Book an Appointment at Island Optimal Health and Performance - Rutherford Location
Welcome to Island Optimal Health & Performance
If you are looking to book an appointment related to a WSBC (Worksafe BC) or ICBC claim, please call the clinic. New online bookings are not available for ICBC or WSBC appointments.
Our updated Cancellation Policy will come into effect on June 15, 2023. Appointments cancelled less than 24 hours in advance will result in a charge of 50% of the treatment fee. In the case of illness, we offer a 4-hour grace period, after which the cancellation fee applies.
If you have any symptoms of a cold, flu, or COVID-19 or have had direct contact with someone who has COVID-19, please cancel your appointment.
We appreciate your understanding and look forward to seeing you at your next appointment!
Book an Appointment.
Free Meet & Greet
Curious about a treatment and not sure where to start? Book a free 15-minute Meet & Greet to determine if the treatment and approach are a good fit for you. Please note that this is a quick conversation to determine fit only and not an initial assessment, which is required to begin treatment.
Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Medicine is a distinct primary health care system that blends modern scientific knowledge with traditional and natural forms of medicine.
We offer Naturopathic services at our North (Rutherford) Clinic.
Registered Massage Therapy
Registered Massage Therapists (RMTs) in British Columbia are health care professionals committed to restoring and maintaining optimal health and pain-free function of the body.
They are educated and trained to accurately assess and treat with techniques that include massage and manual therapy, joint mobilization, hydrotherapy, and rehabilitative exercise such as stretching, strengthening, postural exercise and patient education.
Massage Therapy is an effective approach to pain management and rehabilitation. RMTs are effective in treating and providing relief for a wide range of conditions such as migraine headaches, tendonitis, arthritis, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, sports injuries, as well as many other common conditions related to soft tissue and joint dysfunction.
We offer massage therapy at both our Central and North clinic locations.
Acupuncture
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), energy, or "Qi" (pronounced "chee") flows along specific pathways, or meridians, throughout the body. This constant flow of energy keeps the yin and yang forces balanced. However, if the flow of energy gets blocked, like water getting stuck behind a dam, the disruption can lead to pain, lack of function, or illness. Acupuncture therapy can release blocked Qi in the body and stimulate function, evoking the body’s natural healing response through various physiological processes.
Modern research has demonstrated acupuncture’s effects on the nervous system, endocrine and immune function, the cardiovascular system, and digestive health. It can release endorphins (the body’s natural pain-killers), manage inflammation by increasing local circulation, and modulate the immune system by increasing natural killer cells. By stimulating the body’s various internal healing mechanisms, acupuncture can help resolve pain, improve sleep, support digestive function, and improve overall health and well-being.
TCM involves acupuncture and herbal therapies to encourage natural healing. Acupuncture treatment involves insertion of very fine, sterile needles into the skin at specific points on the body to achieve a therapeutic effect. Needles are inserted on points located on a network of pathways connected to the function of internal organ systems, with the goal of restoring and maintaining balance. It is a safe and effective drug-free treatment, often used as an alternative to drugs or surgery. Relief may be obtained where conventional treatments have failed. Most people feel no or minimal discomfort as the fine needles are gently placed, and during and after treatments, patients usually report feeling very relaxed.
Osteopathy
Osteopathy is a gentle and safe manual therapy that is centered around treating the whole person. This means that your osteopathic practitioner will listen attentively to your concerns while taking into account the various factors that can influence pain or discomfort. Your practitioner will ask you questions relating to your medical history and the details of your symptoms. This information will help your practitioner to develop a treatment plan with you that is tailored towards your individual needs and goals. Osteopathic practitioners understand that physical problems can be caused by emotional stress and strain, and work to help you find the source of your problem.
Osteopathy uses gentle manual techniques to help decrease or eliminate pain. These include soft-tissue techniques, which may involve light, sustained touch, or indirect techniques where the symptomatic joint is placed in a position of least discomfort to help with relaxation. Myofascial release, cranial sacral, and visceral manipulation are among the various tools that osteopathic practitioners are trained in. As well, gentle, rhythmic oscillatory joint mobilization and contract-relax type techniques may be used to try to increase the range of motion. Each treatment is tailored towards the individual’s specific needs and generally involves little to no discomfort. In other words, the hands-on treatment should feel good, and quite often has a relaxing effect.
In addition to manual techniques, osteopathy sessions often include an educational component where your osteopathic practitioner will provide you with information to help you to make sense of your pain and will provide you with movement strategies, modifications to daily activities, or exercises to give you control over your pain management.
We provide Osteopathy at our Rutherford Road location.
Registered Clinical Counselling
Cognitive behavioral therapy can be used to help individuals with a variety of mental health issues. It focuses on the notion that how we think (cognition), how we feel (emotion) and how we act ( behavior) all interact together. Specially, our thoughts determine our feelings and behavior. CBT aims to help individuals gain self awareness of when they make negative interpretations about self, other or the world and of behavior patterns which reinforce the distorted thinking. CBT helps individuals to develop alternative ways of thinking and behaving with the overall goal of reduced psychological distress.
We provide clinical counselling at our Central location.
Dental Hygiene
Independent Dental Hygienists are highly-trained professionals who are licensed in BC to work independently of dentists. Your dental hygienist specializes in clinical care (prevention and treatment of gum disease, prevention of cavities and other oral health issues), oral health education, and health promotion.
During a dental hygiene appointment all care will be tailored to your individual needs and wants. We make every effort to ensure you are comfortable with your care and we involve you in the decision making process. Collaboration with other health care professionals is very important as not all oral health issues can be addressed during a dental hygiene appointment.
If you have any questions about dental hygiene care, book a consultation and we would be happy to go over everything with you! Hope to see you soon.
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Located at: 5271 Rutherford Road, #100, Nanaimo
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Need Help? 250-756-4647 rutherford@islandoptimal.com