Routine & Advanced Lab Testing in Ashland OR

Routine lab testing includes standard blood panels that conventional doctors commonly order—complete metabolic panels assessing kidney and liver function, complete blood counts evaluating red and white blood cells, basic lipid panels measuring cholesterol, and sometimes thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) alone. These tests identify overt disease states but often miss subtle imbalances causing significant symptoms. At Valley Integrative Health, Dr. Wilson's routine testing is far more comprehensive than typical conventional care—he includes complete thyroid panels with Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3, and antibodies, comprehensive sex hormone testing measuring estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA, and nutrient assessments including vitamin D, B12, folate, and iron studies with ferritin. Advanced specialty testing goes deeper to uncover root causes that routine panels miss entirely. This includes DUTCH hormone testing showing not just hormone levels but how your body metabolizes and eliminates hormones—critical for understanding conditions like estrogen dominance or identifying cancer risk patterns. Food sensitivity testing (IgG panels) reveals delayed immune reactions to 90+ foods that conventional allergy testing (IgE) misses completely, explaining chronic digestive issues, inflammation, fatigue, and autoimmune symptoms. Heavy metal testing through provoked urine analysis uncovers toxic burden from mercury, lead, arsenic, and other metals that accumulate over decades. Organic acids testing examines urine metabolites revealing mitochondrial dysfunction, neurotransmitter imbalances, nutrient cofactor deficiencies, and bacterial or yeast overgrowth. Cardiovascular specialty testing evaluates particle size and number, inflammatory markers, and metabolic factors that predict heart disease decades before symptoms appear. Dr. Wilson determines which tests are appropriate based on your specific symptoms, health history, and treatment goals, ensuring you get the information needed to address root causes without unnecessary testing that doesn't change clinical decisions.

Valley Integrative Health saves you 20-40% on lab testing compared to conventional practices and hospital systems through our direct relationships with laboratories and our commitment to transparent, fair pricing rather than profit-maximizing markups. Here's how the conventional system typically works: when your regular doctor orders lab testing, the hospital or medical group purchases tests from laboratories at wholesale prices, then marks them up 100-200% (sometimes more) before billing you or your insurance—this massive markup is how healthcare systems generate profit from ancillary services. A comprehensive thyroid panel costing the facility $80 might appear on your bill as $250-400. Insurance companies negotiate some discount, but if you haven't met your deductible or have high co-insurance, you're paying inflated rates. At Valley Integrative Health, our cash-based model eliminates insurance billing infrastructure costs and administrative overhead, and our direct lab partnerships mean we pay wholesale or near-wholesale prices that we pass directly to you with only a modest service fee covering ordering, processing, and result interpretation. We don't view lab testing as a profit center—it's a diagnostic tool that enables effective treatment, so we price it fairly. Additionally, Dr. Wilson's functional medicine training means he often orders the right tests initially rather than the repeated testing common in conventional care where doctors don't fully understand functional ranges or comprehensive assessment strategies. This testing efficiency saves you money while providing better information. During your consultation, Dr. Wilson provides exact lab costs upfront so you can make informed decisions about testing priorities based on your budget and clinical necessity—no surprise bills, no hidden fees, just honest healthcare that respects your financial reality while delivering the comprehensive assessment needed to identify root causes and create effective treatment plans.

Determining appropriate lab testing is one of Dr. Wilson's core clinical skills, honed through over a decade of practice and extensive training with a focus on evidence-based, cost-effective diagnostic strategies. During your comprehensive initial consultation (60-90 minutes), Dr. Wilson takes detailed history about your symptoms, previous health issues, family history, lifestyle factors, medications and supplements, and treatment goals. This thorough assessment reveals patterns that guide testing decisions—for example, fatigue combined with weight gain, cold intolerance, and depression suggests comprehensive thyroid testing beyond basic TSH, while digestive issues with bloating, food reactions, and immune symptoms indicate food sensitivity testing and gut microbiome analysis. Dr. Wilson explains his diagnostic reasoning, describing what each recommended test measures, how results will inform treatment decisions, and exact costs, allowing you to understand the clinical rationale and prioritize based on symptom severity and budget. He'll never order tests just because they're available or to generate revenue—if testing won't change treatment approach or isn't clinically indicated, he won't recommend it. This honest approach sometimes means starting with targeted basic panels, evaluating those results, and expanding testing only if initial findings suggest deeper investigation is warranted. Other situations call for comprehensive testing upfront when symptoms are complex or mysterious and casting a wide diagnostic net saves time and money by revealing root causes immediately rather than through months of trial-and-error treatment. At Valley Integrative Health, you're treated like family, not a profit center—Dr. Wilson's recommendations are driven entirely by what serves your health best, reflecting our core values of integrity, transparency, and patient-centered care. If you're uncertain about recommended testing, ask questions—Dr. Wilson welcomes collaborative decision-making and will explain his clinical reasoning thoroughly so you feel confident about any testing you proceed with.

