SF Custom Chiropractic

Qualified for the Boston Marathon for the second time thanks to Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Bailey. Utterly professional, straight to the point, fast and productive… exactly what a no nonsense athlete wants. Dr. Jacobs has earned his #1 status in spades. 2 weeks after running Boston the first time, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. 2 surgeries, drugs, and radiation later, Dr. Jacobs took on the challenge of helping me rehab without flinching and with supreme professionalism. Regaining range of motion and combatting and retraining compensation patterns, this 48 year old body was able to cross the finish line and qualify for Boston again 2 years later. AMAZINGLY! I couldn’t have done it without their help. The best.

I didn’t want to write a review, for fear that an influx of new clients would have me fighting for appointment times or having my pre-​adjustment massages cut short. BUT THEN Dr. Jacobs complimented my new haircut. And I write positive Unilocal reviews for everyone who compliments my haircuts.
I had suffered from chronic migraines for years. I’ve seen orthopedists, physical therapists, other chiropractors, tons of masseuses, acupuncturists… you name it– and only the doctors at Custom Chiro have been able to quickly and comfortably alleviate the strains that were causing my headaches. Turns out, a logical approach is all it took: Relax the muscles with a quick massage, do some active release therapy, make an effective adjustment, and recommend some simple strength building exercises to support the posture that will keep misalignment from happening again. For the first time, I realize that visits to the chiropractor can be progressive, and not something you have to do every two weeks for the rest of your life (even if you want to).
Great staff, great doctors. You should go.

I was always hesitant about seeing a Chiropractor. However, when my trainer, Carlos Arana from Equinox recommended Dr. Jacobs, my opinions changed. Dr. Jacobs and the staff are very customer service oriented. I had two ongoing issues that Dr. Jacobs not only corrected, but he worked with my trainer to make sure I was training the proper way to cause further injury.
A++++

Being a first time patient to a chiropractic center I was slightly reluctant. I am very in tune with my body and the thought of someone re-​aligning me was a little scary. Dr. Jacobs was very informative and walked me through the process. After my first adjustment I felt like an owl. I could literally turn my head 180 degrees. I worked with him for about 4 appointments, followed my homework assignments and felt like we made tremendous progress with my symptoms.
I highly recommend SF Custom Chiropractic.

I started seeing Dr. Bailey at the Washington St. office about 4 – 5 months ago. I have chronic shoulder/​lower back issues due to improper weight lifting. I have seen 4 chiropractors before — 3 in SF and one in colorado — and had zero lasting results with next to no improvements.
Within the first two weeks of treatment with Dr. Bailey my shoulders were 30% better — which for someone who had no previous improvements was HUGE. I continued to see Dr. Bailey 1−2x/week for a month and at the end of these sessions my shoulders were back in tip top shape and I finally had exercises that relieved the tension in my lower back.
When I was in the process of moving from San Francisco to Durham, I began to develop incredibly tight jaw muscles due to grinding my teeth from stress. Dr. Bailey once again came to the rescue and performed amazing (although REALLY painful) treatments in his office and showed me great exercises to perform at home.
If you want to see results — go here.
In addition to the great medical improvements, the staff here is ridiculously kind and friendly.
Also the masseuse they have on staff is one of the best I have EVER had. If Dr. Bailey adds a massage into your treatment plan, think of it as a great treat — a great somewhat painful treat!

I’ve been seeing Dr. Bailey at SF Custom Chiropractic for a bit more than a year now, and I have nothing but great things to say. I am a long distance triathlete (half Ironman and Ironman distance) and I often need an adjustment or some soft tissue work from training. Dr. Bailey is great with ART! He had an excellent manner and gives good advice.
Recently I qualified for 2016 Ironman 70.3 World Championships, and while I can’t thank Dr. Bailey for doing my training, I can thank him for keeping me healthy so I can get it done myself. :)
Thank you!

I went to SF Custom Chiropractice for a few months at the end of 2013 and they did wonders for my upper back, shoulder, and arm. From the repetitive world of retail, I had developed a lot of scar tissue in my left arm and Dr Jacobs did such a great job starting to break it up.
I only wish that my insurance didn’t change, thus requiring that I pay out of pocket if I wanted to continue to go (which I couldn’t, so I didn’t.) If my insurance was accepted now, I’d be going at least a couple times a month. Definitely recommend for both regular work and sports related injuries.

