Clinic info:
©2007-2008 OPTIMUM FUNCTION LLC All Rights Reserved
At Optimum Function, I understand the frustration many patients experience when doctors don't take the time to educate them about their specific condition as it pertains to them.
Whenever possible, I want patients to know as much about their condition(s) as I do.
- What are your hours?
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, by appointment only.
- Why "by appointment only"?
This is because I do more than just "pop" backs and "crack" necks. I also have patients who are seeing me specifically for Functional Medicine and/or Nutrition. Often, I need to be searching data and tests results for patterns etc. and creating custom diet plans. This type of work takes time so when I am not physically seeing patients, I am working on diagnosing and treating my non-musculoskeletal patients.
In addition, I teach at Western states Chiropractic College and am often on campus finishing lesson plans, etc.
I will try my best to accomodate last minute appointments.
- Where are you located?
Optimum Function and Dr. Irving are located at 819 SE Morrison St. Suite 230, Portland, Oregon, 97205, in the Everest Building. Click here for Map
- Do you bill insurance?
Yes, I will bill your insurance for you. First, if you don't know that you have chiropractic coverage, please call your insurance company so they can help you figure out your "chiropractic benefits". Then, as long as your insurance is not managed by a network, or you have "out of network" benefits, I will send the required paperwork into your insurance company in attempt to get reimbursed.
I do not accept Medicare patients but I will speak with you and figure out an alternative if you are a patient who is eligible for Medicare.
There's one caveat: Functional medicine, lab work, urinalyses, diet and nutrition therapies and supplementation are RARELY completely covered by many insurance companies unless you already have a diesease process going one and therefore, we will not attempt to bill insurance for these services. If you find out that they are covered and you want to get reimbersed, we can fill out the required paperwork.
You always have the option of paying upfront (in which case you get the "time of service rate" and we can send you off with the requiired paperwork to get reimbursed by your insurance company. This method usually works quite well and saves your insurace company (and in the long run, you) some money.
- Do you have a form to help me figure out if I can improve my health through the programs at Optimum Function?
Yes, I have a few, feel free to fill out any or all of them:
- Click here to fill out my individual health assessment.
- Click here to fill out a detoxification questionnaire
- Click here to fill out a comprehensive nutritional assessment questionnaire
- Click here to fill out a questionnaire that will help determine if you are regulating your blood sugar properly.
- Click here to fill out a questionnaire to help determine if you have a problem with overgrown/imbalanced gastrointestinal bacteria.
- Click here to fill out a questionnaire to look into your dependency on food
- How can you help me achieve Optimum Function?
Not only will every patient come in with slight variations on their health conditions but each treatment will be different to account for those variations. At Optimum Function, I examine the nervous, muscular and skeletal systems in relation to all the other systems of your body. In addition, I will look at blood chemistry results, nutrition, and any other functional or traditional test that may give me information about your health status.
To treat, I use a combination of: Functional medicine, nutrition, massage, other soft-tissue (muscles, ligaments, tendons, fascia) therapies, chiropractic adjustments, joint mobilizations and instrument assisted treatments like Graston Technique, G5 percussion therapy, and Kinesiotape, as well as other modes of treatment, will be used to help bring you back to Optimum Function.
- Do I need to wear specific clothing?
It is preferred by both doctors and patients to wear clothing you would workout in.
For females, this means loose fitting pants or shorts and a tank-top or sports bra.
For males, loose fitting pants or shorts and a tank-top or, if you choose, going shirtless during treatments to the back, and shoulders is allowed
If you forget to wear appropriate clothing we will provide a gown if a certain area of the body needs to be exposed for treatment.
- What is the Graston Technique?
Click Here to watch an informative slide show and read more about one of the best soft-tissue treatments in the world.
- Is your Functional Detoxification Program like the "Master Cleanse", "Juice Fast", "Water Fast", or any other fasting/cleansing program?
It took me (Dr. Tim Irving) over 7 years and required the input of many other doctors to find the right combination of diet and supplemental nutrition for the best Functional Detoxification Program. It is different from most other fasting/cleansing programs in that the participants do not restrict their caloric intake. Detoxification or full-body, systemic cleansing REQUIRES CALORIES. If you restrict the amount of calories you take in, it can actually slow down the detoxification process in your various systems, this process goes on in EVERY cell of you body, especially those in your liver and gastrointestinal tract.
In addition to the correct ammount of calories, protein is needed, in fact, it has been suggested that at least 22 grams of protein is needed per day for proper detoxification to occur. My 28 day program is comprehensive, effective, cost efficient and enjoyable! In fact, many of my patients have decided to participate in the program 3-4 times per year because it is so effective.
Click Here to find out more about our 28 day Functional Detoxification Program.
- Why do I feel good after the "Master Cleanse" if it does not maximize detoxification?
