The Center of Joy

Lisa Medel was able to help with pain and long term issues in neck, back, legs.
I first met her when she worked in the city near where i work, now i am lucky to live where she moved to the new location in oakland.
I went to see Lisa over 30 times in the last 2 years and she greatly help recover as well as take a better care of my body.
Lisa is ver resourceful and answered all my questions and concerns, so that i have th e proper posture, diet and stretching exercises to keep the pain at bay as well as address the problem in the long term.
The new location in Oakland has a lot of light and is very quiet, the room are big. She has lots of tools to help her attack the problem from different angles.
Lisa always take the time to prepare the muscles by massaging the area of the body she will work on, this really help getting most of the chiropractic session.
As a teacher, she is always happy to share her knowledge but is also a very curious person who did not hesitate to suggest acupuncture and massage at a time when there was none in the building, because she is genuinely interested in my overall care and that is a plus !

Oakland is so lucky to have Lisa!
Lisa Medel is the most well rounded chiropractor I’ve ever been to. I’ve been to a few. After years of network care I was a little apprehensive at first… But I now understand why chiropractic care is so effective. She is an absolute expert, and she teaches too, which totally makes sense! Her treatment plans are reasonable and effective. I initially went to visit Lisa in her previous practice in SF for a longstanding shoulder injury and chronic neck pain. I was very excited when after just one treatment I could focus more in school and work. The combination of adjustment, friction massage and posture support exercises have suited me well since.
More recently I delivered a big baby boy. I had some complications at the end of labor and lost the ability to walk without support.
Without Lisa I would not be able to walk! She assisted me in getting back on my feet and has been incredibly compassionate and effective treating me post-​partum. I’m slightly saddened that I couldn’t see Lisa throughout the duration of my pregnancy.
Make chiropractic care part of your health care expenses… you’ll save a lot of trouble and in my case recovery time by going to the right physician.

I also met Nicole when she was covering for my regular acupuncturist, who was on maternity leave. I was actually a little disappointed when I was told that Nicole would not be working at the original clinic that I met her at when my acupuncturist returned.
I immediately felt comfortable with Nicole the moment we met. She took the time to listen to me before each treatment and was always good for some good, practical advise or a laugh. She always had kind words whenever I felt that my IVF journey was too much for me to handle. She would even email me with thoughtful words as I was going through my fertility issues. Nicole is warm, welcoming, friendly, comforting, while at the same time being completely professional and a wealth of knowledge. She is also genuinely interested in her clients’ overall well being. Even my husband wanted to switch from our regular acupuncturist to Nicole after a few sessions with her.

Nicole and Lisa are absolutely incredible practitioners.
I… am lazy. Very lazy, but I wear it as a badge of honor, because I bleed red, white and blue. That being said, I’m one of those people who goes to see someone when they have a problem, rather than doing maintenance and preventing problems before they happen.
It’s not the best practice, but it’s okaaay when you have AMAZING people who can whip you right back into shape in a few sessions (often, just one!). After thoroughly educating me, I now try to get in from maintenance as often as possible, and I feel totally awesomesauce. Having the good guys (ahem, gals) in your corner gives gives you a positive mental outlook, great physical health, and killer mojo.
It also gives me the freedom to be a little reckless from time to time and live life to its fullest (the way mama taught me!) knowing that these two lovely ladies can put humpty dumpty together again, if need be. Not that *I* condone a little danger and adrenaline from time to time, but mama does. And if mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.
Truth.

I am so lucky that Nicole and I crossed paths. I first met Nicole when my acupuncturist was on maternity leave. She had so many innovative and new ideas for me that were never presented. One was to cut my intake of chicken because it produces wind, I had a rash on my leg for years. After cutting down my gluten and chicken for about two months my rash became manageable and after three months I was able to wear a skirt without tights for the first time in four years! I have been almost rash free now for almost 8 months as long as I follow a low gluten and low chicken diet.
Some other things I would like to mention about Nicole:
She consistently asked me if I had joy in my life and reminded me to think about what I was happy with and what I wanted to change and how I was going to make those changes happen. She is a very kind and sincere person who really cares.
I tell you these stories because Nicole addresses the whole person, she is very knowledgeable in her field of acupuncture and Chinese medicine and her range of experience is wide. I highly recommend her to all people who want to be healed by a gifted soul.
Alicia C-​S

dr. lisa medel saved my practice.
years ago, i began a meditation practice that required me to sit in an upright position without moving for long stretches of time. about a month into my practice, i began experiencing intense pain in my left shoulder. i knew that the pain was due to sitting but i wasn’t having any luck in relieving the pain by changing positions.
dr. medel examined my back while sitting and standing. she explained to me what muscles i needed to activate in order to reduce the pain. i was skeptical but willing to try anything at this point.
within a week or so, my shoulder pain was completely gone. 5 years and over a thousand meditation sessions later, i still think of her often with gratitude. without her help, i would have had to give up my daily practice.
i highly recommend her services. this woman knows her stuff.

