Functional Medicine

Functional medicine is a personalised approach to healthcare that looks beyond individual symptoms to understand the broader factors influencing your health. Rather than viewing the body as a collection of separate systems, we consider how areas such as digestion, nutrition, hormones, metabolism, immune function, inflammation, sleep, stress and lifestyle interact and influence one another.

At House of Women’s Health, Meg combines her training in functional medicine with more than 15 years of clinical experience in women’s health, pelvic health, functional nutrition and osteopathy. We believe that what you eat is fundamental to how the body functions. A nutrient-dense, wholefoods approach forms an important foundation of our care, with nutrition personalised to your individual needs, health history and goals.

Looking deeper through targeted testing

Where appropriate, functional laboratory testing can provide additional insight into areas that may not be fully understood through symptoms and standard investigations alone. Testing is not one-size-fits-all. We select investigations based on your individual history, symptoms, existing results and clinical picture, and interpret the findings as part of the bigger picture.

Depending on your individual needs, testing may include:

Comprehensive bloodwork
Looking at patterns across blood counts, iron status, nutrients, blood sugar and insulin regulation, kidney and liver function, inflammation, cardiovascular health, thyroid function and other key markers. We can also review existing bloodwork through a functional medicine lens, looking at results in context rather than considering each marker in isolation.

Hormone testing
Assessment of reproductive and metabolic hormones where clinically appropriate. Depending on your presentation, this may include sex hormones, thyroid markers, cortisol and other hormones relevant to menstrual health, fertility, perimenopause, menopause and other hormonal concerns.

Gut microbiome and digestive testing
The gut is an important part of whole-body health. Where indicated, testing may include comprehensive stool analysis, gut microbiome assessment, digestive function, intestinal inflammation, markers of microbial imbalance and other gastrointestinal investigations.

SIBO testing
Breath testing can be used to assess for patterns associated with bacterial or methanogen overgrowth in the small intestine, particularly where symptoms such as bloating, abdominal discomfort, altered bowel habits or digestive dysfunction are present.

Organic acids testing
Urine organic acids testing can provide information about aspects of microbial metabolism and cellular metabolism and may offer additional clues when considered alongside symptoms and other investigations. This is generally used as an adjunct rather than in isolation.

Nutrient and micronutrient assessment
Depending on your history and symptoms, we may investigate nutrients such as iron, B12, folate, vitamin D and other vitamins, minerals and related markers to identify potential nutritional insufficiencies or imbalances.

Metabolic health
Testing may explore blood glucose regulation, insulin sensitivity, lipid patterns and other markers associated with metabolic health and cardiometabolic risk.

Immune and inflammatory markers
Where relevant, additional testing may help explore patterns of inflammation or immune activity and determine whether further investigation is warranted.

Intestinal permeability and food-related testing
In selected cases, specialised testing may be considered to investigate intestinal barrier function or immune responses associated with particular foods. These tests are used selectively and interpreted within the context of the broader clinical picture.

Vaginal and urogenital microbiome testing
For women experiencing recurrent vaginal or urinary symptoms, targeted testing may provide additional information about the vaginal and urogenital microbial environment and help guide a more individualised approach.

Other targeted investigations
Depending on your presentation, we may recommend other specialised laboratory investigations when they are clinically relevant to your individual circumstances.

Testing is only one part of the process. Our aim is not to test everything, but to test thoughtfully if necessary. Your symptoms, health history, lifestyle, nutrition, existing medical investigations and laboratory findings are considered together to develop a clearer understanding of your health and guide personalised care.