Which service do I need?

Fourteen services, three areas, one team. You don’t need to get this perfect: whichever practitioner you see first will tell you if someone else on the team should be involved, and bring them in. This page is for the moment before that — when you want a sensible first step.

Pick a service

Know what you need? Pick it here to see every practitioner who offers it, sorted by who can see you soonest. Not sure? The guide below is for you.

Pain, injury or something not moving right

These are the hands-on, movement-based services — our manual therapy area. They overlap on purpose. A rough guide to where to start:

• Physiotherapy — the most common first step for a new injury, recovery after surgery, pain that keeps coming back, or anything where you need an assessment and a rehab plan built around exercise. Physiotherapists also handle pelvic health, concussion, and balance and dizziness.
• Chiropractic — a natural starting point for back pain, neck pain, joint pain and headaches, where hands-on adjustment and mobilization are part of the plan. Chiropractors can order imaging when it’s needed.
• Massage therapy — when the main issue is muscle tension, tightness, recovery from training, or stress that lives in your shoulders. Often used alongside physiotherapy or chiropractic rather than instead of them.
• Osteopathy — a gentle, whole-body manual approach. People often choose it for persistent or hard-to-pin-down discomfort, or when they want a lighter touch than adjustment-based care.
• Acupuncture — used for pain, stress and sleep, and frequently added to a physiotherapy, chiropractic or naturopathic plan rather than booked on its own.

Should I see a physiotherapist or a chiropractor for back pain?

Either is a good first visit for back or neck pain, and at CARESPACE they work from the same plan. Choose physiotherapy if you want a rehab program built around exercise, or if the pain followed an injury or surgery; choose chiropractic if hands-on adjustment and mobilization appeal to you or you also get headaches. If your first practitioner thinks the other approach will get you further, they’ll say so and bring them in.

When is massage the right first step?

When the main problem is muscle tension, tightness or recovery from training rather than an injury. For a new injury, pain that keeps returning, or anything post-surgery, start with physiotherapy and add massage alongside it.

How you’re feeling, coping or performing

Our mental health area has two doors, and the right one depends on what you’re looking for.

• Counselling & psychotherapy — anxiety, low mood, stress and burnout, relationships, grief, trauma, big transitions, or simply feeling stuck. You’ll see a registered psychotherapist or social worker. Evening and online appointments are available, and most counsellors offer a free 15-minute first appointment so you can check the fit before you commit.
• Mental performance — for athletes, students, performers and professionals who want to think clearly and perform well under pressure: focus, confidence, routines, nerves. It’s coaching for how you perform, not treatment for how you feel, and the two can run side by side.

Counselling or mental performance coaching?

If something is hurting or getting in the way of daily life, start with counselling. If life is fine and you want to perform better at a specific thing — a sport, exams, presentations — start with mental performance. The fit with the person matters more than the label, which is what the free 15-minute first appointment is for.

Energy, eating, fitness and everyday health

Our lifestyle optimization area is where people most often ask “which one?”, because several of these services can help with the same goal from different angles.

• Nutrition & dietitian — registered dietitians for eating patterns, weight, gut health, diabetes and blood sugar, heart health, sports nutrition, or feeding a family. Practical, evidence-based, built around food you’ll actually eat.
• Naturopathic medicine — naturopathic doctors take a whole-person view: hormones, digestion, energy and fatigue, sleep, skin. They can order bloodwork and other lab testing and use nutrition, supplements and lifestyle change as treatment.
• Nurse practitioner — primary care when you need it: assessment, prescriptions, requisitions and referrals, without waiting weeks for an appointment.
• Kinesiology — exercise as treatment. Registered kinesiologists work with you on rehab, returning to activity after injury or illness, chronic conditions, and moving well for the long term.
• Personal training — strength and fitness coaching when you’re healthy and want structure, accountability and a program that fits your life.
• Occupational therapy — getting daily life working again: home, work, driving, routines, return-to-work planning, and strategies for memory, attention and energy.
• Speech-language pathology — speech, language, voice and swallowing, for children and adults.

Should I see a dietitian or a naturopath?

If the question is about food — what to eat, how much, how to make it work with your life — start with a registered dietitian. If it’s a wider “why do I feel like this?” with energy, hormones or digestion in the mix, start with a naturopathic doctor, who can order lab testing. At CARESPACE they often work together on the same client.

Kinesiologist or personal trainer?

Recovering from an injury or illness, or managing a condition: a registered kinesiologist, who uses exercise as treatment. Healthy and want to get stronger or fitter with structure and accountability: a personal trainer.

Nurse practitioner or naturopathic doctor?

For a prescription, a requisition, a referral or a medical assessment, book the nurse practitioner. For a whole-person plan that may include lab testing, nutrition and supplements, book the naturopathic doctor.

Programs

Some of what we offer runs as a program, or is offered across more than one service. Each has its own page.

• Parkinson’s Program. An assessment and a coordinated team for people living with Parkinson’s disease, led by Dr. Quincy Almeida.
• PD SAFEx™. A twelve-week exercise program for Parkinson’s, run in small groups.
• Fascial Stretch Therapy. Assisted stretching on a treatment table with a certified practitioner.
• Sports Injury. Care for sports injuries from several services, including Physiotherapists and Chiropractors who are also certified strength and conditioning coaches.
• Custom Orthotics. Shoe inserts made from a cast or scan of your feet, fitted by a Chiropractor or Physiotherapist.
• Weight Loss Program. A plan built with a registered dietitian.
• Keto Diet Support. Help deciding whether a ketogenic diet suits you, and doing it safely.
• Longevity Program. An assessment and a personal plan for staying strong and independent as you age, led by a Naturopathic Doctor.
• LGBTQ+ care. How to find a practitioner you are comfortable with.

What if I pick the wrong one?

You won’t lose anything. Every first visit is an assessment, and our practitioners share notes and work in the same locations. If your physiotherapist thinks massage would help, or your counsellor suggests seeing a dietitian, they bring that person in — same plan, no starting over, no referral letter. That’s the point of having everyone under one roof.

Do I need a doctor’s referral?

No. You can book directly with any CARESPACE practitioner. Some extended health plans ask for a referral before they reimburse you, so check your plan if you intend to claim.

Can I see two kinds of practitioner at once?

Yes, and it’s often the fastest route. Physiotherapy plus massage, counselling plus nutrition, chiropractic plus acupuncture — your practitioners coordinate so the plans fit together.

How quickly can I be seen?

Usually within a few days, often sooner. Every service page lists practitioners sorted by who can see you soonest, with badges for same-day, evening and weekend availability.

Will my insurance cover it?

Most extended health plans cover most of these services. You pay at your visit and we give you a detailed receipt to submit; many plans reimburse within days.

Ready to book?

Pick a service above and choose your practitioner, or call 519-208-2273 and our Central Reception Team will point you to the right person and the closest location.

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