Straight answers about how care works here: what a first visit involves, how a plan gets built, how cost is handled, and what we're not the right fit for. If your question isn't here, call or text and ask.
A full health history, a postural and movement assessment, and a neurological screening — before any adjustment. We ask where you work, how you sleep, what changed in the months before the pain started. That isn't small talk; most persistent problems have a cause somewhere in that history.
You are not put on a table before anyone knows what's going on. The full process is written out here.
Sometimes, and only after the history and examination. Never before. If you walk into any practice and are put on a table before anyone has asked you a question, you're being processed rather than assessed.
Wear something you can move in: leggings, joggers or a T-shirt, anything that lets you bend, lie down and turn over comfortably. Coming straight from work in office clothes is fine too.
Bring a photo ID, a list of any current medications, and any relevant imaging or records you already have. That's it.
A first visit usually runs up to an hour because of the examination and consultation. Routine visits are shorter. We see one patient at a time in a private room rather than an open adjusting bay, so appointments don't overlap.
Three things. First, we listen and examine: your history, how you move, where you're stiff and what your days look like. Second, we adjust: a specific, controlled movement to a joint that isn't moving the way it should, in your spine or in your arms and legs. Third, we give you things to do between visits, such as how you sit, how you sleep and a couple of movements.
No drugs and no surgery. If what we find isn't something chiropractic should handle, we tell you and point you to the right provider. How care works, step by step.
It depends entirely on what you came in for. Someone with an acute problem is typically seen more frequently at the start and tapered as things improve. Someone whose goal is maintaining function rather than resolving pain is usually seen much less often.
There's no universal schedule, and you should be suspicious of a plan that looks identical to everyone else's.
No. Some people come in, resolve what they came for, and stop. Others choose to continue at low frequency because they prefer how they function that way — the same way someone keeps going to the gym after they're no longer injured. Both are legitimate, and the second is a preference rather than a medical requirement.
What is not legitimate is being told you must continue indefinitely or something bad will happen. A care plan is a recommendation, not a contract on your body.
Not routinely. Imaging is warranted when something specific in your history or examination raises a question that imaging would answer — trauma, red flags, suspected structural pathology, or a case that isn't responding as expected.
Imaging every new patient regardless of presentation is not a defensible standard. If imaging is recommended anywhere, ask what question the images are meant to answer.
It shouldn't be. You may feel pressure or hear a popping sound, which is normal. If anything is uncomfortable, say so and it gets adjusted — technique is matched to what your body tolerates, whether that's manual adjusting, a drop table, or a low-force instrument. Some mild soreness after early visits is common and usually settles quickly. Discomfort is not a sign it's working.
Manual adjusting, drop-table (Thompson) and low-force instrument adjusting, alongside soft tissue and myofascial work, rehabilitative exercise, and postural and ergonomic guidance.
We don't offer standalone massage. Soft-tissue work such as myofascial release is part of your chiropractic visit when it fits your plan.
Then we say so and refer you to someone who is. Not everything that hurts is a chiropractic problem, and part of a competent examination is recognizing what belongs elsewhere and sending you there rather than keeping you in the schedule.
Stop trying to hold it. Sitting up straight and freezing there doesn't last: the muscles that hold you up get tired, and you slump. What helps more is changing position often.
Every half hour, stand up, stack your ears over your shoulders and your shoulders over your hips, and take three slow breaths into your ribs. Posture is a habit of moving, not a pose you hold. If your posture problems come from hours at a desk or on your phone, read how we approach tech neck. To set your chair, desk and screen for your height, try the desk setup calculator.
Your head is heavy. Stacked over your shoulders, your neck carries it easily. Tip it forward to look at a phone or a laptop, and the muscles at the back of your neck have to work much harder to hold it there. Do that for hours a day and you get tech neck: stiffness, tight shoulders and sometimes headaches.
The simplest change is the setup. Bring the screen up to your eyes instead of bringing your eyes down to the screen. More on tech neck.
It depends on where the headache starts, and that's what the examination is for. Many tension-type headaches begin in the muscles and joints at the top of the neck, where your skull sits on your spine. When those stay tight for hours, say from leaning toward a screen, the ache can wrap up over your head.
