“Dr. Jena’s functional medicine program gave me answers in six weeks that I’d been chasing for four years. I finally know what’s actually wrong — and have a solid plan on how to fix it!” — Michelle T., age 43
Perimenopause can begin as early as your mid-30s and last up to 10 years. Hormone fluctuations during this stage often go undetected on standard lab work, leaving many women dismissed or misdiagnosed.
My approach uses advanced functional testing and root-cause analysis to uncover what your body is actually asking for — so we can restore balance naturally, not just manage symptoms.
I know how unsettling it can feel when your body begins to change and no one can clearly explain why.
For many women, perimenopause begins quietly — disrupted sleep, mood shifts, weight that won’t budge, a sense of feeling “off.” Too often, they’re told everything looks normal.
This is where I come in.
I specialize in root-cause functional medicine for women navigating perimenopause. I look beyond standard lab ranges, beyond symptom suppression, and beyond one-size-fits-all solutions. My work is about understanding the whole picture of your hormones, stress, metabolism, and life — and helping you feel steady in your body again.
For over 20 years, I have also served families here in Traverse City through prenatal and pediatric chiropractic care. Supporting women through pregnancy, postpartum, and early motherhood has given me a deep respect for the strength and sensitivity of the female body at every stage.
Whether you are walking through perimenopause or preparing to welcome a baby, my approach is the same: thoughtful, personalized, and rooted in listening first.
You deserve to feel understood here.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: How do I know if what I’m feeling is perimenopause or something else?
The honest answer is: you may not be able to tell on your own, and neither can a single lab test. Perimenopause looks different in every woman, and its symptoms overlap significantly with thyroid dysfunction, adrenal fatigue, blood sugar imbalance, and even depression. What we look for is a pattern — a cluster of symptoms happening together that standard testing hasn’t explained. If you’ve been told everything looks normal but you still feel off, that’s exactly the situation functional medicine is designed to investigate.
Q: Can perimenopause really start in your late 30s?
Yes — and this surprises most women because we’re taught to expect it in our early 50s. Perimenopause can begin as early as 35, and the first signs are often subtle enough that they get blamed on stress, poor sleep, or just getting older. Progesterone is usually the first hormone to decline, which is why anxiety, sleep disruption, and mood changes tend to show up before any changes to your cycle. If you’re in your late 30s or early 40s and something feels different, it’s worth paying attention to.
Q: Why didn’t my doctor catch this?
Because most standard lab panels aren’t designed to catch it. Conventional bloodwork checks whether you’re in a disease state — it measures whether your hormone levels cross a threshold, not whether they’re fluctuating wildly from week to week, which is exactly what happens in perimenopause. A single estrogen reading taken on the wrong day of your cycle tells you almost nothing. Functional medicine uses more comprehensive testing — full thyroid panels, cortisol mapping, fasting insulin, nutrient levels — and interprets results in the context of how you actually feel, not just whether a number passes.
Q: Do I have to go on hormones to feel better?
Not necessarily — and that’s never the first thing we do here. Some women benefit enormously from hormone support. Others see dramatic improvement through addressing blood sugar instability, nutrient deficiencies, sleep disruption, and adrenal stress first. The right approach depends entirely on what’s actually driving your symptoms — which is why we run comprehensive labs before recommending anything. There is no one-size-fits-all protocol in this practice.
Q: What does working with Dr. Jena actually look like?
It starts with a conversation — a free discovery call where you tell me what’s been going on and I give you an honest answer about whether I think I can help. If we decide to move forward, your first full appointment is 60 minutes. We go through your complete health history, review any labs you’ve already had, and determine what additional testing would give us the clearest picture. From there, we build a plan together — one that’s specific to your body, your symptoms, and your life. I see patients in person in Traverse City and virtually nationwide.
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