memory, sleep, energy, and immune system . Adrenal stress also contributes to chronic pain by affecting muscle, bone and connective tissue integrity and the ability of your body to make it's own anti- inflammatory hormones.


Our trusted test for measuring adrenal function is the DUTCH ( Dried Urine Test For Comprehensive Hormones ) test. This advanced hormone testing was developed to improve on the available hormone testing options. DUTCH offers the most extensive profile of sex and adrenal hormones along with their metabolites. Additionally, the daily (diurnal) pattern of free cortisol is included along with melatonin. This unique combination of clinical information is not available by any other method.From this we can design a nutritional program to restore your adrenal health and help you move from Sick and Tired to Fit and Fabulous.

Thyroid Testing

Thyroid Problems are rampant, but few people get satisfaction from medical care in this area. The functional approach looks at the thyroid at a deeper level because many problems outside of the thyroid influence the thyroid. Environmental toxins have a major influence on the thyroid as does gut health, cortisol levels, and liver function. Instead of just checking thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) we take a more comprehensive look at the thyroid by ordering additional testing to find out what is really going on. We always check for thyroid antibodies because in a number of cases the immune system is beating up on the thyroid. Then the immune system needs to be the target of nutritional support thus allowing the thyroid to heal. A more comprehensive look gives us more options to help you.

Gastrointestinal Testing

Whether it is abdominal pain, gas and bloating, arthritis, headaches, heartburn, skin problems, or chronic fatigue – any of these can be related to gastrointestinal dysfunction. Restoring GI health boils down to removing hidden infections, dealing with food sensitivities, resetting proper digestion and balancing the nerve supply to the gut.

There is no better test than the GI Map from Diagnostic Solutions Lab for finding hidden bacterial, yeast or parasitic infections. This is a stool test which you do in the privacy of your own home. It screens for nearly 60 different infections using DNA analysis as well as a number of digestive markers. We find that 9 out of 10 people we test have some kind of GI infection. These infections rob us of nutrients and create inflammation which damages our health in many ways.

Heavy Metal Testing

Heavy Metal toxicity, such as from mercury, lead, aluminum and cadmium is a real problem and can significantly impact our health. Some people have more exposure to metals than others yet each of our bodies react differently.


Your functional questionnaire will give us certain indicators if heavy metal testing might be a wise choice. Traditional medical testing for heavy metals will only show acute exposures (metals bind much deeper in the body after several weeks ). We have several types of functional testing that can reveal the effects of hidden and deep heavy metal toxicity on our body's metabolism. Amazing health changes have been seen when this area of metal toxicity has been addressed from a functional perspective.

Nutrition Deficiency

Many of us take vitamins and minerals but which ones do we really need? Organic acids are byproducts of normal metabolism and by measuring them we can get insight into all of the following.


1. B Complex vitamin status

2. Energy production markers

3. Liver detoxification pathways

4. Anti-oxidant status

5. Intestinal bacteria and yeast activity

6. Status of neurotransmitter breakdown


As you can imagine this simple urine test can give us a huge advantage in helping you solve the cause of your chronic health problems. It can also be used to help us reach peak health and performance as well as to age more gracefully.

Hormone Testing

Healthy hormone levels play an extremely important role in the quality of our health. What is unique about our work is that we always look at hormones within the context of everything else going on in the body such as digestion, liver function, toxins, diet and stress. All these factors play a huge role in hormone health and therefore our testing takes into account this perspective. We use serum , saliva or DUTCH ( dried Urine test For Comprehensive Hormones ) hormone testing.


DUTCH offers the most extensive profile of sex and adrenal hormones along with their metabolites. Additionally, the daily (diurnal) pattern of free cortisol is included along with melatonin. This unique combination of clinical information is not available by any other method.

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