I grew up in a family of physicians and was always told that chiropractors were quack doctors and who caused their patients to be forever dependant on them. Dr. Jacobs absolutely proved this wrong.
I workout 4 – 5 times a week, a combination of personal training and group fitness classes. I began to experience discomfort in my left shoulder that caused nerve pain to run down my left arm and neck stiffness. The discomfort became so severe, limiting my range of movement and mal-​affecting my workouts that I was afraid permanent nerve damage might occur.
Instinctually, I knew I didn’t need «medical» treatment per se; I don’t like to take medication and didn’t think the pain rose to the level of requiring surgery. Deep tissue massages did not alleviate the pain and I wanted to explore other options before making an appointment with a medical doctor. I finally mentioned my discomfort to my trainer who suggested that I see Dr. Jacobs. With full trust and against everything I had ever been told about chiropractors, I went because my pain was excruciatingly debilitating.
Without question, Dr. Jacobs has thorough understanding of the body. In one visit, my pain diminished significantly. Dr. Jacobs completely assessed my body alignment and put together a comprehensive plan for my recovery; a combination of home exercises and in office visits. Over the course of 10 visits, my shoulder was put back in proper alignment, I am pain free and my range of motion is tremendously improved. Additionally, my overall body is in better alignment now when compared to how I felt prior to seeing Dr. Jacobs.
What I appreciate most about Dr. Jacobs is that he did not make my recovery solely dependent on continued visits with him in perpetuity. Dr. Jacobs taught me how to be sensitive to changes in my physical body, especially as related to stress and sitting at my desk job for hours. He provided me with the tools necessary to help me keep my body and shoulder in proper alignment on my own. This, in and of itself, is a testament to Dr. Jacob’s commitment to the continued success for the recovery of his patients.
Dr. Jacobs disproved everything I was ever told about chiropractors. He single-​handedly improved my skeletal and muscular health as related to body alignment. My body feels limber, balanced and pain/​tension free. Without hesitation, I would recommend Dr. Jacobs to anyone who is experiencing body pain and discomfort before seeking relief with medication.

I had my first ever chiropractic adjustment here yesterday. I’ve always been reluctant to give a chiropractor a chance because more often then not, you hear horror stories about someone’s friend of a friend’s sister, who got a bad chiropractic adjustment and now her back problem is worse, complicated and now requires surgery yada-​yada… But despite these stories I decided to give it a try and see for my self. I work next door to SF custom chiropractic and I have a few clients who just rave about how amazing SF custom chiropractic is.
I work as an esthetician. I’m on my feet all day, bending over a waxing bed, waxing brows and Brazilians 40 hours a week.
I wasn’t quite experiencing back pain. More feeling sore, stiff and tight in the head neck and shoulder area. As well as feeling like my hips and lower back were out of alignment. I lean on one hip more then another, it felt uneven and it was causing me to get tired while standing at work. Basically my problem is an over all feeling of fatigue and tightness. from my head, neck and shoulders to my hips.
At my first appointment, I started out by filling out some forms on a touch screen monitor in the adjustment room. I then met with dr. Bailey he and I talked about what was bothering me. Then he lead me to a different area so I could get warmed up for my adjustment. His assistant warmed me up by giving me a nice little massage. She used movements that stretched my lower back which felt really good. When she was done I was lead back into the adjustment room for my adjustment.
Dr. Bailey was awesome. He started with my neck.
With me laying on my back on the adjustment table, he gently took my head in his hands assured me it wasn’t going to hurt and to take a deep breath in and… CRACK-​crack-​CRACK! I could hear my neck cracking, echoing in my skull, before I could freak out, the pleasure of the release literally felt so good tears welled up in my eyes. It just felt so good! I didn’t care how crazy the cracking sounded. He did one side of my neck then the other. Awesome. Then he had me lay on my belly while he worked on my shoulders. He applied heavy pressure to each of my shoulder blades causing them to each pop. Ooooo that felt great too. Now time for my lower back and hips. He had me bend my knee towards my chest, he then twisted my bent knee in the opposite direction POP! Mmmmm felt amazing. Then the other side louder POP! Ooo man. It felt great.
Then I was done! I felt light, I felt relived. I felt loose. I felt amazing! 24 hours after my appointment I still feel great!
I’ve worked with numerous massage therapists, and massage helps but a chiropractic adjustment is by far 10 times better and more relieving then a massage.
I’m annoyed I didn’t find out about this chiropractor thing sooner!
Dr. Bailey is amazing, all the great reviews are accurate. He’s very gentle and he knows what he’s doing. I’m paying for my treatments out of pocket. It’s 180 for the first visit then I believe 90 every appointment after. Well worth the cost in my opinion. Im looking forward to my next adjustment.

