Back In Balance

Dr. Jessica Franco is one of the best Chiropractors in the area.
Her exam is thorough, she communicates clearly, and her goal is to get you out of pain and on the road to recovery as soon as possible. There are no cookie-​cutter care plans that cost thousands of dollars at Back in Balance, just personalized care that is tailored to your specific issue. Her Active Release Technique work is great too! Hurts while she’s doing it but afterward you can expect improved function and decreased pain.
They also have yoga classes, massage, and rolfing. I haven’t tried those out yet, but I’m looking to get involved soon…

Dr. Franco is so good at what she does! She’s very in tune with people’s bodies and is always able to figure out what’s bothering me without me even having to say anything. She really cares about what she does and it shows! I can go in there feeling terrible and leave feeling awesome. You can tell she really looks at the big picture and offers great advice for keeping yourself happy and pain free in between sessions. I highly recommend her!

Dr. Franco is truly talented. She’ll get all your muscles unstuck with a variety of techniques. I always feel better after seeing her and it lasts a long time — longer than a massage or an adjustment that doesn’t include deep tissue work. I highly recommend her to anyone with aches and pains or major injuries.

My job is very physical and so between my workouts and my work, I can get pretty beat up. I walked in with all kinds of issues my first appointment and Dr. Franco was able to address them with chiropractic and ART in under an hour. I also appreciate her knowledge and insight — she is not just trying to «fix» me but help me learn how to move and be better in my body, which I very much appreciate. She is my spine’s new best friend. My feet, hips, and shoulders are also big fans of hers. Thank you, Dr. Franco!

I heart Doc Jessica Franco! I have had chronic pain in my left hip from years of figure skating and teaching dance… and her ART work has helped a ton! Her massage therapist Karen is amazing too, and will work in conjunction with the doc to solve your issues. Go check out this awesome and laid-​back team of ladies… they know their stuff!

I have been seeing Dr. Elizabeth Collier for over a year now. She takes the time to listen to my issues, talks me through what she is doing (to ease my anxiety), and is very effective. I used to have constant neck and upper back pain before I started seeing her. I highly recommend her!

Yeah — I got a promotion a few months ago. Boo, I am working way too many hours and it is taking a toll on my body. I could not ignore it when my stiff neck led to horrible tension headaches and regular massages were no longer enough for relief. Fortunately, I not only have great parking karma — I have exceptional luck with finding body healers.
What a happy accident that the chiropractor who works two days a week at my fitness studio, Truve, is also affiliated with Back in Balance. I started seeing Dr. Jessica Franco a few months ago and she is helping me heal. Her adjustments are gentle but really effective. She also uses a variety of techniques that relieve pain and release my muscles. I feel taller and after adjustments I have longer arms– they literally extend few inches lower. The at home and work exercises she prescribes are effective and easy to fit into my schedule.
Thanks to Dr. Franco, I have additional mobility head to toe and no more tension headaches.
Highest recommendation.

I usually see a chiropractor in SF by my work but on several occasions I have been stuck in the East Bay and in desperate need of an adjustment. Thankfully, Elizabeth has been there for me every time! She takes time with her patients and listens carefully when you explain your needs. She is gentle but effective. Its nice to have someone I can see in the East Bay without feeling like I am settling. I highly recommend her!

Dr. Franco is really a healer in the true sense of the word. She gets creative with how to deal with whatever issue your body may be presenting with that day. I appreciate her ability to accommodate what my body needs, whether it be deep muscle work, a specific adjustment, or general mobilization. The diversity in her practice allows her to make me feel significantly better every time I get off the table. Thank you Dr. Franco.

Dr. Franco is one of the best in the biz! As a second generation chiropractor myself, I’m proud to call her a colleague. She’s a natural healer with a gifted skill in the human body. She engages the mind body connection with a deep understanding of muscular and soft tissue dynamics. Whether seeking pain relief from a long term issue to a recent ankle sprain, you’ll leave her office with a greater understanding of your body and its needs. I’ve never gotten off her table feeling anything but energized, connected and euphoric. Her specialities include active release technique, myofacial distortion model and prenatal care. You’re the best, Dr. F!

