If you recovered from COVID weeks or months ago but still don’t feel like yourself, you’re not imagining it. Lingering symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and persistent inflammation are real, and standard bloodwork often misses what’s actually going on. MVX+ metabolic testing measures biomarkers that conventional labs overlook, giving you concrete data to guide your recovery instead of just hoping symptoms fade on their own.
You’re Not Crazy – Post-COVID Symptoms Are Real
Here’s what I hear from patients in Ankeny and the Des Moines area all the time: “My doctor says my labs are normal, but I still feel terrible.”
That’s frustrating. And it makes sense why it happens.
Standard blood panels check the basics – cholesterol, blood sugar, kidney and liver function. They’re useful, but they weren’t designed to catch the subtle metabolic disruptions that can linger after a viral infection. You can have “normal” labs and still be dealing with chronic inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, or nutritional deficiencies that are dragging down your energy and mental clarity.
Post-COVID symptoms – sometimes called Long COVID – affect a significant percentage of people who’ve had the virus. Common complaints include:
- Persistent fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest
- Brain fog, difficulty concentrating, memory issues
- Shortness of breath or reduced exercise tolerance
- Joint and muscle aches
- Sleep disturbances
- Anxiety or mood changes that weren’t there before
If this sounds familiar, the question isn’t whether something is wrong. The question is what specifically is wrong – and that’s where better testing comes in.
What Standard Labs Miss (And Why It Matters)
Most lab panels give you a yes/no answer: Are you diabetic? Is your cholesterol high? Is your thyroid working?
But health isn’t binary. There’s a huge gray zone between “diseased” and “optimal” where many people get stuck, especially after their body has been through something like a COVID infection.
What standard labs typically don’t measure:
Subclinical inflammation: Your CRP might be “normal” but you could still have low-grade systemic inflammation that’s affecting how you feel and function daily.
Mitochondrial health: Your cells’ ability to produce energy (ATP) matters enormously for fatigue and brain fog, but it’s not on a standard panel.
Metabolic efficiency: How well your body is actually using nutrients, not just whether they’re present in your blood.
Early warning signs: Markers that indicate you’re heading toward problems before you cross the threshold into diagnosable disease.
This is the gap that MVX+ testing fills.
How MVX+ Metabolic Testing Works
MVX+ is a comprehensive metabolic screening that uses NMR spectroscopy to analyze your blood at a deeper level than conventional labs. It evaluates hundreds of biomarkers and distills them into actionable information.
Here’s what we’re looking at:
GlycA (Inflammation Marker): This is a big one for post-COVID patients. GlycA measures systemic inflammation more sensitively than standard tests. Chronic inflammation is linked to fatigue, cognitive issues, and increased risk for a whole range of health problems down the line. If your GlycA is elevated, we know inflammation is part of your picture – and we can address it.
Citrate (Mitochondrial Function): Citrate levels reflect how well your mitochondria are producing energy. Low citrate can indicate your cells aren’t generating ATP efficiently, which shows up as fatigue, weakness, and that “running on empty” feeling many post-COVID patients describe.
Branched-Chain Amino Acids (Nutritional Status): These markers tell us whether your body has the building blocks it needs for repair and recovery. Viral infections can deplete nutritional reserves, and if you’re not replenishing them properly, recovery stalls.
Small HDL Particles (Toxicity/Cardiovascular Health): These particles can indicate toxic burden and cardiovascular stress. Some post-COVID patients show disrupted lipid patterns that standard cholesterol tests miss entirely.
The test costs $89 and is processed through Labcorp. You get a composite MVX score that reflects your overall metabolic health, plus detailed breakdowns of individual markers.
Why This Matters for Post-COVID Recovery
When someone comes to me still struggling months after COVID, the first thing I want to know is: what’s actually happening in your body right now?
Guessing doesn’t work. Neither does the “wait and see” approach that leaves people feeling abandoned by the healthcare system.
MVX+ testing gives us data. Real numbers. From there, we can build a targeted plan instead of throwing generic recommendations at the wall and hoping something sticks.
