Investigation Report
Michigan Integrative Health (MIH) is located at 6300 22 Mile Road #1, Shelby Charter Township, Michigan. The company's seminar presenter, Roy J. Picard, DC, FAAIM, holds a chiropractic degree from Life University, Marietta, Georgia (1990). After 13 years of traditional chiropractic practice, Picard pursued postgraduate studies in what he describes as Functional Neurology and Functional Endocrinology. He is listed as a Fellow of the American Association of Integrative Medicine (FAAIM).
MIH conducted promotional seminars across Ontario, advertising via Facebook. The Kitchener seminar on January 18, 2020 was scheduled to start at 3:00 pm but began late at 3:14 pm due to heavy snowfall.
An unidentified woman named Donna, introduced as MIH's seminar coordinator, opened the event. Her first instruction to attendees was to hold all questions until a one-on-one session after the presentation — effectively eliminating the possibility of public challenges to Picard's claims during the talk.
Picard then opened his presentation without identifying his title, occupation, or qualifications. Only partway through the 67-minute talk did he acknowledge that his "degree is in chiropractic."
The first 20 minutes of the seminar were devoted to establishing fear and hopelessness in an elderly audience. Picard's opening statement set the tone:
Opening statement, delivered before any discussion of treatment options.
Picard systematically dismantled confidence in conventional medicine:
Closing recap — a sweeping, unqualified claim delivered to a room of 80–100 people, approximately 90% over age 65.
A dedicated slide was shown titled "Your Doctor Doesn't Know," with Picard explaining that when patients ask their physician about stem cells, the "typical response" will be: "It's too new" or "There's not enough research." Picard characterized these responses as uninformed, telling the audience that stem cell therapy has existed in the U.S. since 1950 and that there is ample research — though he cited no peer-reviewed trials supporting MIH's specific protocols.
Picard repeatedly used a formulaic pattern: issue a legal disclaimer, then immediately make an implied therapeutic claim.
This disclaimer was immediately followed by a slide listing conditions MIH patients "reported improvements" with, including: Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, Crohn's disease, autism, fibromyalgia, Parkinson's, psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, lung disease, asthma, diabetic neuropathy, Lyme's disease, anxiety, depression, urinary incontinence, and more.
MIH made no mention of Health Canada's regulatory framework, which applies to the Canadian attendees in the room. MIH was operating in Canada without any acknowledgment of Canadian regulatory requirements for the products being marketed.
Treatment costs were withheld until near the end of the 67-minute presentation, after the audience had sat through extended fear appeals, testimonial videos, and multiple rounds of show-of-hands participation. The prices quoted by Picard:
| Treatment | Price (USD) | Approx. CAD |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cc injection — CareCredit financing | $4,370 USD ($242/month) | ~$5,700 |
| 1 cc injection — cash/direct payment | $3,715 USD | ~$4,900–$5,000 |
| 2 cc injection | $6,200 USD | ~$8,100 |
These figures were then contrasted with the "Special Offer Today Only" consultation fee of $160 CAD (normally $250 USD), payable immediately, non-refundable, with credit card captured at the event.
At the end of the presentation, Donna distributed a three-page package to all attendees:
Page 1 — Special Offer Flyer: "Special Offer $160(CA) When You Schedule & Pay Today." Consultation framed as a $250 USD value. Attendees instructed that a "significant other or family member must be present during this consultation" — a standard high-pressure sales technique ensuring a second decision-maker is in the room during the upsell.
Page 2 — Michigan Integrative Health Workshop Special Offer form: Full name, address, phone, email, and complete credit card information (card number, expiry, security code, cardholder name, signature) collected on-site before any medical evaluation. The form included an authorization: "I hereby grant Michigan Integrative Health the authority to charge my credit card... I understand that this is a nonrefundable fee."
Page 3 — Non-Refundable Consultation Agreement: Multiple bold acknowledgments that the fee is non-refundable; maximum two reschedules permitted; pre-procedure health forms must be completed before arrival. The reverse side included a 1–10 interest scale for same-day treatment and an initials line confirming willingness to pay "the full amount of the cost of care" on the day of the consultation.
Health Canada regulates stem cell products as biologic drugs under the Food and Drugs Act. Unproven stem cell treatments marketed to Canadians without proper authorization raise significant regulatory concerns. The treatments promoted by MIH — umbilical cord-derived stem cell allografts injected into joints — are not approved by Health Canada for the conditions described in this seminar.
The scientific consensus on unproven stem cell treatments has been summarized by regulators and independent experts: anecdotal testimonials and small uncontrolled case reports do not constitute evidence of efficacy. The conditions listed on MIH's "patient-reported improvements" slide (Alzheimer's, autism, heart disease, Parkinson's, Lyme's disease, and others) have no established stem cell treatment protocols recognized by major medical bodies.
QuackeryWatch has retained the following primary source documents from this investigation:
Page maintained by Dr. Terry Polevoy, MD, FRCPC (ret.), HealthWatcher.net / QuackeryWatch.com. Content based on primary source investigation documents. Last reviewed: 2026.