Without making huge assumptions and speculations, "cleanses" and fasting diets are GREAT for hypertension, blood sugar problems like diabetes, and mild detoxification (if it is only performed on a short-term basis). Patients at Optimum Function have been put on programs like this for these exact reasons and they feel great.
It is my experience that many people have blood sugar regulation problems and in fact, the standard American diet (S.A.D.) is one that seems to promote these problems. It is also our opinion that this is the main reason people sometimes feel great after and maybe even during a calorie-restricting "cleansing" or detox program (Often, people don't feel great during or after these programs).
Lastly, there are plenty of "colon cleansing" programs out there. These programs focus on but one aspect of the detoxification system and are not hollistic. In fact, many times, the way they "clease" the colon is to have the participant ingest Cathartic herbs that irritate the colon and cause frequent bowel movements. I strongly oppose these types of programs for most people.
- What is Low Level Laser or "Cold Laser" therapy?
Low Level laser therapy is defined by the North American Association of Laser Therapy (NAALT) as “…a therapeutic physical modality, using photons from the visible and infrared spectrum (600nm-1000nm) for tissue healing and pain reduction”.
Low Level Laser Therapy has been proven to penetrate tissue and to be absorbed at a cellular level. A series of reactions occur resulting in enhanced tissue healing, pain control and stimulation of the vascular, immune and lymphatic systems. It is the only therapeutic modality with a cumulative effect in the cells and tissue. Low Level laser therapy is safe, painless, and non-invasive; the results are often immediate and last a long time so you don’t have to come in for treatment as often.
- What is Korean Hand Therapy?
Korean Hand Therapy (AKA Koryo Sooji Chim, Korean Hand Acupuncture or Soojichim, KHT) utilizes both acupuncture and acupressure techniques guided by the theory that your hands are a micro-cosmos of your body. This theory is also at the root of reflexiology.
According to the theory of 'Koryo Hand Therapy', there are 14 micro-meridians and over 3oo acupuncture points on our hands which may help to regulate pain, function and discomfort in most areas of your body..
I stimulate these acupuncture/acupressure points by using the following instruments: Press-Pellets made of gold, silver or magnets, acupressure or Moxa.
The theory of Koryo Hand Therapy was first originated, studied and developed by The Korean acupuncturist, Dr. Tae Woo Yoo between 1971 and 1975. Since that time Koryo Hand Therapy has spread to the public worldwide. It is a scientific medical system that is quite simple to learn and easy to perform without any side effects. If you are in pain or have a problem somewhere in your body, the reactions may be reflected on your hands in the form of tender points. Stimulation of the tender points positively affects pain relief, functiona and discomfort.
I utilize this techinque in combination with the others that I use because I can teach you how to apply it at home in between visits to maximize the clinical effects you experience during your appointment with me.
- How much will it cost, how long will it take?
At Optimum Function, patients have a multitude of treatment options, they are listed below with prices and approximate appointment times included (for more information click here).
Chiropractic and Manual Medicine Support programs: (chiropractic and soft-tissue therapies). Initial visits will take about 45 minutes; follow-up visits last between 15-20 minutes. This is my baseline neuromusculoskeletal treatment. The standards are set high for these programs and as such, you will not find many similar treatment programs at other chiropractic offices.
Support1000: This program is for patients who have neuromusculoskeletal injuries that do not require "every trick in the bag" will benefit immensly from the Support1000 program. Patients will recognize many of the techniques here if they have had prior chiropractic experience, they will not, however recognize the speedy, effective and efficient results they will receive at Optimum Function. The entire program is performed in whole, by me, after all, I am your doctor.
Methods of treatment utilized during Support1000:
- Chiropractic
- Vibration-assisted soft-tissue therapy
- Distraction-decompression
- Active soft-tissue release techniques
- Low Level Laser therapy: AKA "Cold Laser"
- Korean Hand Therapy: A unique form of acupressure utilizing gold, silver and magnetic pellets as well as moxa therapy in lieu of acupuncture.
Support3000: This program is for individuals who require quite possibly "every trick in the bag". Revolutionary techniques like the Graston Technique and Kinesotaping are integrated seemlessly into more traditional chiropractic techniques to produce results that my patients report to me as "life changing" and far more effective than they have experienced before.
Methods of treatment utilized during Support3000 include all of the methods used in Support1000 plus:
- Graston Technique
- Kinesiotape
- Cranial techniques
- Structural integration
- Deep Tissue therapies
- Myofascial release
- Muscle Energy techniques
- Passive and active positional release techniques
- Neuromuscular techniques
- Various other soft-tissue and mobilization techniques as needed
Initial Vist for Both Support1000 and Support3000: $89*
Support1000 Follow-up Visits: $55*
Support3000 Follow-up Visits: $69*
Optimal Movement Screening and Treatment***:
I am so excited to offer this program! Over the past decade, I have studied chiropractic rehabilitation and experienced more traditional rehabilitation for recent injuries and past injuries. Where these techniques and paradigms fall short is in general movement. I was taught how to stretch and strengthen specific muscles and muscle groups; inability to move and perform correctly was blamed on tight, weak, short, inefficient muscles. Even after strengthening, stretching etc, patients (including me in my own rehabilitative process) were still experiencing dysfunctional movement that created the inability to do the things they used to.