For example:
If GlycA shows elevated inflammation: We focus on anti-inflammatory strategies – specific nutritional changes, supplements that support inflammatory balance, and treatments like cold laser therapy that can help calm the inflammatory response.
If citrate indicates mitochondrial issues: We look at mitochondrial support – CoQ10, B vitamins, lifestyle factors that affect cellular energy production, and addressing any underlying issues that might be hampering recovery.
If amino acid markers are off: We address nutritional deficiencies directly, often through targeted supplementation and dietary changes tailored to what your body actually needs.
If multiple markers are disrupted: We know we’re dealing with a more systemic issue and can create a comprehensive plan that addresses the whole picture.
This is what I mean by personalized care. Not a one-size-fits-all protocol, but a plan based on your specific metabolic situation.
What a Post-COVID Recovery Plan Might Include
At our Ankeny clinic, MVX+ testing is often the starting point. Once we have your results, a comprehensive recovery plan might include:
Nutritional therapy: Targeted dietary recommendations and supplementation based on your specific deficiencies and inflammatory markers. This isn’t generic “eat healthy” advice – it’s precise intervention based on your data.
Chiropractic care: Proper spinal alignment supports nervous system function, which affects everything from energy levels to immune response. Many post-COVID patients carry tension and dysfunction they’re not even aware of.
Cold laser therapy: Our FX 635 cold laser helps reduce inflammation and promote tissue healing at the cellular level. For patients with elevated inflammatory markers, this can be a valuable part of the recovery toolkit.
Lifestyle modifications: Sleep optimization, stress management, and gradual return to exercise – paced appropriately for where your body actually is, not where you think it should be.
Follow-up testing: We can retest MVX+ markers after implementing changes to see objective improvement, not just subjective “I think I feel better.”
Who Should Consider MVX+ Testing?
This test isn’t just for post-COVID patients, though that’s a common reason people seek it out. MVX+ metabolic testing can be valuable if you:
- Had COVID and haven’t fully bounced back, even months later
- Experience persistent fatigue that your doctor can’t explain
- Have brain fog, concentration issues, or memory problems
- Want to understand your inflammation levels beyond standard CRP
- Are dealing with chronic health issues that haven’t responded to conventional approaches
- Simply want deeper insight into your metabolic health as a baseline
In my 25+ years of practice, I’ve found that the patients who do best are the ones who have good data to work with. You can’t fix what you can’t measure.
The Honest Take
I’m not going to tell you MVX+ testing is a magic bullet or that we can “cure” Long COVID. Anyone promising that is overselling.
What I can tell you is this: if you’re struggling with lingering symptoms and standard labs aren’t giving you answers, better testing is a logical next step. MVX+ shows us things conventional panels miss. From there, we can make informed decisions about how to support your recovery.
Some patients see significant improvement relatively quickly once we address what’s actually going on. Others have a longer road. But either way, you’re working from real information instead of guessing – and that matters.
If I look at your results and don’t think there’s much I can help with, I’ll tell you that straight up. That’s how I operate. But in my experience, when someone feels lousy and their regular labs are “normal,” there’s usually something worth investigating.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is MVX+ different from the bloodwork my doctor orders? Standard panels check for disease states. MVX+ uses advanced NMR spectroscopy to measure metabolic function, inflammation, and cellular health markers that conventional labs don’t include. It’s looking at how well your body is working, not just whether you have a diagnosable condition.
How long does it take to get results? The blood draw is done through Labcorp, and results typically come back within 1-2 weeks. We schedule a follow-up to review your results in detail and discuss what they mean for your care plan.
Is MVX+ testing covered by insurance? The $89 test fee is typically an out-of-pocket cost. Some patients submit to their HSA or FSA. Given the depth of information it provides, most patients find it’s well worth the investment.
I had COVID over a year ago – is it too late for this to help? Not at all. Some patients come to us 12, 18, even 24 months post-infection still dealing with symptoms. If something is off metabolically, we can identify it regardless of when your infection occurred. The body doesn’t reset on a calendar – it resets when you address the underlying issues.
Ready to stop guessing and start getting answers? Schedule your $89 MVX+ metabolic test at Kimberlin Chiropractic Health Systems. Call (515) 895-4927 or book your appointment online today.