Dr. Jacob does an amazing job! He really gets to the root of the problem and creates a plan to fix it! He gave me a great exercise plan to do at home each day in between appointments. It has really helped my posture and it prevents my shoulders from tensing up.
I first came here 3 years ago when I suffered a concussion and had severe neck pain. After three months of treatment I was feeling back to normal. Recently I went back because my neck was really stiff and I could not turn my head to the side. It was from hunching over my computer all day at work. Dr. J diagnosed the problem and gave me a plan to fix it. After a couple of months I am doing much better and I see him on an as needed basis.
I love his staff and they have amazing massage therapist for deep tissue massage to help loosen you up. I highly recommend this place for any back or neck problems!

I have a neurological disease that causes an irregular gait. Naturally, if you’re not walking the way you should be, other issues can arise.
After experiencing some pretty bad discomfort towards my side and lower ribs that wouldn’t go away, my primary physician recommended I look into a chiropractor. I found Dr. Jacobs on Unilocal and have been getting adjustments from him ever since; for a little over a year now.
Dr. Jacobs and his staff are professional, knowledgeable, friendly and are great at putting you at ease. They’ve given me a ton of exercises that help keep me in better shape in between visits. My favorite part of the whole experience, though, is the warm-​up massage. Half the time it feels so relaxing I doze off and and by the time they nudge me to move it along I have mascara imprints under my eyes and potentially even some drool on my chin — so hot, right?
Bottom line: I’d totally recommend Dr. Jacobs and his crew. They’ve helped me immensely.

As a former college athlete and currently teaching fitness classes as a side job, I am accustomed to my body taking a beating and having consistent aches and pains. However, last year I developed chronic lower back pain that just wouldn’t go away despite repeated stretching, rolling out, and icing.
I have always been hesitant to see a chiropractor, skeptical of the field really. It was foreign to me so I tended to believe a lot of the antagonistic hype against it. But the back pain got to the point where I would do anything to get some relief. I was referred to SF Custom Chiropractic by a friend and signed up for a month of sessions with Dr. Bailey.
His approach to chiropractics made me feel confident in his knowledge of the body and his ability to help me. He would explain the process to me and answer any additional questions I had. While some of the actual movements and stretches were painful at the time, I noticed the benefits pretty quickly as my range of motion increased and movements became less painful.
Now, it has been about six months since my last visit and I have not had any further back issues despite maintaining a similarly rigorous level of activity as I was during the pain. Dr. Bailey and SF Custom Chiropractic have been a huge help to me and I would recommend them to anyone in search of quality chiropractic services.

I almost never write reviews, but I had to write one about this place.
I’ve been seeing Dr. Bailey for about 2 months now, and in those 2 months, I have seen more improvement with him than any other chiropractor I’ve seen – some of whom I had been seeing for more than a year.
I have a mild case of CP, and I work on a computer all day so my posture has been shot since I learned to walk. I had plenty of issues that came along with that – I used to wake up with my back and neck in pain, I couldn’t even look down to read for more than 5 minutes without getting a headache because my muscles were so tight, my shoulders used to be one solid stiff mass – I could barely put a jacket on without some ridiculous maneuvers, and occasionally my back would lock up and I’d be stuck for a while and in pain. Although there’s still work to be done, all those issues have gone away since seeing Dr. Bailey.
So, whether you have issues from your desk job at the office, or you have something more serious, I would highly recommend this facility.

