What a Measura appointment feels like
Written for the person who wants to know, cuff by cuff and sensor by sensor, what is actually going to happen to them.
Nothing in the standard assessment involves a needle, an injection, a dye or radiation. You stay dressed. You lie down for most of it. You can drive yourself home.
Arriving
Give yourself a few minutes in the waiting room rather than rushing in. That is not politeness — several of these measurements are affected by a brisk walk from the parking lot, which is why a rest period comes first anyway.
The first ten minutes
Height, weight, waist measurement, blood pressure, pulse and oxygen saturation. Then a review of your medication and supplement list, out loud, and a check of the preparation instructions — whether you fasted, whether you had caffeine or nicotine, how you slept, whether you drank alcohol last night. Answer honestly. The answers are recorded either way and they change how the results are read.
Body composition
You stand barefoot on a platform holding two handles for a couple of minutes. A very small current passes through you and you will not feel any part of it.
The vascular study
You lie down for about ten minutes so your circulation settles. Cuffs go on both upper arms and both ankles, directly against the skin, and soft optical clips go on one fingertip and one toe. Each cuff inflates firmly for a few seconds, then releases. It is the same sensation as a blood pressure reading, four times over. You may be asked to breathe deeply once or twice while the recording continues.
The sudomotor assessment
Palms flat on two metal plates, soles of the feet on two more, for about three minutes. A very low voltage is applied. Almost everyone reports feeling nothing at all. Your hands and feet need to be clean and free of lotion, and your feet bare.
Autonomic testing
You rest quietly while a sensor records your pulse. Then three simple tasks, each one coached and each with a practice attempt first:
- Breathe deeply and slowly in time with a prompt, about six breaths a minute, for a minute.
- Stand up from lying down and stay still for a few minutes.
- Blow gently against resistance for around fifteen seconds, then relax.
Some people feel briefly lightheaded on standing. That is part of what is being measured, and staff are with you throughout.
Metabolic rate
You breathe normally into a mask or a mouthpiece for about ten minutes, sitting or lying still, awake, without talking. It is the most boring part of the visit and the one most people are surprised by, because there is genuinely nothing to it.
Balance testing, if it is part of your plan
Goggles that record your eye movements, following a moving target, holding your gaze, turning your head to a prompt, then a few assisted changes of position including lying back with your head turned. This last part can briefly reproduce the dizziness you already get. That is how it identifies the cause and it settles within a minute.
Cognitive screening, if it is part of your plan
Pencil and paper, about ten minutes, in a quiet room. Remember a short word list, copy a drawing, name some animals, do some counting. No time pressure, no trick questions. Bring your glasses and hearing aids — without them the screen measures your vision and hearing instead of your thinking.
Afterwards
You can drive, eat, work and exercise immediately. There is no sedation, no recovery period and no restriction on activity. Most in-office measurements are available the same day.
Related reading
Medically reviewed by Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP, medical director of Measura. Last reviewed .