Specialty lab tests are diagnostic tools used primarily by holistic practitioners and naturopath to assess the functional status of the body. Functional testing assesses the dynamic interrelationship of physiological systems thereby creating a more complete picture of one’s health. Conventional medicine uses lab test specifically to diagnose diseases. According to this method, once the disease has been identified, the treatment, drug or surgery is clear. Medical doctors are taught to use standard lab tests solely for the purpose of diagnosing diseases. Many patients fall through the cracks of the current medical paradigm because they are neither sick enough from a pathological perspective (no findings on diagnostic testing) nor are they 100 % well. These patients fall into a gray area of medicine. This gray area is the zone of dysfunction and functional diagnosis is one of the best ways to sleuth out what has truly gone on in the body. By doing this we have an incredible opportunity to make changes long before true pathology sets in. Holistic practitioners use specialty lab tests such as blood chemistry analysis, hair, salvia and stool test to determine the underlying cause of diseases, which is often due to nutritional deficiency or environmental toxicity. Identifying and treating the underlying causes of diseases is a fundamental principle of naturopathic medicine.