Valley Integrative Health requires an initial consultation before ordering comprehensive lab testing because Dr. Wilson's expertise lies not just in ordering tests, but in selecting the right tests based on your unique clinical picture and interpreting results within proper context to create effective treatment plans. Lab testing without thorough history and physical assessment risks missing important diagnostic clues, ordering unnecessary tests that waste your money, or misinterpreting results without understanding your complete health story. During your initial consultation, Dr. Wilson gathers the detailed information needed to determine which tests will provide the most valuable insights for your specific situation—this personalized approach ensures you get testing that actually matters rather than generic panels that might miss key issues. Additionally, many specialty tests require proper timing relative to menstrual cycles for women, medication adjustments, or preparation protocols that Dr. Wilson explains during consultation. The consultation itself provides significant value—Dr. Wilson often identifies probable issues through history and examination that guide strategic testing, potentially saving you from expensive unnecessary panels. For patients seeking routine annual wellness labs or follow-up testing for known conditions, Dr. Wilson may accommodate abbreviated consultation formats once you're established as a patient and he understands your health baseline. However, for new patients or complex health concerns, comprehensive consultation is essential for responsible, effective care. This thorough approach reflects Dr. Wilson's medical training and ethical standards—he won't take your money for testing without ensuring it serves your health appropriately. The investment in proper consultation saves you money long-term by preventing wasted testing and ensuring results translate into treatment protocols that actually resolve your health concerns rather than generating more questions without answers.

Most conventional practices use broad “normal” ranges that only identify advanced disease. At Valley Integrative Health, Dr. Wilson evaluates results through functional medicine optimal ranges that detect subtle dysfunction years before conventional medicine would diagnose it.

Example:

A TSH of 3.5 is “normal” in conventional medicine yet often associated with various symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, low mood, and poor Free T3 conversion. Dr. Wilson identifies and addresses these patterns early—before they become bigger problems.

This functional lens applies to:

• Hormones

• Thyroid function

• Cardiovascular risk

• Nutrient levels

• Mitochondrial health

• Metabolic efficiency

• Detoxification capacity

The goal isn’t just to rule out disease—it’s to optimize your biochemistry for peak health and longevity.

Hormone Imbalances

Testing may include:

• Comprehensive estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, SHBG

• Thyroid panel and assessment for Hashimoto’s

• Cortisol/adrenal function

• Insulin resistance markers

This reveals why symptoms like PMS, irregular cycles, perimenopause symptoms, mood changes, and low libido occur—and guides precise treatment.

Digestive Issues

Testing may include:

• Comprehensive stool analysis

• Gut microbiome analysis

• SIBO breath test

• IgG food sensitivities

• Celiac/gluten markers

• Leaky gut testing

• Organic acids for dysbiosis

These tests identify the root causes of IBS, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and chronic digestive problems.

Chronic Fatigue & Low Energy

Testing may include:

• Thyroid (including reverse T3)

• Sex hormones & adrenal function

• Iron studies (including ferritin)

• B12, folate, vitamin D

• Methylation markers (MTHFR)

• Organic acids testing

• Toxins such as mold and heavy metals

• Chronic infections such as Lyme, EBV, and other viruses

This determines whether fatigue is hormonal, metabolic, mitochondrial, inflammatory, or toxin-related.

Cardiovascular Prevention

Testing may include:

• Routine cholesterol panel

• Advanced lipid particle analysis such as LDL-P, oxidized LDL, lipoprotein fractionation

• hs-CRP, homocysteine, Lp(a), fibrinogen

• Blood sugar and insulin resistance testing

• Thyroid function

• Omega-3 index

A truly preventive approach—years before problems appear.

Toxin Exposure (Mold, Heavy Metals)

Testing may include:

• Mycotoxin urine testing

• VCS test

• Inflammatory markers

• Heavy metal urine or blood testing

• Organic acids for toxin-related metabolic changes

This reveals biotoxin illness, detoxification impairment, and metabolic disruption.

We partner exclusively with top-tier, CLIA-certified labs such as:

• Quest Diagnostics & LabCorp (routine testing)

• Boston Heart (Cardiovascular testing)

• Genova Diagnostics (GI, metabolic testing and nutritional testing)

• Great Plains Laboratory (organic acids & toxins)

• RealTime Labs (mycotoxins)

• Vibrant Wellness (food sensitivities & toxins)

• Igenex (Lyme, co-infections)

• RGCC (viral Infection, cancer)

• Ascess Medical Labs

• Many others including MicroDx, MicroBiologyDx, Cyrex, Commonwealth, etc.

Only clinically validated testing that leads to real, actionable treatment decisions is used—no unnecessary or trendy tests.