Flow Chiropractic and Family Wellness Center - Berkeley, California

Brianna Darcey

I recently had my first chiropractic experience with Dr. Ariel at Flow Chiropractic, and it was fantastic! As someone who works in healthcare, I truly appreciate a thorough intake and a provider who takes the time to explain everything in detail. Dr. Ariel did exactly that, and I loved every minute of nerding out over the body with her. She is incredibly sweet, has a wealth of experience, and you can tell she has a genuine passion for what she does. I felt completely at ease and well taken care of throughout the entire session. If you're looking for a knowledgeable, caring chiropractor who goes above and beyond, I highly recommend Dr. Ariel!

Rebecca Altman Budak

Dr. Ariel has magic in her hands! I started seeing Dr. Ariel in 2020 in the height of the pandemic while pregnant with our first ivf miracle baby. She took care of me throughout pregnancy, during which I’d walk into her office with all kinds of pain from my growing belly and my significant scoliosis and walk out literally free of pain with so much more mobility. I’ve gone to many other chiropractors over the years and there is NO ONE else like Dr. Ariel. She helped me prepare for birth and get baby in the optimal position. Most recently I’ve been seeing her after a late pregnancy loss and her work has been so healing physically but also emotionally. A few weeks ago my son woke up with raging ear pain and was screaming from pain all day until we walked into Dr. Ariel’s office. I left with a happy child free of ear pain and we even avoided antibiotics directly because of Dr. Ariel’s adjustments. She can really do it all. What a gift to be cared for and supported by her!!!

Kaitlyn Azevedo

While pregnant, I started seeing Dr. Ariel at the beginning of my 3rd trimester after I began to have pain in my pubic area and lower back, and saw her until I delivered my son. I was planning to see a chiropractor closer to my due date because I had read about all the benefits chiropractic care lends to delivery, but I was so thankful to find her when I did. Dr. Ariel's adjustments are gentle but extremely effective. In addition to explaining what was happening to my body, she also provided guidance on the appropriate types of exercises and movement best suited for me. As a result of my visits, Dr. Ariel helped me to alleviate the pain I was experiencing, and make me feel more comfortable in my growing body. I also felt more confident in the birthing process knowing my baby was in the optimal delivery position, much of which I attribute to my consistent chiropractic visits. Seeing Dr. Ariel was a little sliver of "me time" as the setting is very relaxing and comfortable. As soon as my son was born I took him in to see Dr. Ariel for an adjustment as well as have my postpartum body reevaluated. The birthing process impacts both mom and baby, and I knew chiropractic care was something I could do to help us both adjust. Since seeing Dr. Ariel, my son is less tense and he can move his neck more freely. I highly recommend Dr. Ariel during pregnancy, postpartum, and once baby arrives!

Ilgin Ivy Chan

This is my second review of Dr. Ariel's practice. The first was concerned with her help during the last few weeks of my pregnancy. I believe she contributed to the ease of my labour and birth and I continued seeing her after we welcomed our little one.

I have to admit that the first month after the baby was actually tougher than I expected (tougher than the birth itself!). The lack of sleep, the baby and us getting used to each other, the little one's need to be constantly held- and all of these when the body is trying to recover from the birthing experience (however "easy" and wonderful this experience might have been). I have had pain I never knew before the baby- my back and neck, especially, after hours of breastfeeding and baby-carrying, gave me enormous pain.

The first change I realized after starting to see Dr. Ariel this second time around was the ease of these pains. Every week has been better since then. Not only has she eased the already existing pain, but she has also given me incredibly easy-to-do exercises/moves to prevent further pain. Currently, I have no neck pain whatsoever, the back pain is almost gone, even though the baby is considerably heavier by now! I have developed pain on my heels and knees, unfortunately, and I am looking forward to bombarding Dr. Ariel with questions about those spots.

Dr. Ariel also worked intensively on re-aligning the pelvis. This is crucial because of the birthing experience itself, but the postpartum period has effects on the pelvis, too. As a new parent, my focus has been on the baby. I have not paid much attention to my posture, to how often and for how long I stand up, bouncing the little one and so on. Dr. Ariel has shown my body the care I have not been able to show.

In a couple of days, I am taking my baby to Dr. Ariel for infant alignment. After all, babies have gone through a traumatic experience, too-being born cannot be easy:) What is more, I have been reading about how a simple, painless adjustment can help babies with issues like reflux, and with developmental milestones. This re-alignment usually helps with sleep, which is great for both the babies and the parents! I cannot think of a better place to trust my baby to. I look forward to writing another review focusing on Dr. Ariel's help with infant-care.

