Opto-mization NeuroVisual Performance Vision Therapy

What's the right way to thank someone for saving your life? And who would believe it was your optometrist?

I hit my head during a fall and was referred to a sports med doctor specializing in concussions. After 2 months of rest, I gradually returned to work. When we moved office buildings, the new modern workspace was full of bright lights, floor to ceiling windows, shiny white boards and polished fixtures. In less than two hours, I had a horrible migraine. The daily migraines continued and I lost 30lbs from the constant nausea over the next several months. I barely made it through each day and I went to bed as soon as I got home to escape the light and pain.

Desperate for help, I flew to Victoria to see Dr. McCrodan. He said it was no problem & he could fix it. I was hanging on by a thread when my glasses arrived. They were like a glass of wine for my eyes and I instantly felt a bit better. It took three weeks to get used to them & my headaches slowly disappeared.

Since then, Dr. Cam tweaked my prescription a few times. I completed online visual therapy to stop one of my eyes from drifting when I took my glasses off. I can feel my eyes move differently now when I read. Instead of bouncing all over a paragraph, I read line by line, left to right. I hardly ever get headaches anymore and I go to bed 4 hours later. I'm so grateful to Dr. Cam & his team for their care. Thank you for everything.

Dr. Cameron McCrodan, and fellow staff; took there time and gave me so much insight to what I needed. Much much more then just prescribing glasses. I didn't feel rushed at all and enjoyed my experience. If you are looking for someone to explain to you what is going on with the connection of your eyes and your brain and why maybe you are experiencing visual changes then I would highly recommend visiting Opto-mization!

(Tyler Morris)

Completely changed the vision for our family. Highly recommend. Our son went from not reading to reading with the vision therapy.

My biggest positive today was that I felt heard, affirmed, and supported. I cannot wait to have my brain and eyes working together. At 64, better later than never and I can’t wait to get my glasses.

Opto-mization saved my life!
After suffering a rather large cerebral stroke in 2018 I was struck with severe issues with my eyes. I lost my peripheral sight on my left side of both eyes and could not focus or judge distance. I was unable to walk down stairs, safely cross parking lots or see enough to return to my job as a cinematographer or any other job for that matter, in my condition.
An old friend introduced me to the miracle worker Dr McCrodan in Victoria where he runs a one of a kind neuro-visual clinic Opto-mization.
Dr McCrodan and his incredible team of specialists taught my brain to speak to my eyes again! He gave me back my focus, depth of field and speed of my sight such as tracking. My peripheral is permanently damaged but I am functioning better with Dr McCrodans help.
Seeing clearly again has given me the chance to return to a normal life. I am now teaching and developing film programs for a local college and functioning well in group environments.
If you know any children with learning disabilities or adults who may have suffered a stroke, concussion or brain injury and have eye issues as a result, please watch Dr McCrodan’s video on TEDx it could change their life! Treatments are innovative and inspiring and so worth the time and effort. I highly recommend Dr McCrodan and his incredible team and want to thank them from the bottom of my heart!
Special thanks to Meghan for her kindness and encouragement and my good friend Barb for recommending you.

Eternally Grateful
John Helme

So much more than a standard eye exam!
I never thought my terrible hand-eye co-ordination was fixable - it just took one appointment and a new set if glasses and I cannot wait to get back into the tennis court.

I figured this would be like any other regular eye exam and I would leave with glasses and that would be that. To my delight, I was scheduled 20 weeks of vision therapy and now I feel like everyday tasks are a breeze. I struggled with hand eye coordination and depth. Now, my husband (very skilled and competitive) and I go out and play hours of pickleball and other games and we both actually enjoy ourselves! Opto-mization has helped my depth perception, my reading speed, comfort and ability to comprehend information. Everyone is friendly, professional and authentic. I can't recommend this place and their services enough.

We are very happy with the service we have received with Dr Irving and the staff. They made us feel very comfortable with our eye/medical issues

I cannot say enough good things about Dr. McCrodan and his team. They are the kindest and most understanding team of professionals who really know what they are doing. I have so much love and respect for them and what they do! Thank you for everything!

