Pain Management

Over 15 years ago I became a patient of Dr. Ashley when he was at his old north PB office by Gold’s Gym, and stayed on with him during his move to Mission Valley. Back then I was still feeling the effects of getting thrown off a horse and having my car rear-ended that had happened ten years beforehand. My MRI indicated bulges in two of my discs, as well as neck whiplash. I had sciatic nerve and lower back pain and discomfort. When I first saw Dr. Ashley for my condition, I immediately felt comfortable with him and knew that he really cared about my physical and emotional well-being. I had been to a few other chiropractors before, but he was the first one to be able to adjust my neck, enabling me to experience relief and increased mobility. He also gave me exercises to complete, and later on referred me to the personal trainer Noelle, who helped me with strength training and movement. After continued chiropractic care, Dr. Ashley recommended that I undergo a standing MRI in order to assess my progress. I was astounded when I learned that the new MRI results showed that I no longer had bulges in my discs. My chiropractic care could move into a period of maintenance and support rather than focusing solely on ‘healing’ my injuries. When I became pregnant with my first son more than 11 years ago, I was very worried about an increase in my pain and discomfort. I had heard many stories from pregnant friends whose physical ailments intensified, and some who endured lower back and hip pain for the first time. To my surprise, I learned Dr. Ashley can easily perform manipulations on pregnant women. I maintained my adjustments every two weeks before I delivered, and RARELY had any back or hip issues, or spike in my pain. Without being under Dr. Ashley’s care during that pregnancy and the following one, I truly believe that I would have experienced a lot more discomfort and pain. A true testament to my commitment to chiropractic care is that my sons, now ages 10 and 8, also receive chiropractic adjustments with Dr. Ashley. He assesses their needs and carefully adjusts them. If he determines that they do not require adjustments during their appointments, then he will not do any manipulations. Additionally, throughout the years, the office staff has become like family to me. They have gotten to know me and my children very well. The staff reminds me about appointments, and when I have a flare-up or require immediate attention, they ensure that I get seen by Dr. Ashley at his very earliest convenience. I feel grateful for everything that Dr. Ashley and his staff – Anna, Heather, Kyla and Liz – do for me and their other patients every month, and I am happy to refer my friends and family to them. Without their care, attention to detail and support, I know that my health and overall well-being would be very different than it is today. With much appreciation and gratitude to them, I write this story of success. -Stacie Bresler-Reinstein-

My name is ILeana V. And I want to tell you my testimony about how my visit to the Chiropractor has given me back my life. Literally! A couple of years ago I lived one of the most terrible experiences of my life. And it is not an exaggeration what I am going to tell you: after several visits to the doctor and specialists for headaches, sore throat, neck pain, back pain, stomach pain, chest pain, general body pain, feeling tired, pain and numbness on my legs, arms, hands and feet. My symptoms were getting worse! Stayed several nights in the emergency room, due to lack of air, intense chest pain, problems speaking, long episodes of depression and anxiety, migraines and headaches that I had never felt also sadness, crying, stress, fear, despair and frustration. I do not even remember the name of so many medicines I had to take! Even more; My moral and anemic state was shattered. My face was pale, had dark circles, eyes crying and reflected anguish, despair and sadness. We did not know what to do! My husband found Dr. Ashley J. Herfindahl’s office; from the first visit you feel well taken care of and comfortable. Liz, Heather and Kyla; The reception girls are so attentive, friendly and always good! They are the maximum. Dr. Ashley J. Herfindahl is very attentive, respectful and trustworthy. It is a very warm facilities and a friendly atmosphere. When he examined my nerves and took the x-rays; I was surprised. The truth I was a little incredulous! I was feeling so bad, knowing and having consulted doctors and specialists; how was it possible that in this office they could help me? I was so desperate to feel good that I tried it! And now I do not regret it. It was the first time I had visited a Chiropractor. They gave me a brochure and they explained that every body’s is and reacts differently! And I was going to experience different reactions. In my first adjustment, I felt so strange. My first reaction was to cry, all night! But it was a cry of relief, of liberation. And I felt better! In my first massage I was crying too! Can you imagine how bad I felt?! Thus passed the adjustments and each day were minor “Corrections”. Less migraines, less depression, less pain. The numbness in hands, feet and arms disappeared. No pain in the chest and throat. I feel stronger and better. I understood many things about how the body works. It was truly incredible!. Now over the course of almost a year I feel much better physically, emotionally, and mentally. I can do the things I couldn’t longer do. The mere fact of being awake, eat, think. All these things were pain for me. It was not easy for me; especially because I live an hour from here, and had to came 3 times a week. I still need work more; especially in my neck. But you know? For real; No matter what you have! Because you can have from a simple stomachache, and you don’t know that this can be due to your lower back? Can you imagine everything that can be affected sentimental, moral, and physically; and that the problem can be solved with a visit to the Chiropractor? When you really want to feel better and there is no doctor, pill or place to help you; You have to do this!: Go with a Chiropractor; WITH MY CHIROPRACTOR! Dr. Ashley J. Herfindahl.