There’s not enough good things to say about SF Chiropractic. Immediately upon walking in you are greeted with a very warm and polite receptionist. While briefly waiting to be seen by the doctor she made it a point to open conversation with me and made me feel very relaxed and welcomed.
I met with Dr. Bailey with the hopes to work on some much built up shoulder and neck tension. It had been awhile since I had last seen a chiropractor so I was a little nervous at first. After just 5 minutes with the doctor I was set to ease. He listened to my extravagant run down and history very intently and very rarely broke eye contact with me (which is very important to me!)
He focused on some trigger points that were of issue and with the deep tissue work eliminated some major stress. I have to say with the adjustments and massages it wasn’t just short term relief that I received but much extended long term.
Thanks SF Chiropractic and Dr. Bailey for lifting a burden off my shoulders!

tl;dr: SF Custom Chiro is very average, with an assembly line approach, and limited diagnosis skills. Very limited face time with the actual chiropractor. If you are a hard or unique case don’t waste your time.
If you read over the 5 star reviews here, most are from desk jockeys that are coming in with very basic posture issues. If this is you, then maybe SF custom chiro will be fine. If you are an athlete looking to manage injuries and improve your training then — based on my experience — you need to go somewhere else (I’ll tell you where at the end of this.)
I’ve been playing organized sports, lifting at gyms, and getting involved in extreme activities for over 25 years now. It’s left me with a wealth of knowledge, but also a wealth of baggage in the form of scar tissue and damaged joints. As a result I’ve been going to massage and chiro’s for the past 17 years and have seen the bad, the good, and the best.
SF Custom Chiro has the potential to be good, but I’m forced to recommend that you avoid them based on a few practices that I experienced.
First the overview:
Their system seems nice at first, but it’s effectiveness is questionable. After a while the untrained assistants, traction machines, and touch screen consultations feel mechanical — and you’ll get passed off from the young head chiro to the even younger assistant very quickly.
Now my experience:
I’m new to SF. I was battling a shoulder complication and knew I needed some solid treatment. I went in with shoulder impingement, but it didn’t end up being a normal impingement (which I only found out later.) The injury had caused some soft tissue adhesion/​buildup in the socket that needed to be taken care of first before the basic exercises to address the muscle imbalances would have any effect. Of course, I didn’t figure that out at SF custom chiro. I went there for 2 – 3 months and probably spent close to $ 1000 with zero results.
The chiropractor doesn’t spend much time with you relative to other clinics. They are like many MD’s, they listen to a few symptoms, run them through a mental look-​up table to determine the most likely condition, then they treat that without confirming if that’s really what you are dealing with. They also don’t exactly provide an explanation of how to rehab your injury, they just give you a set of exercises (eg. they don’t say «you have a weak serratus», they say «you need to do wall angels.») And since you get passed off to an assistant, there’s no check-​point for them to see if their treatment is working.
I also had a big issue with the way they handle massage. The first time I saw a therapist there she asked «what are we doing today» and when I asked «Didn’t the chiro explain my condition» she said «no», she had not talked to him at all concerning me — this was surprising since I asked the chiro multiple times if he would verbally update her before my session and he said yes. So I overpaid for no reason. I could have gotten that average massage anywhere.
After a couple months and a lot of money spent here I had zero results. In fact, because I spent time doing their stupid rehab exercises instead of actually working out, I left in worse shape than when I entered.
I went back to Unilocal and searched for «active release therapy» and «ART» among massage therapists — because that’s about the most advanced sports massage approach out there right now. I found two and only one of them could fit me in after work, Mark Valderrama at Bay Area Bodyworks. Mark spent his time 1:1 with me focused on the injury, moving my arm, checking the muscle and soft tissue.
About 20 minutes in he had a fair idea of at least one of my issues and by the end of the massage I actually felt results. He is independent, but works out of the office of Alex Callister a great chiropractor. In the same time and for the same amount of money that I wasted at SF Custom Chiro, I went from barely able to do a push up, to putting 50lb dumbbells over my head.
So as for the 5 star reviews here, if you are a special-​case (and aren’t we all special?) then I’d steer away from SF Custom — and perhaps even look into Mark and Alex.