I had a good experience with Dr. Cameron McCrodan today during my Neuro-Visual Eye Exam at OPTO-MIZATION Victoria. He was very knowledgeable, making sure to explain each step thoroughly. His expertise was evident in understanding my eye concerns and provided personalized recommendations that truly impressed me. I left the appointment feeling confident about the health of my eyes, and I would highly recommend him to others. 5/5 stars for his outstanding service!

Highly, highly recommend Dr. Cameron & his amazing staff! We learned so much during our visit and so many of the issues we were wondering about with our eyes were taken with great care & consideration… and solved! Excited to go back to the eye doctor!

Thank you! I truly appreciate the professionalism, compassion and empathy from yourself and all your staff, you all always go above and beyond. It’s clear this is not just a career choice rather your passion and desire to truly make a difference in each individual patients life. BZ

Personable, knowledgeable and professional with the ability to put great treatment plans in place to achieve positive results.

I cannot say enough about Dr Cam McCrodan, Salma and the office as a whole. Since Day 1 they have treated me like family often going out of their way to help me. Many times they have simply listened to me when they knew I needed to be heard and helped me find other treatment professionals when needed. Whether you need specialist eye evaluation and treatment, a basic eye exam, glasses (with a huge selection of frames) /contacts or an amazing chiropractor…. This office should be at the top of everyone’s list. As an RN I need my vision at it’s best and at this office I know I will receive outstanding care.

Ava’s help today was professional and clear communication explaining all my options. She also booked my eye health examination. I felt comfortable and well taken care of.

I am learning lots about improving my vision that most optometrists don't go into. For me it was an epiretinal membrane that threw off my vision. I wish it was more widely known that vision, balance, headaches/migraines, difficulties reading or processing visual information, and concussion symptoms can all be related to problems with how the eyes and brain work together.

Channa is incredibly kind and patient and really keeps my 9 year old engaged in her therapy, which I know is no easy task! She is so good at what she does. We are so thankful to have her working with us.

I developed double vision a couple years ago. I was able to make a little progress with eye training and a new prescription for special lenses has now corrected my vision completely. I appreciate the friendly and professional service I've gotten at Opto-mization.

If you are dealing with a concussion talk to Dr. McCrodan. He not only listened he heard me. He explained matters very well, making sure I knew what he was talking about. He went above and beyond finding ones to help me progress. Talk to him!

My recent eye health exam with Dr Irvine went very well — he was thorough, and answered all of my questions. And the vision therapy that Dr McCrodan prescribed a few years ago changed my life. My eyes weren’t teaming properly, and over the course of several years reading with comprehension had become so challenging that I pretty much stopped reading (I used to read all the time, and even studied English Literature at university). Now I’m reading for pleasure again — and as an added bonus I don’t seem to get motion-sick as easily.

I started my weekly vision therapy a few months ago at Opto-mization Neurovisual Performance center, Victoria BC.

Daniel is amazing, he is knowledgeable and understanding of my situation and vision challenges. My session doesn’t start until 8: 00 am yet he is always ready to start our session at 7: 45 am which I personally find so helpful as it gives me enough time to be at my worksite without rushing.

His professional and non judgmental, he listens and shows compassion to his clients.
Thank you for your kindness and motivates your client’s even at most challenging times.

I’m truly blessed to have great support from Opto-mization Neurovisual Performance center staff members.

I have a long history of concussion from both contact and non-contact sports. When I was referred to Dr. McCrodan I was having significant vision issues, to the point where I was having significant problems reading. I also had significant headaches, dizziness, and fogginess that were exacerbated by any amount of light exercise. As a student with plans to attend graduate school, my mental health was in significant decline.

At my first appointment, Cam was incredibly empathetic but also completely confident he would be able to help me; he was willing to fully guarantee the cost of 20 weeks of vision therapy. Eric, the vision therapist I was assigned, was very personable and also confident that I would be able to make significant improvements.

The vision training itself was tiring work, especially alongside classes. While it was only 20-30 minutes of exercises nightly, they would cause an increase in my symptoms for the night. I had to make sure that I was done all of my schoolwork for the night before doing them. I was still skeptical, and it was well over halfway through the process before I started noticing improvements.

The magnitude of how far I'd come was not fully apparent until I completed the program. When I no longer had the nightly assignments and challenging weekly sessions with Eric, my symptoms were nearing a negligible amount and I was able to start slowly introducing exercise again.

