Our Approach to Testing
Every evaluation at Neuroveda Health begins the same way: with a conversation.
Before any test is ordered, we take time to understand your full health history, your current symptoms, what you've already tried, and what questions most need answering. Testing is a tool - a powerful one - but it is never a substitute for clinical judgment, and it is never the starting point.
Our testing menu spans conventional labs, functional medicine panels, and specialty diagnostics that most Seattle-area providers don't offer. We draw from all of these, but we don't use all of them at once.
The goal is never to test endlessly - high-effort, high-cost panels ordered without clear clinical purpose create noise and rarely lead anywhere useful.
Our goal is to match the right test to the right person at the right moment: the fewest tests that illuminate the most meaningful answers for where you are in your health journey.
This philosophy draws on both modern medical science and Ayurvedic thinking. In Ayurveda, the word chikitsa - often translated as "treatment" - means any effective intervention, including the diagnostic work that makes effective treatment possible. Testing, in that sense, is medicine.
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How Testing Is Collected
Not all testing requires a clinic visit. Understanding how tests are actually collected helps set expectations - and often removes a logistical barrier patients don't realize isn't there.
In-office procedures are performed at our Seattle clinic and include autonomic nervous system (ANS) testing, skin biopsy, and in-clinic blood draws. These require scheduling an appointment.
Home collection kits cover the majority of specialty lab testing. Kits ship directly to your door and include all materials, instructions, and a prepaid return envelope. Depending on the test, self-collection may use saliva, a cheek swab, a stool sample, or a finger-prick blood spot. Results typically return in 2 to 5 weeks.
Blood draws outside the clinic are an option when a test requires venous blood but a clinic visit isn't practical. Many LabCorp and Quest locations will accept outside kits. Mobile phlebotomy - where a technician comes to you - is available throughout Western Washington via ElitePhlebotomy.com (greater Portland and Seattle) and GetLabs.com (greater Seattle).
Online cognitive testing through CNS Vital Signs can be completed from any computer at home or in-office. No special materials or appointments required.
A note on geography: some specialty kits have restrictions in New York State.
The Types of Testing We May Do
The body's systems don't operate in isolation, and neither does our testing. What follows is a guide to how we approach each major area of health - what we're looking for, how we think about it, and what kinds of tests we may use.
Gut & Digestive Health
In Ayurveda, digestion is governed by agni - the body's central metabolic fire - and this maps closely to what modern functional medicine recognizes: that digestive capacity, microbial ecology, and intestinal immune function are foundational to systemic health. Gut dysfunction doesn't just create gut symptoms; it can drive inflammation, immune dysregulation, and neurological effects throughout the body. Every gut evaluation begins with a thorough history and exam, which often tells us more than any panel can.
When testing is indicated, we evaluate the gut through three distinct domains:
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Digestion - how well food is being broken down and absorbed (pancreatic function, enzyme activity)
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Inflammation - immune signaling, mucosal integrity, and markers like secretory IgA and short-chain fatty acids
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The microbiome - not just pathogens, but the broader microbial community including commensal organisms and pathobionts that are neutral under normal conditions but harmful when the system is stressed
Because standard stool testing only reflects the lower gut, upper GI evaluation may also be needed for bloating, motility issues, or digestive symptoms that don't resolve with conventional approaches.
Tests we may use:
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GI Effects (Genova Diagnostics) - comprehensive stool panel evaluating digestion, inflammation, and microbiome
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Gut Zoomer (Vibrant Wellness) - expanded microbiome analysis with immune and inflammatory markers
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SIBO breath testing (Aerodiagnostics) - evaluates for methane, hydrogen, and hydrogen sulfide SIBO in the small intestine; used when bloating, motility dysfunction, or IBS-pattern symptoms haven't resolved with standard care
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Conventional stool testing (LabCorp / Quest) - infection screening, pancreatic elastase, calprotectin; appropriate as a starting point or when acute infection is suspected
Hormones & Metabolism
Hormone evaluation is rarely as simple as checking estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol. The endocrine system is a web - pituitary, thyroid, adrenals, pancreas, and reproductive organs all communicate with each other, and a symptom in one part of that web often reflects an imbalance somewhere else. In Ayurveda, hormonal patterns are understood as expressions of deeper rhythms of agni and ojas; modern endocrinology arrives at the same conclusion through different language.