-ILeana V.

After retiring and moving to San Diego, I was experiencing severe back and leg pain with no idea who to turn to for relief. Several friends recommended Dr. Herfindahl with positive comments and praise. I am so glad that I took their advice. Walking into his office I was greeted by friendly staff who promptly introduced themselves and helped me with all my paperwork. I met with Dr. Herfindahl and reviewed all my medical concerns. He was professional in his approach to the problem and after completing the initial testing, recommended a series of decompression treatments along with his adjustments. The difference has been night and day! I no longer have the debilitating pain and can resume my daily activities pain free. Dr. Herfindahl has been there through the whole process, making adjustments in my treatment when needed and offering suggestions to maintain my health in between treatments. I would highly recommend Herfindahl Chiropractic to anyone who is experiencing limited mobility and pain. His office staff are friendly and very helpful, with a big smile to all who walk through the doors, and “Dr. Ashley” is akind, caring professional whose main focus is the overall health of his clients. -Ann Marie Kissel-

Hi There! My Name is Moji Afcari, I am an Infant Educator/Early Interventionist & for the past 10 years I have been working with children ages 0-3 who are at risk for developmental delays or who have pre-existing conditions such as: Down Syndrome or Cerebral Palsy. I provide therapeutic & educational evidence based practices through play in the children’shomes that benefit their cognitive skills, physical skills, speech & language development, social/emotional development, self-help skills and lastly behavior management. I absolutely ADORE my job & love to watch the children I work with succeed in their development. Like some occupations that come with drawbacks, mine is no different. My job requires me to sit on the floor with the children I work with; hence it’s taken a toll on my body; especially my back causing me lots of pain. Fortunately, back in February of 2013 I sought the help of Dr. Ashley Herfindahl’s Chiropractic Services who was recommended by a friend. Needless to say, Dr. Herfindahl has tremendously helped me to get some relief from the pain I was going through every day. I continue to see Dr. Herfindahl on a weekly basis & I really look forward to my appointments; not only for the relief he gives me; but also for the wonderful smiles & positive attitude I receive from Liz & Heather. I highly recommend Dr. Herfindahl; because not only is he professional and gets you relief; but also because you are treated like “Family” every time you visit him. Warmly, -Moji Afcari-

I found Dr. Herfindahl’s offer of $47 for an x-ray evaluation of my spine/posture on the internet. It appealed to me because the price was right, and at that time my hip hurt so much that I could barely walk. My prior chiropractor did not have x-ray capability and relied primarily on muscle testing for his diagnostics and treatments. I was so impressed with Dr. Herfindahl’s array of options for treatment! It made a lot of sense to me to be treated by activators, given my spinal misalignment, which was apparently the result of forty years if sitting hunched over a desk, in my career of an aircraft pricer/estimator/contract I am now walking without any pain, and am working on building endurance in my walking, so that I can once again take walks with my lovely wife, who has encouraged me throughout the course of my treatment. -Don R. Bukovich –

When we reach a certain age we are told that aches and pains are just part of the process. The inability to move the way we once could, accommodating immobility all seem to be part of the norm. But guess what? Thanks to practitioners like Dr. Ashley Herfindahl I have been able to regain some of my youthful flexibility. I suffered from low back, shoulder and knee pain. In my first visit to Dr. Herfindahl was able to identify areas of my body that were impinging movement. There was a visual scan image that were red and black indicating more severely affected areas of my body. After 6 months of treatment we did another scan and as they say in traffic “Green means GO!” As good of a chiropractor as Dr. Herfindahl is, he can’t do it alone. He is only as good as his patients who follow his recommendations. Sometimes I am not a good patient. But Liz and Gigi always do what they can to get me in so Dr. Herfindahl can work his magic. Thanks to all of you for making Herfindahl Chiropractic a fun and helpful place to be. You are all fantabulastic!