Now, a year after having met Cam, I am back to school and have been able to return to the gym for higher intensities of exercise. It took a lot of work, but was incredibly worth the vast improvements I've seen in both my mental and physical health. I very highly recommend for anyone with similar issues to seek out treatment with Opto-mization.

Before seeing Dr McCrodan and his team I could barely walk a kilometer, due to PCS. Now I can run, swim and work part time. I am immensely grateful

I phoned to understand more about the therapy they offered for adults with amblyopia, learn about their success rates and what the therapy might involve. I was told that information would cost me over $250.00 up front. What? When I go to buy a car I don't pay the salesman to tell me about the car. When I go to a new hair stylist I don't pay the stylists to offer me suggestions. I don't know why anyone would hand over $250+ to understand the benefits of a particular vision therapy. And before I got off the phone I was told I would need to purchase new glasses. Don't know how she knew that over the phone. I

I think it's ridiculous to have to spend $250 (plus or minus) to get a quote for therapy.

Without a doubt Dr. McCrodan is an expert in his field. I left the vision performance testing session with a thorough understanding of my underlying issues and hope that they can and will be improved with a guided neuro-visual rehabilitation program. I'm looking forward to working with him and the team at Opto-Mization! Can't wait to get my vision back!

Cam and the team are absolutely phenomenal. They are so genuine, knowledgeable, and caring. Many of their patients are often experiencing physical pain, emotional pain, or both; likely feeling insecure and vulnerable. It is so helpful to be surrounded by a supportive, non-judgmental team during this time.

I remember when I started at OPTO-MIZATION, in my early twenties, learning that I was reading at the level of someone in early elementary school. In addition, I was surprised to learn that the symptoms of motion sickness that I regularly experienced, along with my inability to write straight across a page, and my poor hand-eye coordination, were also related to visual processing deficits. This information was both validating and devastating to learn. I completed nine months of therapy and I am thrilled to report that there was significant improvement. Following therapy, my reading level increased substantially.

This is a new field and the team is constantly learning and understanding everything they can to better assist their patients. If they can help you, they will do everything in their power to assist you on your journey. Finally, I think it is important to note that if your needs do not fall within their scope of practice, they will be completely upfront and honest about this.

Life-changing!

In early 2020 I was in a car accident and suffered a concussion. I had a number of symptoms, and they weren't improving with traditional care. Dr. Cam was able to provide me a clear diagnosis and treatment plan which not only helped resolve my symptoms, but has given me tools to continue to improve how my eyes and brain function together.

I have always struggled going to the optometrist as I had cataract surgery when I was 20 - I think it a way my eyes never adjusted fully to the artificial lenses. Dr. Cam has been able to explain how the surgery has affected my vision in ways no other optometrist has done.

The team at Opto-Mization constantly goes above and beyond and I always feel at home when I'm there. I highly recommend Dr. Cam for anyone needing vision therapy (and for those who don't know they need it yet ;)

Honestly the best experience I have ever had. Everyone at the Victoria location is so lovely. Everyone makes you feel valued and they take the time to understand why you are visiting them. I had 2 back to back rear ended accidents and my headaches were unbelievable. I took part in the rehab program of theirs and I have honestly never felt better. After my first visit, Dr. Cam knew exactly how he could help me and I will forever be thankful and impressed by his knowledge, patience and overall outlook on life. I am so thankful for Karen, Meghan, Dr. Cam and everyone else who helped me recover and get my life back.

Dr. McCrodan and his team have been excellent. I went in post-concussion for an assessment and treatment. I was feeling a lot of strain in my eyes, general fatigue, and I was getting migraine headaches. After only a few weeks my headaches have subsided and my energy levels are up. I didn't realize how much I was effected by the concussion, but I am grateful for the team at Opto-mization in helping my recovery significantly. I would highly recommend them.

Incredible team! Extremely professional and knowledgeable. I had a solution for my reoccurring headaches on my first appointment. I’m very happy with the service. I highly recommend this place.

Excellent customer service. Dr. McCroddan is a wealth of knowledge and exceptional in his care. He is one of a kind! From the front desk to the opticians, everybody was kind, patient, compassionate and ready for all and any questions.

