Your diagnostic consultation

Each patient is treated uniquely: we listen closely, examine and then explain our diagnoses and recommendations in a clear, simple manner, offering a customised course of treatment that’s right for you. The Diagnostic consultation uses complementary and conventional medical approaches to assess your health and consider you as a whole – body and mind.

This initial consultation will:

  • Undertake a full case history review of your past and current symptoms
  • Explore you and your family’s medical history, social history and contributing lifestyle factors
  • Provide an appropriate clinical examination, and if necessary perform relevant diagnostic tests (blood, x-ray, scans etc)
  • Capnography – This specialised piece of equipment measures CO2 levels and breathing rate and is the most scientific method of diagnosing Breathing Pattern Disorder (BPD)
  • Compile a diagnostic shortlist of possible factors behind your complaint

The importance of accurate investigation

Diagnostic Investigations

Any diagnostic test is only as good as the clinician requesting it.
Results are dependent on the interpretation in relation to the patients’ history and clinical examination.
Frequently, patients request laboratory testing, such as, for food intolerance. This is something that is offered at The Health Equation, but before such testing, it is important that patients attend a consultation, where a thorough case history and clinical examination will be conducted to make sure the test is clinically appropriate.

Why do diagnostic tests?

Tests help with the diagnostic process to eliminate the presence of suspected disease processes or to help with the patients’ management / treatment strategy. Clinical testing can be expensive, but the results interpreted by a qualified clinician can accelerate the healing process.

What are the common diagnostic tests used?

Urine tests

This is non invasive and used as part of a screening process. In the case of an abnormal result, the sample is usually sent on to the lab for further analysis.

Blood tests

There are literally thousands of markers that can be tested for using blood samples.
The most common screening test requested is a Haematology/ Biochemistry screen. This looks at red blood cells, white blood cells, inflammatory markers, kidney function, liver function, blood glucose, lipid profile, uric acid, calcium, phosphate and iron.

Other markers are requested depending on the clinical picture, such as thyroid function, rheumatology markers, osteoporosis markers, male and female hormonal function, antibodies etc.

More frequently we are requesting tests for nutritional markers via blood samples rather than in serum, where results are inaccurate. Gold standard tests such as ferritin (iron storage), red cell magnesium, white cell zinc, Essential fatty acids in red blood cells, vitamins etc. are commonly requested. This is proving to be a very valuable intervention in the management of many patients for a whole range of conditions from musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), cardiovascular risk management, hormonal problems, immune related problems, fatigue and depression to name a few.

Food Intolerance

Whilst still controversial in medical circles, many patients and clinicians are seeing the value of testing for food intolerance.

Currently the UK incidence of true allergy (a fast acting immune mediated response) is only about 3%; there is growing evidence that there are many slow acting responses particularly to food, some of which may not be immune mediated.

Here at The Health Equation our preferred test is the Food Allergen Cellular Test (FACT), tested on blood samples. The FACT tests a large number of foods for the production of leucotriene (an inflammatory mediator). A positive (graded) response indicates that the individual has an intolerance against that particular food. FACT also gives a total IgE count, which if abnormal, may indicate that classic allergy testing (IgE) is appropriate for individual allergens.

Saliva tests

Many patients present with fatigue and it is important to assay hormones connected with adrenal function, commonly cortisol and DHEA. Because there is diurnal variation in these hormones (the hormones go up and down depending on the time of the day), it is more useful to have several measurements during the day to see a pattern rather than just the one sample obtained by blood test.

Patients are provided a saliva test kit with instructions on collecting the samples and posting the completed kit directly to the laboratory for testing.

Stool tests

The gastro intestinal (GI) tract is often the body’s main line of defence to foreign bodies. Many chronic health conditions can partially be caused by problems in the GI tract. We offer a comprehensive digestive stool analysis with parasitology which provides important information about digestion, absorption, bacterial balance, yeast overgrowth, inflammation, metabolic activity and immune function. Patients are provided a stool test kit with instructions on collecting the samples and posting the completed kit directly to the laboratory for testing.

Diagnostic imaging

X-ray

This is a common procedure, which exposes the patient to a small level of ionising radiation. As such it should be requested appropriately. It is interesting that several years ago the Royal College of GP’s issued guidance saying that routine x-rays of the lower back for back pain was not indicated unless significant disease was suspected, something osteopaths have been saying for years. I mainly use it for imaging of the skeletal structure.

Ultrasound

This is a non-invasive quick procedure, commonly used for gynaecological issues, vascular screening and now increasingly musculoskeletal disorders.

MRI

Does not involve the use of ionising radiation so is considered less invasive than x-ray or CT scanning. However, it takes much longer, 30-45 minutes, and is much more expensive. It does,however give great detail when conditions that cannot be seen on x-ray, such as a prolapsed disc, are suspected.

CT

This does involve the use of ionising radiation and is sometimes used instead of MRI for several reasons including the part of the body that is being scanned. However, the procedure is much quicker than MRI. I am increasingly requesting Coronary Calcium Scans (a CT of the coronary arteries surrounding the heart) a very quick procedure (less than a few minutes) and a very helpful tool for cardiovascular risk management.