– Donna Stewart

I was seen by Dr. Herfindahl, as my primary caretaker, but also have been helped by GiGi and Liz, either with setting me up for traction or doing stimulation on injured areas of my body. When I first came in I was having horrible neck/upper back pain that made it difficult to breath, I couldn’t turn my head, and it was continuing to get worse. I learned I had underlying issues with my alignment but what really set it off was jet skiing about a week prior and slamming down really hard causing a whole jolt up my body. I had also been dealing with long term (10+ years) shoulder pain (torn labrum) as well as hip/lower back pain due to years of poor posture, trying to appear shorter, hypermobility, and also hunching in on myself due to chronic pain. It ended up I had many alignment issues, a good majority in my upper back and neck, that were causing issues all down my body. Most of my issues have been resolved, or decreased by probably 85%, since I started seeing Dr. Herfindahl. My upper back alignment has been mostly corrected, which has left my lower back without it’s proper curve, but that is to be expected as we have been working on my alignment from the head down and as we work on the lower back, I’ve found a very large percentage of my chronic hip pain has disappeared. I don’t have the neck issue at all anymore either. The reason I only say 85% for improvement is because I have some other issues, besides just structural, that also require me to work on the actual muscles as well as the underlying structure of my body. I have started working with a physical therapist while also continuing to get my chiropractic adjustments and continue to see improvements every week. As someone that has been dealing with chronic pain for over 10 years (due to endometriosis), I honestly never thought I would feel as good as I do now. I had not realized how my chronic pain caused me to put my body in bad positions, and how long term that just compounded the pain I was dealing with. Although chiropractic care cannot fix my endometriosis, it has helped fix many of the issues dealing with long term pain caused and has given me a quality of life that I did not think I could have. It is amazing to only have to deal with my endometriosis pain and not have to also deal with neck, back, hip pain as well. I would. I wouldn’t (and didn’t) believe the believe the benefits of chiropractic care until I worked with Dr. Herfindahl. I’ve seen other chiropractors in the past but none of them have taken the time to really explain what is going on with my body, and what a treatment plan would look like. Also, none of them have ever done traction, given me exercises to help with stabilization, or used stimulation to help with pain and inflammation. I am constantly blow away when I come in with some ache or issue, and more often than not he notices the issue before I can even tell him about it. He is also good at listening when you try, sometimes poorly, to describe what symptoms you are having, and being able to translate that and make the adjustments that are needed to resolve the issue. My overall experience at the office and with the team has been very positive. Gigi and Liz always greet me with a (genuine) smile, they seem to take a real interest in how their patients are doing physically and mentally and do whatever they can to make sure you are taken care of. They explain what they are doing every step of the way, and don’t get annoyed if you forget and ask them for an explanation again at future visits. Dr. Herfindahl has an impressive memory, asks you for updates about your life, remembers what you discussed last time you were in the office and treats you as more than just a patient on his table. That is something that is rare for doctors that are constantly moving through people all day and it makes you know that you aren’t just a dollar sign.

– Ashlie M

I have been seen by the wonderful Dr. Ashley and Dr. Chris. I also have had the pleasure to be taken care of by both Liz and Gigi! The entire staff has honestly taken care of me in one way or another during my time at Herfindahls! They don’t just care about your physical health and healing but you’re mental and emotional as well and are always there for a quick chat or pick me up! The entire staff makes the office have a wonderful, bubbly atmosphere!

I have been seen for 12+ health issues past and present. I have seen an amazing progress with the correction of my spine and neck! I also love the exercises they have given me that have helped me strengthen my core for continued health and wellness! I also have had two different types of traction that has made a world of difference!

My health issues are getting immensely better! The adjustments are amazing and always make my body feel much better! Dr. Ashley will also focus on specific problem areas or issues during appointments, and I always feel much better and experience much less pain after each adjustment! As a music teacher and singer, correcting and helping my posture is so important for breath support and singing tone. The posture also helped immensely as we transitioned over to distance learning, and I had to work from home in different environments.

I would absolutely love to recommend Herfindahl Chiropractic to anyone who would listen! The adjustments and traction are wonderful while being surrounded by a light, fun atmosphere provided by the office staff.

Overall, I absolutely love Herfindahl Chiropractic! They truly care about my health and wellness: physically, mentally, and emotionally! I truly look forward to my visits to chat with Gigi and Liz and have all my billing/paperwork needs taken care with a breeze! They are super flexible and helpful for my questions and needs! Dr. Ashley and Dr. Chris are very educational and professional while providing wonderful adjustments and traction! Herfindahl Chiropractic is absolutely fantastic!

