Finding the Root Cause of Health Issues

by Julie Peterson

For more than four decades, Michigan has been blessed with the best in chiropractic, applied kinesiology, comprehensive testing and advanced personalized medicine at The Gleason Center. These days, the first person patients typically meet is Heather Bell, Office Manager, who is the front desk greeter, scheduling expert and keeps things running smoothly, just one example of the team of experts that Dr. Dan Gleason, D.C., and Dr. Dan Weessies, D.C., work with to discover and address root causes of chronic health issues with a goal to find and eliminate causes of dysfunction in the body and allow people to live healthier lives.

“Chiropractic adjustments are a big part of what we do, but as a kinesiologist I also study motion and posture. The things that affect our posture fall into three categories, physical, mental and chemical, which is called the triad of health,” says Gleason.

Each of these categories has positive and negative aspects. For example, positives for physical would include things such as massage, yoga and exercise, whereas negatives would include injury, repetitive motion, shoes, beds and other things. Mental positives include meditation, play and laughter. On the negative side are distress, negative thought patterns and regular life stressors. Chemical positives are nutrients and negatives are toxins, allergens, chemicals and so on.

All the positive and negative aspects in the triad of health can be looked at by way of the Individual Optimal Nutrition (ION) test. The results of this blood and urine test are long and involved, providing about nine pages of results on more than 125 key nutrient biomarkers and ratios that can help identify deficiencies that lead to chronic conditions.

“It’s a very comprehensive way of looking at health, figuring out the causes of a person’s symptoms. Every person is unique, that’s why we don’t treat diseases, we treat people,” says Gleason.

Another common test, due to the number of people who come in with GI problems, is the comprehensive stool test that uses DNA analysis to analyze the health of the gut. “We can see if there are enough good bacteria, autoimmune triggering bacteria, funguses, parasites, viruses, yeasts and other things living in the gut,” says Gleason.

Other tests provided include Advanced Hormone Testing to look for reasons behind weight gain, fatigue, mood swings and low libido. There’s an Allergy Antibody Assessment that discovers why the immune system is reacting and causing conditions such as food intolerances, asthma, migraines, ear infections, eczema or colitis. The Protein Unstable Lesion Signature (PULS) test looks for cardiovascular disease markers.

A huge convenience for patients is that urine and blood tests are done right at The Gleason Center. When the results come in, patients come back in for a consultation to go over results. “It’s very collaborative, with lots of questions. It’s recorded so that patients can take the meeting home, and they get a protocol sheet that explains all of the recommendations,” says Gleason. Patients are encouraged to bring a family member, as Gleason and Angela McGee, the Patient Care Coordinator, review and interpret the test results. Consultations are recorded and sent home with the patient for review if necessary. After the consultation, patients can work with McGee to determine the level of ongoing support that is best.

Oftentimes, support includes supplements, which puts them in touch with Nikki Clark, Nutritional Specialist, who operates the dispensary at the Center and tracks everything that patients use and need.

For patients who are not within driving distance, The Gleason Center will send the ION kit and patients can go to a local clinic to have samples drawn. When results come back to the Center, Dr. Gleason will use Skype or Zoom to consult with the patients. This is available nationwide.

Other treatments available include cold laser, in a high-tech room operated by Carli England, MSL Laser and PEMF Therapy Technician. Cold laser frequencies are used for inflammatory conditions, degenerative conditions, dermatological conditions, basically any tissue that’s become scarred or fibrotic. “We did a trial with 12 patients who had a variety of neurologic conditions. Each patient received 12 treatments and the results were mind blowing,” says Gleason. One particularly positive change was seen in a teen with severe autism.

Overall, The Gleason Center takes a very personalized approach with each patient and formulates a customized roadmap back to wellness with results that are often life changing.

The Gleason Center located at 19084 North Fruitport Road in Spring Lake. For more info: go to TheGleasonCenter.com or call 616-846-5410.

Julie Peterson has contributed to Natural Awakenings for more than a decade. Contact her at JuliePeterson2222@gmail.com