What do you do when medications don’t work? This is the question that drove Martin Rutherford to find and utilize exciting and new groundbreaking treatments.
Growing up in Trenton, New Jersey, Martin experienced severe health issues including musculoskeletal problems, ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome. He was even told that he would be in a wheelchair by the time he was 30 and would most likely develop cancer. He followed the western medical model and continued to get worse. Trying to find a way to improve his health, he looked for “alternative” methods and ended up in a chiropractic office in his early 20’s. Thus began his journey.
Dr. Rutherford graduated from Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA majoring in English with a minor in physics. From there, he attended the National College of Chiropractic in Chicago. Since graduating
with his Doctorate of Chiropractic, Dr. Rutherford has spent more than 1500 hours of post-graduate education in Functional Medicine, Functional Endocrinology, Functional Blood Chemistry and Nutrition, Functional Neurology, Spinal Trauma, Scoliosis and Whiplash and more.
Dr. Rutherford came to Reno in 1980. As his practice grew, so did his scope of treatment. Dr. Rutherford began his practice with primarily treating musculoskeletal issues and then moved into more complex multi-faceted concerns.
Today he sees patients who that are dealing with Fibromyalgia, M.S., M.D., Vertigo, Dizziness, Balance Issues, Migraines, Peripheral Neuropathy, restless leg syndrome, ADD/ADHD, autism, post-surgical backs, all varieties of disc conditions and stenosis, Chronic Fatigue, along with other chronic pain syndromes, while maintaining musculoskeletal care.
Dr. Rutherford draws from 30 years of experience and educational background, making him particularly capable and excited to embrace the chronic pain patient. The unique experience of being a patient at Power Health, Dr. Rutherford’s clinic, begins with one of the most thorough, comprehensive and expansive evaluations possible. A complete patient history as well as an understanding of patient treatment goals is vital to the evaluation.
Once the evaluation is completed and the patient is accepted into the program, Dr. Rutherford spends an extensive amount of time pouring over the patient history, exam findings, prior test results, and patient goals to develop a drug-free, neurologic, metabolic, and/or musculoskeletal
(or a combined) approach to correct or reduce the underlying cause of symptoms.
That concept bears repeating – the goal of treatment is not just to correct symptoms – it is, when possible, to determine and relieve the underlying
problem, or mechanism of the symptoms. Part of the treatment includes home program protocols that are centered on self-care, to enhance improvement. This is truly a “holistic” model of care as it involves reviewing all systems of the body and how they have ceased to integrate and “balance,” therefore creating the patient’s unique set of symptoms.
The mechanisms for chronic pain are as diverse and complicated as the patients themselves. Dr. Rutherford feels the typical diagnosis is a little too general for his purposes and he delves very deeply into what the patient is experiencing and which areas need improvement. With that in mind, he hopes to continue to create and offer the community a facility where patients receive evaluations and treatments based on their specific mechanisms and symptoms, not just their diagnosis.
In addition to an already impressive array of therapeutic modalities, Power Health is adding an Allergy Division to the clinic. They will be able to evaluate 96,000 different allergens in seven minutes and begin the process of alleviating the effects of the allergens immediately following the procedure.
Dr. Rutherford stated that he feels extremely fortunate to be able to do this work and is blessed to have the opportunity to expand his understanding of life and people. He is grateful every day to wake up and do what he loves: helping people get better. It is his drive, his motivation.