– Anna Johanns

Dr. Ashley saw me just for a regular check-up! Even if nothing is wrong, when I get adjusted I feel much better! I will recommend Dr. Ashley to anyone I can. I am always happy when my mom tells me she scheduled an appointment for me!

– Alyssa Yip

As a last resort chance of avoiding back surgery for my degenerated and compressed discs, L-3, L-4, & L-5, I came to Dr. Herfindahl to try spinal decompression. It worked better than I imagined and I was able to return to my retirement activity of raising goats. Since then, I was able to raise 19 goats and still remain active.
Additionally, I was spared surgery on my shoulder for 15 years past the date it had been scheduled because of Dr. Herfindahl’s magic shoulder adjustments. I have recommended Dr. Herfindahl to several friends and family members and some of them have also benefitted from Dr. Herfindahl’s unique techniques. I continue to get tune-ups on a monthly basis to remain in peak condition.
The office staff and decompression assistants are likewise unique and indispensable to successful and enjoyable treatments. My highest review ratings go to Dr. Herfindahl, Liz, Gigi and Kyla.

Thank-You so much,
-Bob Philley

In late November 2021, I started feeling a strange twinge in my lower left back. Thought it would go away but instead, that pain started traveling through my lumbar region and left glute/leg. It was a “familiar” pain path—which almost mirrored my original disc herniation that occurred in my L5/S1 back in 2011-2012.

With much mental rehearsing to calm my own fears, I told myself “I am NOT getting a spinal fusion”. My massage therapist referred me to “this great chiropractor” and assured me that before I even consider calling my back surgeon or my regular doctor, I need to call Dr. Herfindahl! Much to my surprise, the kind, understanding woman who answered the call immediately claimed my initial fears. Upon arrival to my appointment, I was completely impressed by every facet of the experience and learning what a subluxation was! Wait…. Liz made me repeat the word, twice! (LOL!)
When Dr. Herfindahl came into the exam room I noticed that he was sporting some cool socks and shoes and believe it or not, that also calmed my fears. As he expertly educated me on what he does and how spinal SUBLUXATIONS impact the organs, I was thinking to myself “NO WAY” because he pin-pointed so much of what I was experiencing, health-wise! He made it abundantly clear that until he reviews my x-rays, he will not know if he can help me. He told me that he can’t reverse any physical damage, but he certainly can HELP to get me on the right path and reduce, if not eliminate the pain. I was so floored with the knowledge I gleaned from Dr. Herfindahl in that one appointment, that I shifted from fear to comfort and gratitude.
After reading my x-rays, Dr. Herfindahl asked me “Are you ready? This will be intense but worth it.” I recall that fear resurfacing and I had to interrupt him and asked “Intense, as in pain, because I can’t handle any more of that” as he smirked and said, “Intense as in commitment — attending appointments, following up on home assignments and exercises and complying with the plan kind of intense” and I said “Ohhh I can DO that!”

I’ll have to testify— I was still a scaredy-cat to get adjusted and had visions of crazy yanking motions in my head—you know, the kind you see on IG and Facebook. Anyways, my first adjustment was NOTHING like I feared, so my fears subsided, and peace covered me. I knew I was with a healer.

I immediately started decompression therapy; I still had a little fear-not going to lie. But Liz, who is the ultimate caretaker, calmed me down, too, just with her innate kindness and beautiful spirit. She was real and down to earth and made me laugh. Then, there was Kyla running around helping all of us by turning off timers and getting me hooked up to e-stim and making sure I was comfortable and had ice when I wanted it and teaching me how to do “the ABC’s with your foot” to regain ankle strength, which was GONE…maaan, I started feeling better mentally and spiritually!!!

I started to feel far less pain and was beginning to sleep after the first two weeks of treatment, I knew that I was exactly where I was called to be. I continued to heal over the next several weeks of treatments where I was able to sleep a full night, then was able to start sitting again and now I am totally pain free.

I’m in the maintenance phase now and come in for adjustment and traction weekly. I am so incredibly grateful for divine alignments and appointments. I’m so glad Dr. Herfindahl answered his calling as an educator and healer! Shout out to Liz and Kyla as well because this dynamic team CARES, and it shows in all they do, every day. It’s not very often that I walk into a doctor’s office to welcoming smiles, shared laughter, GREAT music, and honesty. Those things matter—and are all part of the healing process!

-Betsy Walker