Regular Blood Testing: Getting the Real Score of Your Wellness Game

You get your rest. You practice mindfulness. You watch what you eat and you exercise. That should be enough to ensure your health and well-being along the journey of life, right?

Right.

Well, almost right.

There is one more thing you can do that can impact how well you navigate your health: Have your blood tested regularly.

Think of blood tests as scorecards of sorts. They can help you better understand the actual impact your daily health routines are having on your overall well-being. Ensuring you are testing at regular intervals can help you see how your body is changing over time and provides the opportunity to make any course corrections if needed.

Most healthcare providers recommend bloodwork at least once a year, typically around the same time as your annual physical.

But there are several major reasons you may want to have your blood tested more frequently. Certain conditions and situations could warrant additional testing, including:

  • Experiencing unusual, lingering symptoms. These might include fatigue, abnormal weight gain or weight loss, new sources of pain or other odd symptoms that don’t make any sense.
  • Risk reduction. It’s a good idea to stay on top of any changes in your health to reduce your risk of disease or other complications. Regular blood tests can catch the warning signs of almost any disease early. Many heart, lung, and kidney conditions can be diagnosed using routine blood tests.
  • Health optimization. Tracking common blood markers, such as cholesterol, can allow you to adjust your diet or fitness plan to keep you as healthy as possible without having to wonder whether you’re doing the right thing or optimizing your supplement routine.

Four Important Blood Tests

Here are four important blood tests that you may want to consider.

Basic metabolic panel. A BMP checks for levels of certain compounds in the blood, such as:

  • electrolytes
  • calcium
  • glucose
  • sodium
  • potassium
  • carbon dioxide
  • chloride
  • blood urea nitrogen (BUN)
  • creatinine

Abnormal results may indicate kidney disease, diabetes or hormone imbalances. Your healthcare provider will order follow-up tests if necessary to confirm any of these conditions.

Complete blood count. As the most common blood test, a CBC will be included as part of your annual health exam. This panel evaluates 10 different aspects of how well your white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets are doing.

Imbalances or discrepancies seen on a CBC can indicate:

  • nutritional deficiencies, such as vitamin B6 or B12
  • iron deficiency
  • bone marrow issues
  • tissue inflammation
  • infection
  • heart conditions

If your healthcare provider notices any irregular results, he or she will order follow-up blood tests for further evaluation.

Lipid panel. This collection of blood markers lets you know how your body is managing cholesterol and the transport proteins that carry it along. Cholesterol is a superhero in the body, responsible for making stress hormones, sex hormones and keeping your brain and your cells healthy. Contrary to popular opinion, we actually need plenty of cholesterol to stay healthy. A lipid panel tells you how much cholesterol your body is making (total cholesterol), and how well it is being shuttled through the body on LDLs and HDLs. When it comes to the lipid panel, make sure your healthcare practitioner understands the value and importance of cholesterol before being too quick to recommend a prescription to reduce it.

Thyroid panel. A thyroid panel looks at how well your thyroid is producing its primary hormone, T4, and whether that hormone is being efficiently converted into its active form, T3. In addition to these three blood markers, Reverse T3, T3 Uptake and thyroid antibodies should be ordered to ensure a comprehensive evaluation can be done.  As one of the most important glands in the body, your thyroid helps regulate many body functions including mood, energy level and overall metabolism.

Your next step

These important blood tests will help you see how well your diligence and attention to your overall health is paying off.  If areas of concern are identified early, you can make plans for addressing them well before there’s an unwelcome crisis.

Happy Patients

I have had back issues most of my life. Since starting treatments with Dr Greg I have had no more issues. It's such a relief to be able to be physical at the high level I want to be. I am able to maintain wellness by seeing Dr Greg on a regular basis. Thank you Dr Greg!!

Michael L.

Hello! I just want to say that you are truly a healer! After leaving your office last Monday, I was more able to breathe, truly breathe - after having suffered all weekend to take a deep breath due to a "rib out of place" OK - if you say so....all I know is that, though I continued to have a bit of pain in my upper back and neck for a day or two, I could take wonderful, glorious deep breaths thanks to your treatment. Thanks again for all you do! Even if I do make many sound affects while you are treating me - "OUCH!!! Hmmmph!! Ughhh!! Really???" I truly appreciate your healing touch....

MMW

I have had Parkinson's Disease for 8 years.  I have developed arthritis in my back and hips. The stiffness of the Parkinson's and the arthritis has caused me a lot of pain. Because of that unrelenting pain I was unable to exercise. Exercise is an important part of pain management for Parkinson's.  Since I have been seeing Dr. Krapf I am feeling much better and his care has allowed me to begin exercising again, which has improved my overall well being. In the past I have been treated by physical therapists and orthopedists. Dr. Krapf's chiropractic manipulations have had an amazing impact on my health and happiness. I highly recommend Dr. Krapf to anyone who needs excellent chiropractic care and the many alternative therapies he offers. I would say he is magical!

When my friend received excellent care from Dr. Krapf, she recommended him to me. I have had gastrointestinal problems for nearly 50 years that have recently been diagnosed with celiac disease with lactose intolerance. All that, including unrelieved stress had made me unhappy and unhealthy. Today I am a different person with the help of Dr. Greg. The Gastro issues are practically nonexistent, my stress levels have plummeted, and my body is changing. I am so grateful for Dr. Greg and his healing hands.

Mary Ann L.

Our family have been patients of Krapf chiropractic for a few decades. We have several success stories archived. The most recent event involves our youngest son who is completing his senior year of high school. He has been a patient of Krapf Chiropractic (KCA) since birth. He has been an avid soccer player since the age of four and has sustained numerous injuries over the years. Dr. Krapf has successfully assisted in every recovery.

Most recently, he began complaining of his feet hurting while playing soccer. Both feet hurt - particularly the balls of his feet while running and cutting. He came to Dr. Greg with his complaint as this was seriously affecting his game. Dr. Greg evaluated the situation and decided a foot scan should be done. The finding was dropped arches. My son was fitted for orthotics. They arrived within days and he wore these as directed. Within a few short weeks he is now playing full games pain free.

SC

I first called Krapf Chiropractic when my back was so bad that I couldn't get up off the floor. It's been a blessing to have Dr. Greg help me with my overall wellness and health! I find this to be a place where you are not a number and everyone cares. Mollie is always cheerful and reminds me to come. Erin is always smiling and helps relax me when I'm in pain. I would not be functioning if I did not have Krapf Chiropractic to keep me going. As I get older my appreciation deepens, especially when I see people around me who are suffering with back problems. If they only knew how helpful this is. I believe Dr. Greg treats the person not the symptoms. Thank you

Debbie B.

I've been lucky to have exceptional health care from the beginning. At the beginning, seventy-six-plus years ago, Hugh Rodgers brought me into the world in mother and dad's second-floor bedroom in our dairy farm home. Hugh's son, Hugh, Jr., practiced with his dad and beyond caring for my parents, he, also, cared for hundreds of others and me. Roughly forty years ago, a friend suggested I make an appointment with Richard Krapf for help with back-pain. Richard treated the pain that, often, was debilitating, and on Richard's death, his son, Greg became the second second generation to help me from one place to another. I'm grateful to Hugh, Hugh, Richard and, perhaps, most of all, to Greg.

N.C.

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