How To Get Functional Medicine Lab Work Ordered (Even If You Don't Know What It Is)
You may have heard about Functional Medicine testing. Maybe you've read about it online, heard someone mention specialized hormone testing or a full thyroid panel. Or maybe you've spent an evening going down a rabbit hole wondering why no one's ever brought any of this up for you.
And then you probably hit the same wall that a lot of women hit: How do I actually get these tests? Who orders them? What do I even say to ask for them?
That confusion is real and it's one of the main reasons why so many women never get this lab work done. However, there is a clear path and here's what you need to know.
Option 1: Ask Your Current Doctor
Many standard labs, like Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp, offer lab work that is commonly ordered by Naturopathic or Functional Medicine Doctors. For example: ferritin, fasting insulin, a full thyroid panel, vitamin D, vitamin B12, magnesium, and sex hormones are all tests that your doctor may order through lab work.
The key is knowing exactly what to ask for and being prepared to advocate for yourself. Knowing the name of the test, why you want it, and what you're hoping to learn makes that conversation much easier.
Option 2: Work With a Naturopathic Doctor or Functional Medicine Practitioner
Naturopathic Doctors and Functional Medicine Practitioners tend to run more specialized and comprehensive lab work than a standard visit allows for. They take a holistic, root cause approach, meaning they're looking at the full picture of your health rather than just individual symptoms.
They understand optimal ranges, recognize patterns across multiple markers, and know how to connect your lab results to what you're actually feeling day to day. Lab work may include specialty tests for cortisol and adrenal function, gut health, sex hormones, food sensitivities, inflammation, metabolic markers and more. These are tests that aren't always available at a standard lab.
Working with a Naturopathic Doctor or Functional Medicine Practitioner doesn't mean that you stop working with your primary care provider. It just means that you’re adding a layer of support that goes deeper into root causes and patterns and the two approaches work really well together.
Option 3: Order the Labs Yourself
This one doesn't get talked about enough and it's actually more possible than most women realize.
There are a lot of benefits to being able to order Functional Medicine lab work for yourself. You don't have to wait for an appointment. You don't have to hope your doctor is familiar with these tests. You don't have to spend months on a waitlist to see a specialist.
You can even save money by skipping the appointment altogether and ordering directly. You get to decide which tests you want, order them on your own timeline, and come to your next appointment already knowing your numbers. That kind of information puts you in the driver's seat of your own health.
This is exactly why I created How to Order the Functional Medicine Lab Work No One Told You About. After years of private practice working with women, I saw the same thing over and over. Women who wanted answers but didn't know where to start.
This course is built on everything I've learned working with patients and it walks you through exactly how to make this happen. Which tests to prioritize based on your symptoms, where to order them, and how to get it done.
You deserve to feel your best and to have answers that help to get you there!
~ Dr. Anne
DR. ANNE BERKELEY, ND, MA, FABNE, FMCP-M
Functional Medicine Naturopathic Doctor
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