Finally, I was introduced to Kettlebells and the world of Functional Movement. With the help of many doctors and therapists who treat movement patterns, not specific muscles, I have created a program that is so efficient at restoring and maintaining these patterns that my practice, which I never wanted to become a sports performance practice is becoming that. I am treating athletes who are going out, not getting injured and beating their competitors. Then their competitors are coming in because they want what the other guy/girl has. This is a good problem to have but these techniques are also VERY applicable to the general public and athletes alike.
I have coined the term Optimal Movement to describe this program because the goal of it is more than just functional movement; the goal is to obtain Optimal movement through the use of functional movement patterns.
Imagine how it will feel to finally be able to live and move effieciently, effectively and pain free. This is what many others have noticed through the utilization of functional movement screening and treatment. Are you ready to restore and maintain movement patterns that for some reason, you have lost?
Initial Vist: $145* ** ***
Follow-up Visits: $79* ** ***
SupportENT: These unique procedures were developed by chiropractors, medical doctors and osteopaths in the Pacific NW but very few doctors know how to do them. I teach many of these procedures at Western States Chiropractic College. They are functional, hands-on procedures to help alleviate symptoms of:
- Chronic sinusitis
- Otitis media (non-infectious ear aches)
- Motion sickness
- Vertigo (benign paroxysmal)
- Impacted cerumen (ear wax)
- Headaches
- and more.....
The procedures used in this program are:
- Epley's Maneuver
- Endonasal technique
- Nasal Specific technique
- Ear Irrigation (cerumen extraction)
Initial Visit: $69* **
Follow-up Visits: $29* **
Baseline Functional medicine and Nutritional Support:
All patients who wish to enroll in Functional medicine and/or nutritional programs at Optimum Function must first enter this baseline program. Utilizing a complete and thorough history, physical exam and the proper laboratory tests that your history and physical exam indicate***; I will come up with your custom treatment plan that includes a custom food plan, lifestyle habit changes and supplementation if necessary using the best evidence available.
I take the "Test Don't Guess" method of Functional Medicine and Nutrition (Click Here to find out more about this method). Rather than making the best "educated" guess based on your symptoms ; I require that you commit to at least one laboratory exam in addition to be accepted for this program. In rare cases, your particular health status may reveal itself without one but I will decide this based on your initial paperwork. The goal of this stipulation is so that I can utilize the most up-to-date exams and tests available to "crack your case" and not waste precious time and money by guessing .
This program includes:
- In-office testing including both a conventional and functional tests as needed ($99 value)
- A thorough health history, exam, and the evaluation of health questionnaires and a thorough case review and report ($195 value).
- A customized nutrition and food plan after the necessary laboratory tests are performed and evaluated. ($145 value)
- This baseline exam will give me the information I need to help you reach Optimum Function and Optimal Health. It includes the screening and acceptance process, initlal phone consultations, the evaluation of your current complaints, past health, medical/surgical histories, diet and lifestyle habits, the initial examination appointment and the creation of a food plan and treatment plan***
- For a limited time, this great price also includes the follow-up appointment where I will counsel and instruct you on how to implement your custom treatment plan.*** (A $110 value)
All for an introductory prince of $299!***
Click Here for more information
Detox5000: A 28 Day Functional Detoxification Program that is comprehensive, effective, supportive, cost efficient AND enjoyable. While designing this program, I spent countless hours evaluating everything that was out there are decided that nothing currently available fit into all of these criteria. I didn't have to "reinvent the wheel" because Metagenics has a program that is EXACTLY what a well-designed functional detoxification program should be.
Prices range based on the evaluation of your questionnaires: $250-350 * **
Oxi-Stress1000: This is my in-office Functional Urinalysis and in-office Functional tesing package
Exising patients only: $99**
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* These prices include a "payment at the time of service" rate
** These functional medicine and manual therapy services are based on a health and wellness paradigm that most insurances will not reimberse for therefore, I may not bill your insurance for these services but can provide you with the information so you may attempt to bill your insurance.
***This baseline program does not include the cost of any other necessary laboratory exams. I will talk with you about specific functional and/or laboratory exams that I will need to completely investigate you current health and nutritional status. To be accepted as a patient, you have to be committed to perticipate in the necessary laboratory tests to uncover the root cause of your current health status.
- Can you recommend a good chiropractor or another type of doctor in another town/state/area?
Yes! Click here for a link
Yours in Health,
Dr. Tim Irving DC, LMT, Nutritionist, CKTP
Optimum Function
Portland, OR
