Essential Metabolics Analysis (EMA) or Essential Metabolic and Fatty Acid Analysis (EMFA)- is a laboratory analysis of the blood for fatty acid ratios (omega 6/omega 3 ratio) that is purported without significant scientific backing, to be indicative of the general state of inflammation of the body.   The inflammatory state of the body is thought by physicians that buy into this to be a purveyor of disease.  There are some doctors that take the animal research or molecular research and apply it directly to human disease, effectively believing they can cure or curtail the ravages of many disease with dietary changes and supplements.   While there is little evidence this works, it does provide some doctors with a very healthy supplement business.   Labs are profiting greatly from these analysis with some analyzing up to 24 fatty acids in the blood and calculating a host of ratios, the significance of most are speculative.  Insurers such as Aetna consider this to be experimental and will not pay, therefore the cost of such analysis comes out of the patient’s pocket.  Especially homeopathic doctors and naturopathic doctors strongly subscribe to these notions of fatty acid significance and attempt to sell the patient even more uncovered treatments, the supplements.    That being said, there is evidence that treatment with omega 3 fatty acids improves chronic headaches (Pain. 2013 Nov;154(11):2441-51), alpha linoleic acid plus superoxide dismutase improves low back pain (Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2013 Oct;49(5):659-64), N-palmitoylethanolamine plus transpolydatin improved endometriosis pain (Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2013 Jun;168(2):209-13), and Palmitoylethanolamide 600mg twice a day reduced multiple source chronic pain (Pain Med. 2012 Sep;13(9):1121-30).  However, the use of these substances as a treatment does not require measurement of these substances in the blood.