Before ordering a panel, we work through several key questions:
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Which hormones are most relevant given your symptoms, life stage, gender, and health history
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When to test - hormones are cyclical, and collecting at the wrong time can produce misleading results
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Which matrix to use - blood, saliva, and urine each have different clinical utility depending on what is being measured and whether exogenous hormones are in use
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Whether exogenous hormones change the approach - oral contraceptives, patches, creams, and injections all affect how hormones appear in testing and require matched collection methods
Tests we may use:
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DUTCH Test (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones) - evaluates hormone levels and their metabolites, adrenal cortisol rhythm, and organic acid markers; preferred when depth of metabolic picture matters
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Conventional blood panels (LabCorp / Quest) - foundational hormone levels including thyroid, testosterone, and pituitary markers; most accurate for testosterone when drawn 8-10am
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Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) - captures real-time blood sugar patterns across daily life; used when reactive hypoglycemia, metabolic dysregulation, or energy and mood instability may be glucose-driven
Nutrition & Cellular Nourishment
In Ayurveda, we are not what we eat - we are what we digest, absorb, and transform. Nutritional health is less about intake and more about how food actually becomes available at the cellular level. Standard labs can measure circulating levels of vitamins and minerals, and that is a useful starting point. But circulating levels don't tell you how nutrients are being processed downstream - which metabolic pathways are supported or impaired, or how your genetics affect absorption and utilization.
Comprehensive nutritional evaluation looks at multiple layers:
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Circulating nutrient levels - foundational vitamins, minerals, and cofactors in blood or urine
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Organic acids and metabolic markers - how nutrients are being used within key biochemical pathways
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Methylation - one of the most nutrient-dependent pathways in the body; affects detoxification, mood, immune function, and gene expression
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Genetic factors - variants like MTHFR and related SNPs that affect how efficiently the body absorbs and utilizes specific nutrients
Findings from nutritional testing inform not just supplements, but food patterns - what, when, how much, and in what combinations - alongside any targeted nutraceutical support.
Tests we may use:
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NutriEval (Genova Diagnostics) - comprehensive panel evaluating organic acids, amino acids, fatty acids, mitochondrial markers, and nutrient cofactors together
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Metabolomix (Genova Diagnostics) - similar scope to NutriEval with urine-based organic acid and metabolite analysis
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Nutrient Zoomer (Vibrant Wellness) - broad nutrient panel including vitamins, minerals, and cofactors
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Methylation Panel (Genova Diagnostics) - evaluates methylation pathway function and relevant metabolites
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Food sensitivity testing (MRT) - when dietary triggers are suspected as contributors to chronic inflammation or symptoms
Mitochondrial Health & Energy
Mitochondria are often described as the cell's energy producers, but that framing understates their role. Beyond generating ATP, mitochondria regulate cellular signaling, inflammation, oxidative stress, and the body's capacity to complete healing cycles. When mitochondrial function is impaired - from infection, toxic exposure, chronic stress, or genetic factors - it helps explain why some patients plateau mid-recovery, why symptoms persist long after the initial trigger fades, and why the system seems unable to finish what it started. Conditions like long COVID, CRPS, post-viral fatigue, and chronic complex illness often have mitochondrial dysfunction as a significant underlying thread. In Ayurveda, this maps to a depleted agni: the metabolic fire that should be driving recovery is simply not burning adequately.
When mitochondrial evaluation is warranted, we consider several factors:
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Whether the clinical picture is consistent - unexplained fatigue, exercise intolerance, post-illness plateau, or treatment resistance with no other clear explanation
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Which aspect of function to assess - electron transport chain activity, overall efficiency, or reactive oxygen species production
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Duration of picture - some markers reflect a single moment; others capture function over months
Tests we may use:
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MeScreen - evaluates mitochondrial efficiency, glycolysis, reactive oxygen species, and network capacity from a finger-prick blood spot; captures function over months rather than a single snapshot; home kit
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MitoSwab (ReligenDx) - evaluates electron transport chain complex activity through a cheek swab; approximately 85% as accurate as a muscle biopsy; home kit
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Invitae (mitochondrial panel) - targeted genetic sequencing for inherited mitochondrial conditions when family history or clinical picture suggests a genetic component
Nervous System & Neurological Function
Nervous system assessment begins with what matters most: a detailed history and physical exam. The body often reveals patterns of neurological function, inflammation, and autonomic regulation long before they appear on labs. From there, testing is layered in strategically. In Ayurveda, the nervous system is governed by vata - the principle of movement and communication - and dysregulation of vata underlies much of the sensory, autonomic, and cognitive instability that characterizes complex chronic presentations.