I’ve spent a long time debating on what to put in this review. What can I say to help you out there make the decision that I made to work with Nicole towards better health? The best I can do is to tell you my story.
Nicole and I met about 8 months ago when I was in the middle of having some serious health problems. I suffer from fibromyalgia, bursitis in multiple joints, and I was in the process of miscarrying my first child. Nicole met me the week I found out the baby had died and I was going to miscarry. My acupuncturist was about to go out on maternity leave and she was transitioning Nicole into the practice.
From the first dayI was completely enamored with Nicole. She even managed to win over my skeptical husband who could not help but notice how my health improved with her. She got me through those tough weeks following the miscarriage and continued to see me weekly after we found out we were once again pregnant.
My visits with Nicole continue help me to find my energy when I am lagging from 10 hr work days and a rapidly progressing pregnancy. After my treatments I feel completely relaxed and get my best sleep. Other women have told me about the extreme mood swings they suffer and I credit my own lack of moodiness to my regular acupuncture.
About two months ago I received a call that my original acupuncturist was returning and that Nicole would no longer be available at that location as my practitioner. This was not acceptable to me as someone with my variety of health problems and a pregnancy that I am very nervous about. I discussed it with my husband and there was no question that I would follow Nicole to her new business.
In addition to my acupuncture, Nicole has also worked extensively with me to find nutritional supplements to control my hyperemesis and get me off of the strong drugs the doctor had me on. I’ve gone from using phenergan 3x per day and Reglan 4x per day while on home rest to working full time and only taking two Reglan per day along with the supplements Nicole has me take. What a relief! Now that I am further in my pregnancy and the nausea is somewhat controlled, we are able to work on improving the nutrition I am getting to help me better support the baby. This wouldn’t be possible without Nicole’s diverse educational background.
But that’s not all folks. Nicole also guided my husband through an extensive cleanse and has him on a number of supplements. As a result of the cleanse, his cholesterol dropped from needing two prescriptions to being completely healthy. His energy and moods are much better and he’s sleeping better. Also, as a result of the cleanse, we were able to figure out the real root of his health problems, which turned out to be a thyroid issue and vitamin D deficiency. No doctor had ever dug into his labs sufficiently to discover the root of the problems he was suffering. Following his cleanse, Nicole sent him for extensive labs and really took the time to analyze them. This is just the short version folks, hopefully at some point the hubby will get online and post his experience for you to read.
In three weeks my husband and I are moving to another state. When the time comes, Nicole is going to continue consulting with my husband regarding his nutritional needs. Additionally, since she can’t be in two places at once, she is working diligently to help me find a new practitioner.
I know this review is lengthy, but I needed to share the whole story with you so you could really understand what Nicole has done for my growing family. I wholeheartedly recommend Nicole to anyone who is seeking either acupuncture or nutritional guidance.

Nicole Burdock is phenomenal! She truly has a gift for healing people’s lives in a way that goes beyond the average acupuncture session. As someone who has tried several different acupuncturists, I went to the appointment thinking I knew what to expect and was completely blown away.
The initial consultation was much more thorough than any other acupuncturist because she considers all the different aspects of your life, such as spiritual, career, relationships, etc. She explained to me that she does such detailed consultations because she wants to bring balance to her patients’ lives, which made sense to me. I really appreciated the extra time she gave and the attention to detail because I felt that it really made a difference. If you have ever been frustrated by the brief 15 to 20 minutes allotted to the average doctor’s appointment, the Center of Joy is the place to go for someone who will actually listen to you and take time to find out what you need.
I was also surprised at what a difference each session made. Within the first week I was already noticing a big improvement. She recommended some amazing supplements and herbs that I’m sure kept me on the right track.
My mother and I both see Nicole now and our lives have changed as a result. I have seen such an improvement in my own life, and it has been exciting to see an even greater improvement with my mother. She looks and feels better than ever. I am so grateful to have found Nicole and the Center of Joy and am spreading the word to all my friends. I recommend her to anyone who wants more JOY in their lives!