Great location, great service, great people. Dr Franco is a gifted and dedicated chiropractor who approaches her patients’ condition accounting for both muscular and structural therapy. She recognizes the whole body, not just one or two joints, which helps the treatments last longer. She works the muscles first to both soften them up and settle them down, and then her adjustments are delicate and precise with little resistance. Her passion for her patients shines through yielding a very comfortable atmosphere.
Go here if you’re in pain from sports injuries, car accident, or repetitive motion injuries where you need someone who understands both the muscular and skeletal system and will work them both.

Dr Franco helped me with my frozen shoulder that had been really stiff for about a month. She also adjusted my feet and they have never felt better. I went running and did some yoga after our appointment and felt great. She has genuinely warm and caring presence and an office space to match. I plan to be one of her regulars :)

I was having serious pain in my lower back, and didn’t know what was going on. I heard that Jessica Franco was skilled and so I made two appointments with her. It was very helpful, the pain went down quickly, and she was able to give me a diagnosis that put me at ease. If you’re looking for a nice place and a skilled practitioner, I’d definitely recommend this place, and Dr. Franco.

I started seeing Laurie back in September 2013. I went to 3 visits and then decided to find a new chiropractor. Laurie maybe good at what she does but I find her bedside manner to be less than gentle and therapeutic. She also has a lot of requirements on how to breathe and move. She repeatedly told me to «relax» which I was unable to do since she was so rough with her touch. Her excuse was «I have a heavy hand». She seemed to get frustrated when my body would not cooperate with her. At one point she started yanking on my foot that I had surgery on and it actually hurt. When she saw me she was like «You look like you are going to cry». I wanted to say I was about to cry because it hurt so bad. She also has long nails and when she would work on me they would scratch me. She was also trying to sell me a bunch of different items.
She has a very cute dog that hangs out at her practice. I think its great that she is able to have her dog with her all the time however its a bit disconcerting when the dog ends up on the table you are supposed to get adjusted on and she has to tell the dog to move off the table. He also farts a lot and so now you are ending up being adjusted with the smell of dog fart and an uncomfortable adjustment by Laurie when its not going her way.
I have since found a new chiropractor who makes great adjustments and has very therapeutic bedside manner.

Having seen a number of chiropractors in my life, Dr. Klein is a cut above the rest. I’ve never found anyone else who equals her ability to really fix the issues. She includes muscle work and exercises if necessary and really gets to the heart of the problem to bring you back into wellness. When I first met her in 2002, she helped put my tailbone back in place when it got dislocated in childbirth, she’s put my rib back in place twice, helped with s.i. joint issues and fixed kinks in my neck. The times I’ve needed chiropractic care when out of town, or when she’s out of town, the chiropractors whom I’ve worked with simply don’t have the same level of effectiveness. Klein has a skill unparalleled as she intuitively knows how to releive whatever condition is present– removes the pain and gets you well. I swear by her and referr her to all my friends and family when they are ailing. At least five others have since taken my advice and have told me they were glad they did. She’s exceptional at what she does. I can’t say enough about how grateful I am to have her as my caregiver when I have skeletal issues. She’s been my go to gal for over a decade!

She is the BEST!
I have had back problems all my life and always played with the idea of going to a chiropractor but was never sure and mostly scared. Eventually i took a hard impact fall on my neck and literally heard my neck pop out of place. After 2 weeks of dealing with migraines and severe neck pain i decided to just do it, it was clear to me I needed a chiropractor. I handy-​dandy Unilocaled for a local chiropractor and came across Back in Balance. The reviews were great and I was comforted by the fact that she was a woman.
I called her up, clearly sounding in pain and explain what had happened. I don’t know if she heard my level of distress in my voice but she was so sympathetic over the phone and asked if I needed to come in right away. YES please!
I went in with a severe headache barely able to move my neck and after one visit my headache was gone and I could move my neck again! She has a positive way of explaining things and I was comfortable with the treatment and info. She has strong hands and rubbed my neck for a while as to help me relax and reassured me she wouldn’t adjust anything until she would tell me, which built a level of trust and relaxation. Everything so gloriously popped into place. She was patient, kind and gentle when telling me what to do, even though it was my first time and i had no idea how things worked, so it took me a few times to understand what were doing and which way to move. She recommended i come for only 6 sessions and reassured me I would be on my way to healing healthy. I have not completed my treatment yet but let me tell you I look forward to my appointments because they are such a wonderful relief from my pain and reassurance for a brighter back future. She has gone out of her way to show me stretches and exercises I can do at home, and for the first time I feel confident that all my back problems are treatable and will not cause me a life of pain and problems if I just go about it correctly. I plan to see Laurie for any back issues as long as she’s in business and as long as Im near Oakland! THANKS DR. LAURIE!