There are a lot of myths when it comes to chiropractic care. You hear it’s not necessary, your joints grind on each other when you go through an adjustment, or it’s safe to do adjustments on your own. I am here to say that is a bunch of bull. Everyone should look into chiropractic care, and Dr. Jacobs and his team are the best around.
They stop by the Equinox Pine Street fitness center every Tuesday to help educate our top trainers. We know when our clients should look into a chiropractor, and how it can benefit them in a health and wellness spectrum. Keep up the great work.

SF Custom Chiropractic is the best. Go right now — you will not regret it. The entire team is incredibly friendly and easy to work with, and the office runs like a well-​oiled machine. They go out of their way to accomodate busy schedules and even email/​text appointment reminders.
Most importantly, Dr. J is an amazing chiropractor. He is incredibly knowledgable and intuitive. He explains things as he goes and understands how to not only get your spine functioning properly, but offers exercises and lifestyle changes to keep it that way.
I highly recommend him and the rest of the SF Custom Chiropractic team!

The SF Chiro team is absolutely on point.
Not only will they address the structural misalignment and muscular tension causing pain, they will also coach you through exercises to strengthen problem areas.
Shout out to Dr Jacobs, Dr. Baily, Massage Therapist Beth Binegar & the incredibly friendly supporting staff.
Pay SF Chiro a visit, your body will thank you.

I love SF Custom Chiropractic. The staff is knowledgeable, friendly and very welcoming. I feel totally comfortable the second I walk in the door and have never doubted the doctor’s knowledge. They don’t just tell me what exercises they’re doing but also why. I have seen both Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Bailey and feel totally confident in both of their abilities.
I went to SFCC with a **severe** case of cervical kyphosis as well as degenerative osteoarthritis in my lower back. I was experiencing extreme dizzy spells and vertigo that were causing me to have to work from home. The doctors took my case very seriously and created a treatment plan for me from day 1, letting me know that first they’d decrease the pain & dizziness and then we would work on building muscle memory so that I would see long term results.
The relief I experienced after every visit was immense and built upon itself. They also gave me at home exercises which I do daily and have made a huge difference. After 6 weeks I am essentially pain free and have full motion in my neck. The results are truly amazing. The dizziness left nearly immediately and, as mentioned, I saw results after even just 1 visit.
I have heard chiropractors (in general) criticized for telling patients they need a ton more appointments. People say «once you start seeing a chiropractor you never stop». I can say that SFCC does not do this. They have been very honest and said that, based on my results, I can decrease visits (though shouldn’t discontinue just yet because I would lose momentum). There is an end in sight though. And while I will miss Dr. Jacobs & Dr. Bailey that is a huge relief! I honestly wasn’t sure I’d ever be pain free and have full range of motion.
The staff is also great about rescheduling if you need to. While this is not hugely important it’s an added nicety that I appreciate given my hectic schedule. I would highly recommend this practice to anyone in need of a chiropractor and/​or experiencing dizziness they can’t find the root cause of.

Equipped with modern technology and a passionate staff led by the impressive and knowledgeable Dr. Jacobs, SF Custom Chiro is the most effective center in which I’ve ever been treated.

I can count on one hand how many Unilocal reviews I’ve written, but I felt inclined and honored to pay this place a well-​earned accolade.
Here’s my story:
A couple months ago, I had completing my work day with an immense amount of lower back pain. I was doubled over. Time was inching toward 6:30 and offices were closing. Every other office (including some I should mention.) rejected my plea, even with their Dr. still on location. And then. Descending from the heavens. Dr. Jacobs at SF Custom Chiro went out of his way to cancel his dinner plans that night to help me. And wow, what an experience. Even the staff stayed over time and without a hint of complaint. Everyone there wanted to make sure I was treated right and left in good shape. Unlike other places, I didn’t get the whole chiro sales technique. His goal was to educate me on the issue at hand and then provide me with techniques and exercises to prevent future waves of pain.
To add, it wasn’t the standard quick crack. He used a combination of high-​tech equipment and message therapy to warm up the muscles around my spine to avoid any tight muscles from snapping the treated bones back out of place after the adjustment. Well. It worked! He rid me of the pain and I’ve been a happy regular at SF ever since.