They made me feel very welcome from the moment I first called to book my appointment. I’ve had my first eye appointment now and have came back to get my new glasses. All the staff are so passionate about helping and I’m so excited about finally having answers to my migraines and reading troubles that I’ve suffered with all my life.

Just realizing that Dr McCrorange had found the likely source of my migraine headaches and that with lens and visual therapy I could reduce the pain, dizziness and nausea was amazing. After new glasses and a simple fix my headaches have already reduced in frequency. I am so willing to do the visual therapy and homework and can see that the light at the end of the tunnel isn't the train at all. Would highly recommend the clinic

Excellent, caring, practice. They have always made my daughter feel comfortable and welcome. Thoroughly tested and reviewed my daughters needs and determined the best solutions. Highly recommended

There is absolutely nothing negative I can say about my experience with Cam and his team. They ensured that I understood every step, every test, and result during my appointment. A warm welcome by the receptionist, followed by my meeting with Dr McCrodan, I felt very comfortable and reassured that I was in good hands. Cam is very personable and understanding, and is extremely knowledgeable, even mentioning symptoms I didn’t know could be related to my eyes. I have recommended multiple people to Cam and will continue to do so in the future. I cannot thank him enough for turning my life around and resolving my debilitating migraines! Thank you so much, Dr. McCrodan!

I owe so much to Dr. Cam and his team. I thought that my balance and vertigo issues would never be solved but they were! So many other professionals ignored or dismissed my symptoms I had almost accepted it as part of my life. Dr. Cam's enthusiasm to help others is infectious and it shows by his team's amazing ability to work through my program. I wish I could post higher than a 5 star! Thanks Dr. Cam.

Every one of the staff member here are fantastic- so helpful! Karen is always friendly, helpful and so incredibly knowledgeable. Thanks for everything!

I had an awesome interaction with very professional staff. They fully explained every step of the way, and how the changes to my prescription were different from my current lenses, and how this will benefit my vision reading, in front of a computer, and outdoors. Thanks for a job well done.

I have been a patient of Dr. MacGrodan's for the past year. I initially went for a consultation as I was experiencing daily headaches, difficulty in walking "normally", frequent vertigo, and extreme weariness at the end of every day. Dr. MacGrodan was able to diagnose my problem (s) in the first consultation as Convergence Insufficiency and I began a course of therapy. This condition arose from a series of "small" concussions I suffered many years ago playing sports as a young person. I had experienced the symptoms off and on for a number of years and they worsened significantly in the past two years. The exercises I was given to do were not physically demanding but their effect on my brain was quite dramatic. I actually felt worse rather than bettter on many days after doing them but the compassion and attentive care of Dr. MacGrodan and the therapist I was working with, Laura Rawnsley, kept me going. By half way through the therapy programme the headaches were gone and I was beginning to walk normally again. I have now completed almost a year of work with Dr. MacGrodan and Laura. Thee were times when it felt like two steps forward and one, or even one and one half, steps backward but the care and support of everyone I came in contact with at Opto-Mization kept me going. I am very grateful to Dr. MacGrodan for the help he was able to give me and for the support and care of everyone at Opto-Mization as I struggled to retrain my brain to work properly with my eyes.

Very kind service! After having my concussion for 6 months and not been able to see anything but blurs, it was so nice that I got fitted with glasses right away that were so clear I cried. I didn’t think I’d ever see proper again. Can’t wait to get the glasses in! Amazing help and support here!

Dr. McCrodan is professional, passionate and gets results. I am undergoing vision therapy for post-concussion symptoms and have already seen huge changes. It just keeps getting better and better! I am starting to feel like myself again- which is priceless.

I attribute this success to the very detailed assessment, diagnosis and individualized treatment plan that Dr. McCrodan created. I truly feel like he has had my back every step of the way, and can tell that he wants results as much as I do!

Meghan- my vision therapist- is very motivating, supportive and fun. She keeps me accountable, yet is endlessly patient if I need to break or if barriers arise. She just gets it.

Overall, I just can’t say enough great things about the entire team and my experience. Top notch service in all aspects.

Dr. McCrodan and his entire team are amazing. They’ve helped me so, so much. I don’t know where I would be without them.
My only regret- not committing to vision therapy sooner!