I know Dr. Klein for many years, but her last treatment was a healing experience that was nothing short of amazing. In the last 2 month I developed an ever increasing excruciating pain when I moved my arm in certain ways especially when laying down. It got so bad that I could hardly sleep anymore because certain movements would just wake me up, because of the pain I felt. Even though I live in Redwood City 45 miles away from Oakland I made an appointment with Dr. Klein rather than a closer Chiropractor based on my past experience with her. She diagnosed that I am dealing with a pinched shoulder nerve and treated me with intense attention for a full hour. It is only 12 hours later and although I still feel my shoulder, I can move it freely again. This was the most profound healing experience I have had in my life.

I went to Laurie for a neck issue. I was happy to find a Chiropractor who was a yogini and masseuse as I know my issues are best served by yoga and massage. I was really wanting a spinal assessment to find out what postures or massage is best for treatment.
She was very confident, but way too aggressive for my comfort. She has really strong hands, so I am sure she is an excellent masseuse, but her bedside manner was off putting. I felt she was really agitated when I wouldn’t relax (my head was in a her hands and being twisted) I had no idea what she was about to do but i wasn’t sure I trusted her. Her frustration at me in such a vulnerable position didn’t help me understand what she wanted from me. She told me it is hard to work on flexible people, stiff people are easier… I understand the sentiment but felt that somehow made it bad that I was flexible? I felt rushed out the minute the last adjustment was over. I saw the next client waiting and was trying to put myself together as quickly as possible but felt really strange with all this new energy in my body. Her secretary started making appointments for me. I was not at all in the right mind to understand what I was signing up for. She wanted to see me immediately as she felt it was an urgent issue. I am sure it was but there was no space for questions. It was a Thursday so she scheduled me for Monday. I was promptly scheduled for 2 more sessions although i just wanted to sit down and integrate the adjustments she just gave me.
On Friday I found out a friend died and spent the weekend dealing with many personal issues and re-​arranging schedules. I needed to reschedule but it was Sunday. I missed my Monday appointment so I called to apologize and explain what happend. I wanted to offer some feedback as I was left feeling really dissatisfied with what happened but felt it could be easily remedied. I had so many questions about her work and what I really needed to heal. When I spoke to her she was defensive and angry that she had left her house early to meet me at her office. (It was 11am). I explained to her my concerns hoping that she would be willing to meet me where I was at but that was not the case. I was in a fragile place and needed someone who could actually listen. She billed me $ 35 for a no-​show.
I am sure she is good at what she does, however, it didn’t work for me. I didn’t appreciate the no-​show fee but understand she is running a business so I paid it. Her service is not for anyone in a vulnerable state.

My husband and I are seeing Laurie for our recent whiplash injuries. She has never suggested inappropriate care because it would be covered by the auto insurance. We are extremely happy with her chiropractic treatment and massage therapists.
Laurie massages and adjusts for a full 30 minutes with great results, she integrates several modalities in her treatment, which are very effective. We recommend her and will continue to see her for our chiropractic needs.

I was recently hit from behind by another car and sustained some damage to my neck. After doing some research online about my options to get treated (primary care physician v chiropractor) I felt that she would be able to make me feel better in a much more holistic way. After asking a thorough set of questions about what happened and where the pain was affecting me, she went to work and provided immediate relief.
I had never been to a chiropractor before, so this experience will go far in retaining me as her client as well as sending future referrals her way. If you have never been to a chiropractor before, I highly recommend that you give her a chance at relieving your pain.