Health Testing & Pathology
Our advanced functional pathology testing can provide valuable insights into what may be happening inside your body and help your naturopath create a more personalised approach to your health. If you’ve been struggling with ongoing symptoms without clear answers, these tests can provide the deeper information needed to help connect the dots.
We offer a range of Health Testing, which can provide valuable insight into what may be contributing to your symptoms and help us develop a more personalised treatment plan.
While testing you might undertake with your GP testing is generally focused on diagnosing or ruling out disease, SSNC uses testing to explore the factors that may be contributing to your symptoms and to guide a targeted, individualised treatment plan.
We look beyond each result in isolation, assessing patterns across your pathology alongside your symptoms, nutritional status, diet, medications and health history.
For example, we may arrange specialised functional pathology tests not routinely offered, including:
- Comprehensive stool and gut microbiome testing
- SIBO breath testing
- Dried-urine hormone metabolite testing, such as DUTCH
- Salivary cortisol testing across different times of day
- Organic acids testing
- Detailed nutritional or metabolic panels
- Some environmental exposure or heavy-metal testing
How does this testing differ from what my GP can provide?
GPs can investigate many of these areas, but generally order medically indicated tests used to diagnose or monitor recognised conditions.
By contrast, the functional tests our clinic offers explore a broader set of markers to help guide a patient’s care.
Where appropriate, your practitioner may recommend relevant pathology or specialised functional testing to investigate areas such as nutritional status, hormones, digestive health, blood glucose regulation or other factors related to your concerns. We can also review recent results from your GP, helping you better understand how they relate to your overall health.
Testing is recommended only when it is likely to provide useful information or influence your treatment plan. Naturopathic care does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment, and we will refer you to your GP or another healthcare professional whenever medical assessment is needed.
The range of Health Tests we offer includes:
D.U.T.C.H Hormone Testing
- Detailed and highly accurate urine test that looks at your key hormones and, importantly, how your body is making, breaking down and using them.
- Assesses hormones such as oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA and cortisol, along with hormone metabolites.
- Can provide valuable insights when investigating PMS, irregular periods, perimenopause and menopause symptoms, fatigue, poor sleep, mood changes, low libido or unexplained weight changes.
Understanding your individual hormone patterns can help your naturopath develop a more targeted approach to your health.
Gut Microbiome Mapping
- Can provide valuable insights when investigating food intolerances, digestion issues, PMS, irregular periods, perimenopause and menopause symptoms, fatigue, poor sleep, mood changes, low libido or unexplained weight changes.
IgG Food Intolerance Testing
- looks for IgG antibodies to a wide range of commonly eaten foods. Food-related symptoms can sometimes occur hours or even longer after eating, making it difficult to identify the trigger.
- Provides a personalised picture of foods showing an IgG response and, when considered alongside your symptoms and health history, can help your naturopath determine whether dietary changes may be worth exploring.
- Can be particularly useful for bloating, digestive discomfort, fatigue, headaches or skin complaints where a food connection is suspected.
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA)
- Simple, non-invasive test that looks at the levels and balance of important minerals and trace elements.
- Using a small hair sample, it can provide insights into nutritional status, mineral imbalances and patterns that may affect energy, metabolism and overall wellbeing.
- We use your HTMA results alongside your symptoms, health history and lifestyle to build a more personalised picture of what your body may need.
Iridology
- Iridology is a traditional naturopathic assessment technique involving the close examination of the colours, patterns and structural features of the iris—the coloured part of the eye.
- May be used as one part of a broader naturopathic consultation to inform discussion about your health history, symptoms and overall wellbeing. It is non-invasive and painless, with your practitioner using specialised magnification to examine the iris in detail.
- Iridology is not used to diagnose disease or replace pathology testing, eye examinations or medical care. Any observations are considered alongside your health history and, where appropriate, validated testing or referral to another healthcare professional.
Detailed Thyroid Panel
- Can assess TSH, free T3 and free T4, with the more extensive profile also looking at reverse T3 and thyroid antibodies.
- Results can provide a clearer picture of thyroid function and whether there are signs of an immune response involving the thyroid.
- Testing may be useful when investigating fatigue, unexplained weight changes, feeling unusually cold or hot, hair changes, constipation, poor concentration, mood changes or disrupted sleep.
MTHFR Genetic Test – Buccal Swab
- Simple, painless buccal (cheek) swab that identifies common variations in the MTHFR gene.
- These variations can affect how your body processes folate and are relevant to methylation and certain nutritional pathways.
- Knowing your MTHFR genetic profile gives your naturopath another valuable piece of information when personalising your nutritional and lifestyle recommendations.
Adrenal & Cortisol Test
- Your cortisol levels can provide valuable clues about how your body is responding to the demands of everyday life.
- An Adrenal & Cortisol Test measures cortisol at different times of the day, helping us see your individual cortisol pattern and how your stress-response system may be functioning.
- We can then consider these results alongside your symptoms, lifestyle and health history.
Cardiovascular Profile
- Comprehensive blood test that looks beyond a standard cholesterol check, providing a more detailed picture of factors that may influence cardiovascular wellbeing.
- Assesses Cholesterol, Triglycerides, HDL, LDL, ratios, Fasting Glucose, Homocysteine, Apolipoproteins A & B, Lipoprotein (a), Fibrinogen, important markers associated with cardiovascular and metabolic health. ApoA1 is the main protein component of HDL (“good”) cholesterol and helps transport cholesterol away from the arteries.