Lauren is very knowledgeable, professional and has a great sense of humour which is essential when working with a teenager, like my own. She has been ever so kind and understanding and her love for her job shines through in every session. I wish I could double 5 star this review!

Sometimes on the journey to health there a lot of unmarked, discouraging paths. Situations like that are not part of the trajectory at Opto-mization! The light and clarity coming from this epicenter of opportunity and healing is unwavering. All of the staff is lovely, but Lauren and Dr. Cam have supported my family in more ways than one, many times. I am so grateful they are right here in town! Thank you for being part of our lives! R&B, S&G

Hi there, I have been suffering from headaches and poor balance since a car accident in Sept, 2017. I was referred to Dr McCrodan in March of 2019. I have been in therapy since April with a short break and have noticed my balance has improved and am looking forward to continued improvement. Dr Cam and his staff are awesome. Special thanks to Karen who has guided me through my therapy with such caring and thoughtfulness. A big thank you to Tracey, Kira and Rebecca. I hope I spelled your names right. Dr Cam, thank you so much for caring enough to take the time to find out why.looking forward to the future when things are better. Peter S

The staff are incredible. They go above and beyond, I can't say enough great things about this business!

I have been suffering immensely after a sports related head injury for over 5 years, but Cam and the people here (Laura) in particular were extremely helpful in getting me back on my feet, I'm about a year out of treatment, and my eyes are doing so much better. While I still struggle with convergence (and will need surgery) I've been able to get back.to school. I've also been able to get back on my feet in other areas health related. Huge props to these guys, and while not cheap, this therapy is life changing, and worth it. Thank you Cam and staff.

Friendly. Listens. It was great to finally find someone who understands the brain/eye connection and can help.thanks!

I am 75 years old and suffered a cerebral stroke. My symptoms were dizzy spells, loss of depth perception, seasickness, inability to read and comprehend, balance problems and navigating stairs was frightening.
Before the stroke I loved to walk, read, go boating and do aquafit. After the stroke these activities became a huge problem.
I related all of these symptoms to my GP, an ENT specialist, an Optometrist, and an Ophthalmologist. A CT scan of my head showed exactly what the problem was but nobody was able to help me.
I finally sought help from a Physiotherapist, specializing in vestibular (dizziness) problems. He was able to refer me to Dr. McCroden (neuro optometrist) at Opto-mization, and my life took on a whole positive change.
During my first assessment with Dr. McCroden he listened and I felt I was heard. He said he could help me. I had my first glimmer of hope!
From the very beginning of this healing journey, I have been treated with kindness, dignity and respect, not only from Dr. McCroden but his entire team of professional, empathetic, encouraging and caring staff.
Dr McCroden has a passion for what he does and to say he gave me back my life and joy in retirement years would be an understatement. For that I am truly grateful.

Wow. I have been struggling with my concussion symptoms for nearly a year. After some test, Dr McCroden built a pair of prism glasses for me to try on. He asked me to read, something I love to do and have been struggling to do for far too long. I read the first sentence of the paragraph and I'm not afraid to admit, that I started crying. I can read again. It was so overwhelming in a good way. I can't be shy, because I looked over and the doc was teary eyed too. I tried the sobriety test for balance and I started crying again. Life is within my grasp and I'm ready to hold tight. The staff were such a pleasure to meet and everyone was so nice. The place is bigger on the inside, and very nice. Thank you so much for the opportunity to heal and what feels like magic. HIGHLY recommend.

I am so blown away by the service and professionalism of the team here. This far exceeded any expectation I had for this appointment. Not only was Dr mccrodan able to quickly figure out exactly how to help me when no doctors in eight months have been able to touch my symptoms of my head injury. I've been telling everybody and already have two people looking in to see him. This place is amazing and is going to change my life and that's no understatement. I'm so grateful. Thank you so much!

Fun, friendly, professional staff who obviously are valued by their employer. Team effort and atmosphere to optimize patient success was evidenced in my first appointment. Top notch caring staff + prompt service delivery + free parking + discovery of my neurological issues + treatment of them = 5 stars in my books! Kudos, Cheers & Shezam!

I was extremely impressed by Dr. McCrodan and his teams willingness to go above and beyond to problem solve.