The nervous system encompasses several distinct clinical domains, each with different testing tools:
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Autonomic function - heart rate, blood pressure, and sweat gland regulation in response to postural and physiological challenges; requires in-office equipment
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Small fiber nerve integrity - evaluates the class of nerve fiber that standard nerve conduction studies miss; relevant to pain, sensory symptoms, autonomic involvement, and gut motility
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Immune-mediated neurological conditions - antibody-driven processes including autoimmune encephalitis, PANS/PANDAS, and neuroinflammatory syndromes
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Cerebral folate transport - a specific mechanism by which the brain may fail to absorb folate even when blood levels appear normal
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Cognitive function over time - longitudinal tracking of memory, attention, processing speed, and executive function
Tests we may use:
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Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) testing (in-office) - four-test battery: tilt table, heart rate deep breathing, Valsalva, and QSART; diagnostic for POTS, hyperadrenergic dysautonomia, and small fiber neuropathy via sweat response
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Skin biopsy (in-office) - small punch biopsies from three leg sites; evaluates small fiber neuropathy and deposition of alpha-synuclein and amyloid
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Neural Zoomer (Vibrant Wellness) - evaluates 48 neurologically associated antibodies; used when immune-mediated neurological involvement is suspected and standard panels are unrevealing
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Cunningham Panel (Moleculera Labs) - specialty antibody testing for PANS and PANDAS; used when sudden-onset behavioral or neurological changes suggest an immune-driven process
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FRAT - Folate Receptor Antibody Test (ReligenDx) - tests for blocking or binding folate receptor antibodies; relevant in inflammatory autism presentations, treatment-resistant neurological symptoms, and PANS/PANDAS
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CNS Vital Signs - validated online neuropsychological assessment; used for longitudinal cognitive tracking; can be completed from hom
Infectious Disease & Immune Ecology
The body is home to trillions of organisms - many essential to digestion, immunity, and neurological function. The immune system's role is not simply to eliminate microbes, but to discern: defend against genuine threats, tolerate beneficial organisms, regulate inflammation, and clear damaged cells. Infectious disease evaluation, from this perspective, is always embedded in a larger question about immune ecology. In Ayurveda, immune resilience is understood through ojas - the body's vital reserve - and restoration of ojas, not just elimination of pathogens, is the clinical goal.
Several principles shape how we approach infectious evaluation:
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Standard testing has meaningful sensitivity limits - conventional Lyme ELISA and Western blot miss a significant portion of cases and don't test for co-infections; a negative result is not a clear result
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Mold and mycotoxin exposure is frequently underconsidered - particularly in patients with chronic fatigue, cognitive symptoms, or conditions that worsened after time in a water-damaged building
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Finding an organism is often the beginning, not the end - chronic or post-infectious presentations intersect with mitochondrial function, neurological symptoms, and the broader inflammatory state
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Nasal and sinus involvement can drive systemic immune dysregulation in patients with biotoxin illness, mold exposure, or unexplained immune patterns
Tests we may use:
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Specialty Lyme and tick-borne testing - expanded panels for Borrelia species, strains, and co-infections including Bartonella, Babesia, and Ehrlichia; used when standard testing is negative or equivocal despite a consistent clinical picture; ordered through IGeneX, Galaxy Diagnostics, and T-Lab
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Urine mycotoxin panel (RealTime Laboratories) - evaluates toxic mold exposure and body burden; home collection
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MARCONS nasal swab (Microbiology DX) - evaluates for multiply antibiotic-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci, fungal organisms, and biofilm-forming bacteria in the nasal passages; relevant in chronic sinusitis, biotoxin illness, and mold-related immune dysregulation
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Conventional CBC and infection panels (LabCorp / Quest) - foundational immune function, white blood cell patterns, and targeted pathogen testing; appropriate as a starting point or to rule out acute infectious contributors
Toxicity & Environmental Burden
Toxic exposure is rarely a single dramatic event. More commonly, it is a slow accumulation of environmental inputs over years or decades - air, water, food systems, and everyday materials contributing to what we call total body burden: the balance between what the body takes in and what it can process and eliminate. The health consequences of this burden are not always apparent on standard labs, which is part of why toxicity is so frequently missed as a contributing factor in complex chronic illness. In Ayurveda, this maps to ama - undigested or unprocessed material that accumulates and disrupts function. Both frameworks point to the same intervention logic: understand the burden, support elimination, and work within the individual's actual clearance capacity.
