J.M. is a 55 year old fireman and over the past few years he had noticed that he could not run in and out of buildings like he used to. He found himself getting irritated more easily and felt like he had passed his peak. Even though he was working out he had a difficult time building muscle. He even noticed a little muscle loss and a hard time losing fat.
J.M. had seen his regular doctor and was told that his labwork was normal and that he was just getting older. Luckily he did not accept that as fact and sought out help. His hormone labwork was definitely not optimal. Normal ranges at the labs are determined by testing a part of the population and then coming up with the average numbers. But what happens when the people they are testing are out of balance hormonally? In modern society the average person does have a hormonal imbalance and this results in the “normal” lab values being incorrect.
Your hormone lab values may be interpreted as “normal” when in actuality they are low–the imbalance is missed simply because the “normal” lab values are incorrect. The medical profession gets pressured from many angles and most doctors are hesitant to look outside the “normal” values. They tend to accept the “normal” lab values without question. They forget to really look at the person and see that there is a hormonal imbalance. They are simply not questioning the validity of the “normal” values. This is not their fault–due to the nature of insurances they do not have the luxury of time to treat “outside the box”.
Hormonal imbalances exhibit specific symptoms and it takes time to get to know the patient and determine what he/she requires to achieve and maintain proper balance. Lab work is just a piece of information and it needs to be interpreted looking at optimal values, not the “normal” values. Optimal lab values are the values we see in people who are functioning at a high level and feel great. Unfortunately these values can be flagged as “abnormal” on lab results. This can scare the uninformed. “Abnormal” is often optimal. Look around you at the general population’s health. This is a sad truth.
The goal of proper hormone balancing is to get rid of your symptoms and prevent future medical issues like dementia, heart disease, certain cancers, osteoporosis, etc. This is only possible by taking the time and investing in yourself by seeking the help of a specially trained hormone specialist.
J.M. was found to have a significant Testosterone deficiency. We also found a B12 deficiency and slight thyroid imbalance. Once these deficiencies were corrected he regained his vitality. He has been carrying the fire hose and climbing ladders better than the guys younger than him. His workouts are creating a muscle gain and fat loss. J.M has the energy to enjoy his free time and is now really living his life.