Two habits to try: bring your screen up to eye level, and every hour do a few slow chin nods. If a headache is sudden, severe or different from your usual, see a medical doctor first. Neck pain and headache care.
Yes. Chiropractic isn't only your spine. Your shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, ankles and feet are joints too, and they can get stiff or stop moving well, especially if you're active.
Both doctors adjust these joints, and Dr. Irina Velichko's focus is shifting to them. She looks at how the joint moves and how the joints above and below it move, then adjusts and gives you exercises. A stiff ankle, for example, often changes how your knee and hip move when you walk. Dr. Irina is in on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Shoulder, knee, ankle and other extremity care.
As of October 2026, a first visit is $135. It includes the exam, your first adjustment and a follow-up report-of-findings visit; an adjustment at that follow-up visit is billed separately. Visits after that are $60–$80, depending on whether you're on a care plan or paying per visit. Confirm current prices when you book.
How much care you need depends on what the exam finds, so if we recommend a plan, you'll see the total cost of that plan in writing before you agree to anything. There's no weekend surcharge here. Read the full cost guide.
We don't bill insurance directly. Practically, that means:
Yes. Bring the card and we process it like any other card. We can also give you an itemized receipt in case your plan administrator asks for substantiation later. HSA funds aren't tied to your deductible — they're your own money, available as soon as they're in the account.
Monday: 10:30 am–1 pm, 2–6:30 pm (Dr. Irina)
Tuesday: 7:30 am–12:15 pm, 2:15–6:15 pm (Dr. Ben)
Wednesday: 11 am–1 pm, 2:30–6:30 pm (Dr. Irina)
Thursday: 7:30 am–12:15 pm, 2:15–6:15 pm (Dr. Ben)
Friday: 10:30 am–1 pm (Dr. Irina)
Saturday: 7:30 am–1 pm (Dr. Ben)
Sunday: Closed
Saturday mornings, 7:30 am to 1:00 pm, every week. Closed Sundays. Early weekday appointments start at 7:30 am on Tuesday and Thursday. More on Saturday appointments.
Book online, or call or text (510) 858-5370. Texting is often the fastest way to reach the front desk.
The Shift Chiropractic
435 8th Street #203
Oakland, CA 94607
Second floor, on the corner of 8th and Broadway in downtown Oakland. One block from the 880 Broadway exit and a 4-minute walk from 12th Street BART and about 12 minutes from Lake Merritt BART. There's a paid lot right outside — $3, cash only, as of October 2026 — and it usually has space. We don't validate parking. Street parking is also usually available. Get directions
Please give at least 24 hours notice if you need to cancel or reschedule, so we can offer the slot to someone else. If you're running late, call and we'll adjust where we can.
Yes. Dr. Ben Glass provides care in English and Spanish. Dr. Irina Velichko is a native Russian speaker and delivers the complete visit in Russian — history, examination, consultation and treatment. This is full clinical care in your own language, not translation assistance. More on bilingual care.
Yes. Both doctors see pregnant patients. Dr. Irina is Webster Technique certified through the ICPA and has completed their two-year post-graduate program in prenatal and pediatric chiropractic. Care is available throughout pregnancy and postpartum. Pregnancy care · the Webster Technique explained.
A specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment of the sacrum and pelvis, combined with release of tension in the round ligaments that support the uterus. It was developed for pregnant patients and is used throughout pregnancy.
It is not a technique for turning a baby. Nobody touches or manipulates the baby, and no one should promise you a change in position. Dr. Irina is Webster certified through the ICPA. What the Webster Technique is, and isn't.
Yes. Both doctors provide gentle assessment and care for infants and children, using techniques appropriate to their size and stage. Pediatric care.
No. A good number of our longest-standing patients come in to maintain how they function rather than to resolve something. More on wellness care between visits.
Call or text (510) 858-5370, or book a first visit and ask in person. A first visit is a full history, examination and consultation — you'll know what's going on before committing to anything.
Book a first visit