Where to start? Dr. McCrodan and the entire staff of the NeuroVisual Opto-mization Performance team are very professional, friendly and encouraging!

My very first assessments with Dr. McCrodan left me with the confidence that he would be on my team and do everything he could to help me move forward as I set off on my unexpected health journey. It was determined that my vision issues provided a somewhat unique challenge. Thankfully this wasn’t a deterrence. Dr. McCrodan’s specialized knowledge, optimism and determination to help gave me confidence that together, with his team, we would work through a process to train my eyes and brain to work together again. I have progressed through a series of customized visual training exercises challenging the “eye-brain” team. Resistant at first but more recently, change is happening. I’ve started to experience improvement. My journey isn’t over but this visual training program has made and.am hopeful it will continue to make, a difference.

Also of note, the excellent on-site eyeglass service provided is very convenient. I was also very appreciative of the assistance I received with my frame selection. Believe me, they were very patient with my indecisiveness.

To Dr. McCrodan and the Opto-mization NeuroVisual Performance Team - My words cannot truly express how appreciative I am of your patience, your encouragement and your support. Thank you for caring.

Staff is lovely, office is inviting and bright and Dr. McCrodan is very personable and an enthusiast about his profession

I'm very happy with the amazing staff! They are very friendly and helpful. I've seen great improvement in my son's progress.

From the evaluation, to beginning my visual rehabilitation program, I’ve felt heard, acknowledged, supported and encouraged. To be consulted and play an active part in the design of my program has been empowering. We have celebrated many milestones together. My team has met the adversity I’ve faced with empathy and understanding. They have worked closely with me to adjust the course when necessary. Dr. McCrodan is knowledgeable and personable. He has taken the time to really listen and get to know me. In a very specialized field, he is highly educated and able to share his knowledge effectively. He explains diagnosis’s and treatment in plain language which is greatly appreciated. All the staff at Optimization and Dr. McCrodan have been a pleasure to interact with during appointments and operate with the highest level of integrity. My heartfelt thanks to my neurovisual team.

My initial consultation with Dr. McCrodan provided an excellent overview of which exercises and therapies I might explore in the future. He identified past therapies which I might leave behind and provided useful information for considering future treatment options. It was refreshing to focus on my personal vision goals and not be encouraged to fill a prescription immediately.

Our son was referred to Dr McCrodan by a vestibular rehab specialists in Victoria after being treated by a physio here on the mainland for many months to help with post concussion brain injury. The vestibular rehab was helping, but the prism glasses helped even more. We are so thankful to have Dr McCrodan's expertise on our son's side. After nearly 3 years of suffering various post concussion symptoms he is finally getting back to living a normal life with full time work, hanging out with friends, and physical activities he was unable to enjoy.
Huge thanks to Dr McCrodan!

There are truly no words to properly express our gratitude to Dr McCrodan and his team of all star staff. Last year my husband (a healthy 39 yrs) suffered a very rare ruptured brain aneurysm, directly impacting his vision and brain processing.

Over the last 25 weeks we have attended either the Victoria or Nanaimo offices to complete a specialized and custom tailored Visual Training and rehabilitation program. We have learned so much and can't impart how amazing the program is. All the steps built each week to assist my husband in regaining control of his eyes and strengthening the connections to his brain to become healthy and functional again.

Along all steps of my husband's journey we literally had 24 hour support for questions and concerns, weekends included. This went A LONG way in calming our fears and anxiety. My husband received emergency brain surgery out of town on the mainland last year and we have felt very isolated and unsupported where we live here on Vancouver Island, UNTIL we were referred to Dr McCrodan and his team. It was truly like an answer to prayer! The whole process has been long and hard, but it is so worth the end results.

We will NEVER forget this part of our journey. We look forward to watching my husband continue to heal and are thankful for the team of staff that rooted and cheered us on, who offered unwavering support and information. Dr McCrodan fine tuned the program when needed, looked further into options when challenges arose and has become a long time friend with his kindness and support during the toughest months of our lives. We will forever be grateful.

I can only hope that this helps whoever is reading this make a decision that WILL positively change your life forever.
We know if you are looking into this you are struggling. We have been there.
You are not alone, keep going.