Katie Castles Shaffer

Early into my third pregnancy, I started experiencing lower back pain/sciatica.  At the end of both of my previous pregnancies, sciatica was a majorly painful problem, however I never sought out help.  My midwife (new care for my third) suggested I meet with Dr. Ariel and I'm beyond grateful that I did.  Dr. Ariel's understanding of the body, especially within perinatal, and how to care for it is outstanding.  I saw Dr. Ariel consistently through my second and third trimesters.  Because of the regular care, my pain was minimized and we addressed issues as my body changed before they became problems.  Not only was my pregnant body (back, hip alignment, etc.) looked after, but Dr. Ariel helped realign and create more mobility in my neck - a chronic issue for me that I didn't realize was the cause of my other ailments, namely migraines which I have not had again since seeing Dr. Ariel.  Approaching my delivery, I felt "in tune", as best prepared for labor physically as I could be.  Dr. Ariel is not only amazing working on the body, but she also has sound advice about pregnancy, the baby in utero, postnatal care and general wellness.  She quickly became a trusted sounding board for me in our sessions.  Since having the baby, I have continued to see Dr. Ariel as has my daughter.  Labor is no joke on your body, and Dr. Ariel helped realign me and get back to a place of stability very quickly.  When my daughter presented challenges with digestion and colic, Dr. Ariel was able to draw the connection of a neck tilt/compression that she helped my daughter work through so that it didn't become something more serious like torticollis.  Further, Dr. Ariel's office is an incredibly comfortable place for mama and baby, and big kids alike.  In efforts to remove any reason to not come and seek care, Dr. Ariel's office welcomes everyone to hang in the waiting room with her awesome Office Manager Nicole, so that Mama (or Dad) can get their time in with Dr. Ariel.  Dr. Ariel is lovely and so incredible at what she does.  I highly recommend coming to see her!

Arran Schultz

I cannot overstate my gratitude for Dr. Ariel and her caring work. I was pregnant with my third babe and experiencing some very bad hip pain. In a desperate search for relief, I read that a chiropractor may be able to help and I found Dr. Ariel on Yelp. My weekly visits to her during the later stages of my pregnancy helped me so much and they were a lovely, calm, centering experience as well. I would come in with pain in every step and walk out feeling great. Not only is Dr. Ariel a very skilled and knowledgeable chiropractor, she passed on a lot of helpful information about other pregnancy-related, baby-related, and post-partum issues. I've also enjoyed seeing her after having my baby as my body resorts itself. I went today after a lingering sore neck got to be too irritating and she fixed it completely. Even after all that she's done for me, I'm still amazed when 10 minutes on the table fixes all my problems... She is also very welcoming to children which is a great relief when the only times I can make it are with my littles in tow.

Jordan Gillick

Dr. Ariel and I first spoke during an initial phone consultation, and I was instantly impressed with her attention to detail and desire to get to know me. I decided to pursue treatment with her when I was 18 weeks pregnant.

Having seen a total of five chiropractors in my life, I am able to speak from experience. Dr. Ariel spends quality time with her patients listening to and addressing their needs. She makes it a point to always ask, "how's your body?" Tell her the truth! Not every chiropractor will take the time to do specific adjustments so this was a welcomed change.

Dr. Ariel is also Webster trained, which is the main reason why I initially sought care at her practice. She understands how to implement specialized chiropractic care that tends to the unique changes and needs of the pregnant woman. I had a pain-free pregnancy and relatively quick labor/delivery and am CONFIDENT it was a result of my time at Flow Chiropractic. She even made a trip to adjust me while I was laboring.

Transitioning into postpartum was wonderful for me as well. Regular adjustments during and after pregnancy greatly contributed to my physical, mental, and emotional recovery. Friends and family regularly commented how "easy" the entire process seemed for me, and I couldn't have done it without Dr. Ariel!

Also, don't forget that she treats the whole family. My husband, a self-proclaimed chiro-skeptic FINALLY committed to care under Dr. Ariel. He was able to relax and get the treatment he needed thanks to her gentle nature and technique. She also skillfully adjusted our newborn on several occasions. We absolutely could not have been happier.

Thank you, Dr. Ariel, for your wonderful care. We love you and we miss you!

Kamalpreet K

We had a very productive experience for our 7 month old with Dr. Ariel. Our son was experiencing noticeable physical tension in his upper body due to the birthing process, severe reflux, trouble swallowing and possible oral restrictions. These issues caused him pain and bad sleep problems. In the first session, Dr. Ariel honed into his upper body tension, diagnosed him with a upper gag reflux and suspected tongue ties, for which she referred us to a pediatric dentist. Our son’s tension has significantly decreased - he reached his unassisted sitting milestone and started turning on his own after just one session. Not to mention the pediatric dentist referral which was a god send.

Dr. Ariel is gentle yet highly effective. She has a high command of physical anatomy and is able to find the source of the tension and connect the dots between symptom and cause. I highly recommend Dr. Ariel for your child.