When evaluating toxicity, we consider two related but distinct questions:
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What is the body carrying? - direct measurement of heavy metals, mycotoxins, and persistent organic chemicals in blood and urine
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What impact is it having? - oxidative stress markers that reflect downstream cellular damage from toxic and inflammatory burden
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What is the individual's detoxification capacity? - genomic variants that affect how efficiently the body clears environmental inputs, which informs both interpretation of results and the approach to treatment
Tests we may use:
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Toxin Zoomer (Vibrant Wellness) - comprehensive panel for heavy metals, mycotoxins, and persistent organic chemicals from a single blood draw
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Oxidative stress markers (Genova Diagnostics) - glutathione, lipid peroxides, and 8-OHdG (a DNA oxidative damage marker); available through both specialty and conventional channels
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IntellxxDNA - SNP analysis for detoxification pathways; used when clearance capacity is a relevant factor in interpreting toxic burden or designing a detoxification protocol
Genomics
Genetics are often misunderstood as destiny. The reality is more nuanced - and more actionable. Most health outcomes emerge from how your approximately 20,000 genes interact with environment, nutrition, stress, and inflammation over time. DNA is the blueprint; it is the expression of that blueprint through RNA, proteins, and downstream biochemical pathways that determines how the body functions day to day. Ayurveda has understood this for thousands of years through the framework of prakruti (your inherent constitutional blueprint) and vikruti (how that blueprint is currently expressing given your environment, history, and health state). Modern genomics is asking the same question with different tools.
There are two meaningfully different types of genomic evaluation, suited to different clinical questions:
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Targeted sequencing for specific hereditary conditions - used when the clinical picture suggests an inherited condition (connective tissue disorders, autoinflammatory syndromes) and identification of specific pathogenic variants would change diagnosis or management
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Functional SNP analysis - evaluates how common genetic variants are likely influencing key pathways in inflammation, detoxification, methylation, cognition, and neuroimmune health; clinically actionable and oriented toward treatment personalization rather than diagnosis
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Methylation analysis - bridges genetics and active biochemistry; evaluates how methylation pathways are functioning in practice, including MTHFR and related variants
Genomic data is most useful when paired with other testing. A functional SNP analysis combined with mitochondrial, neurological, or metabolic workup provides a much richer picture of why patterns of illness are occurring and what is most likely to help.
Tests we may use:
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Invitae - targeted hereditary sequencing for connective tissue disorders (including Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome), autoinflammatory syndromes, and related hereditary conditions; used when family history or clinical picture points toward an inherited condition
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IntellxxDNA - functional SNP analysis for inflammation, detoxification, methylation, cognitive function, and neuroimmune health; pairs well with neurological and mitochondrial workups
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Methylation Panel (Genova Diagnostics) - evaluates active methylation pathway function alongside genomic context
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know which tests I actually need?
You don't have to figure that out before coming in. That's the work of the consultation - understanding your history, your symptoms, what you've already tried, and what questions most need answering. We don't hand patients a menu and ask them to choose. We figure out together what's most likely to be meaningful and start there.
My conventional labs have always come back normal. Why would specialty testing show anything different?
Standard labs are designed to identify what conventional medicine is trained to look for - acute disease, significant organ dysfunction, and common deficiencies. Specialty testing evaluates functional markers, metabolic pathways, mitochondrial health, autonomic function, environmental exposures, microbiome ecology, and systems that routine panels simply don't assess. Many patients with significant specialty findings have years of normal conventional labs behind them.
Do I have to come in to Seattle to get tested?
Most testing can be completed from home. The exceptions are in-office procedures: ANS (autonomic nervous system) testing, skin biopsy, and in-clinic blood draws require a visit to our Seattle location. Everything else - including most specialty lab panels and CNS Vital Signs cognitive testing - can be done remotely. We offer telehealth consultations for patients outside the greater Seattle area.
Can I request a specific test I've been researching?
Very likely, yes. If you've been looking for a provider who orders FRAT testing, a DUTCH panel, specialty Lyme testing, or something else specific, reach out and tell us what you're looking for. We can usually order it directly or point you in the right direction.
What's the difference between a specialty lab and a conventional lab like LabCorp or Quest?
Conventional labs like LabCorp and Quest run the tests that standard medicine is built around - they're accurate, widely accepted by insurance, and the right tool for many questions. Specialty labs focus on functional markers, expanded panels, and testing modalities that conventional labs don't offer: comprehensive microbiome analysis, hormone metabolites, mitochondrial function, mycotoxins, expanded Lyme and co-infection panels, neurological antibodies, and more. We use both, matched to what the clinical question requires.
Will insurance cover any of this testing?
Specialty lab testing is generally a cash-pay service. Some conventional lab work may be covered. We provide billing codes and Superbills so you can seek reimbursement directly from your insurer. For in-office procedures, payment is due at time of service. Skin biopsy pathology is frequently covered by insurance.
How long does it take to get results?
For home collection kits sent to specialty labs, results typically return in 2 to 5 weeks. Conventional lab results are often available within a few days. In-office procedure results vary depending on what is being analyzed.
How often should I retest?
It depends on the test and the clinical question. Some markers - like cognitive assessments through CNS Vital Signs or certain mitochondrial panels - have real value as longitudinal tracking tools, where the trend over time matters more than any single result. Other tests are ordered once to answer a specific question and may not need repeating. We'll tell you what's worth monitoring and on what timeline.