What is involved in conducting a Functional Blood Assessment?
A small amount of blood is collected from the fingertip and analyzed under a high-power microscope. Both the patient and Dr. Schiavone-Ruthensteiner observe the blood sample on a digital monitor during the analysis.
By studying a patient’s blood “picture”, Dr. Schiavone-Ruthensteiner can assess:
- Oxidative processes within the body. Toxic oxygen products affect cellular structures and biochemical pathways, leading to accelerated degeneration and progressive diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, neurological diseases, and cancer.
- Hormone and enzyme status and by-products of physiological stress. Cholesterol, clumping blood, and characteristic stress patterns in the blood can reflect specific challenges in the body, which can lead to dysfunction.
- Cellular nutritional status. Healthy nutritional status is essential in preserving cell structure and preventing major effects caused by metabolic challenges.
- The status of the immune system. By observing the white blood cells and their activity in contrast to the presence of active foreign microbes within the serum and red blood cells, the strength of the immune system can be determined.
- The extent of a disease process. The blood assessment can help determine whether an illness is functional or organic, acute or chronic, and mild or severe.
Dr. Schiavone-Ruthensteiner uses Functional Blood Assessments to observe changes during treatment and fine-tune therapies. This monitoring can help Dr. Schiavone-Ruthensteiner determine when a person’s basic cellular structures and biochemical pathways have regained their integrity and the body is once again in healthy equilibrium. This, indeed, is truly demonstrating “state-of-the-art” integrative medicine.
