Active Family & Sports Chiropractic

Dr. Michelle Chu is a miracle worker. I never used to believe in chiropractic work however, after regular massage, yoga, and meditation, I had to try something else. Dr. Chu was able to get rid of the pain in my shoulders and hips and came up with a treatment regimen so she wouldn’t have to see me again. However, being a klutz and an active person it wasn’t long before I’m back in her office. She practices ART chiropracty which focuses not just on bone adjustment but on the angry and inflamed compensating muscles attached. I live in Oakland and drive up just for her. I just came back from a snowboarding trip and knew I would need special attention in my shoulder and feet. After a 12 hr travel day, she knocked it out of the park. I keep trying to not need to come back but she is the only one I trust for when I do.

Dr. Chu is awesome.
I was experiencing exertional headaches, and went to two different doctors, and two different chiropractors to tr and resolve the issue. Nothing. Went to Dr. Chu, and after one visit they were gone! She’s not a typical chiropractor that just cracks your neck and wiggles their hand along your spine. She focuses on muscle work to loosen everything up, and ultimately ease your pain.
GO TO HER SHES AMAZING. She also has great pricing for return customers.

Dr. Chu is the only chiropractor I refer my clients to now because as good as it feels to have your «back cracked» I no longer feel good about endorsing this method of chiropractic (otherwise known as high velocity adjustments– yikes!) Adjusting joints without addressing the soft-​tissue imbalance and strain underlying them just means you’re signing up for indefinite chiropractic.
I am a massage therapist practicing full time now for 7 years and I believe the majority of chronic pain my clients suffer from poor posture and overuse can be very effectively addressed by ART, Dr. Chu’s preferred method of treatment, in combination with massage therapy,. ART stands for Active Release Technique and involves the chiropractor pinning the connective tissue while having the client engage and lengthen the muscle.
I am a semi-​regular client and I can tell you it isn’t always pleasant but it keeps me working. In addition to the heavy load I place on my musculoskeletal system, I have a lovely history of car accidents (none of them my fault, I swear!) and whiplash that have taken a physical toll. ART with Dr. Chu has had a progressive healing effect on these injuries which is significant given that the initial window of healing has long passed.
I recommend the deep muscle work and kinesio taping to anyone who suffers from chronic pain that other doctors, PTs, massage therapists, surgeons, etc have said can’t be fixed. She has a very high success rate and really you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
The most impressive thing about Dr. Chu is her integrity. She always tells clients that if they aren’t significantly, like mostly, improved within 6 sessions then she’s probably not the provider they need. Very few chiropractors operate on this model of short term, results-​oriented treatment and it’s the icing on the cake for me when I send people her way.

Someone told me about Dr. Chu, and that she was a new chiropractor in town who did muscle work so I decided to give her a try. When I first stepped inside the small office (just a room inside the Century 21) I wasn’t sure what to think. Dr. Chu is a small woman, and frankly I’m a pretty big guy, easily double her size. I just wasn’t sure how this new Chiropractor was going to do any sort of adjustment on me. I was very pleasantly surprised. She’s stronger than she looks and is very good at listening and working with you to figure out what the problem is. I injured my shoulder 4 months ago while weightlifting. I haven’t been able to do any sort of pressing exercise and the stiffness was effecting even my ability to hold the bar for squats. I’ve seen doctors, other chiropractors and massage therapists and none of them have been able to help. In just two visits I can say my shoulder is at least 80% better, and I can work out again.
It might just be my situation, but Dr. Chu seems to specialize in muscle work over the «snap, crackle, pop» adjustments that every other Chiropractor I’ve been to uses. It’s a different approach that addresses muscle imbalance issues and reminds me of conversations I’ve had with athletic trainers and physical therapists. Anyone that’s ever rolled out their IT Band to relieve knee pain knows what I’m talking about. She also was able to eerily figure out that I mouse with my right hand even though I’m left handed, and that I have hip issues due to tightness in my calves.
I think anyone who engages in athletics should see Dr. Chu. She knows her stuff and even though she’s a new Chiropractor in town, she doesn’t seem in doing the «practice building» that some Chiropractors do. Where they say they can fix everything from allergies to liver problems and want you to come in twice a week for the next 10 years. As someone who’s kind of distrustful of Chiropractors and people in general, that goes a long way with me. I’ll definitely be seeing Dr. Chu for any other sports related injuries I might get.