COMPENDIUM ON FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE - Flipbook - Page 110
This lesson explores the difference between conventional and
functional approaches to blood chemistry analysis, why "normal"
isn't the same as "optimal," and how practitioners can extract
deeper meaning from standard blood tests to better serve their
patients [1,3,7].
Conventional vs. Functional Blood Chemistry Analysis
The Conventional Approach
In conventional medicine, blood test interpretation focuses
primarily on identifying disease states and pathology. The
reference ranges used in standard lab reports are designed to
catch obvious disease, not subtle dysfunction [1,2].
Key characteristics of the conventional approach include:
Statistical Reference Ranges
Derived from a bell curve distribution where "normal" represents
the middle 95% of the population [1,2]
Binary Assessment
Results are either "normal" or "abnormal" (high or low) [2]
Pathology Focus
Designed to identify disease states, not functional imbalances
[2,7]
Limited Intervention
If values fall within normal ranges, no intervention is typically
recommended [3,7]
The conventional approach leaves many patients frustrated - they
experience symptoms but are told everything is "normal" [3,4].
The Functional Approach
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