What happened to me at this clinic is unacceptable, unethical, and a complete violation of patient trust. I had a long-standing, positive relationship with this office. Christina McDonald, the owner, treated my father for years. Her son, Martin McDonald, had helped my son with shoulder dislocations -- and for those after-hours visits, he charged $200 cash and gave me his personal cell phone for direct contact. Every time -- without fail -- I made one thing crystal clear: NO NECK ADJUSTMENTS. EVER. We were not comfortable with them, and that boundary was firmly communicated, over and over again. I recently went in for treatment related to my hand, not my neck. I explicitly told Martin again: No adjustments. Especially no neck manipulation. During the first visit, he respected that and simply used tools and tape. I started to feel better. Then I returned 5 days later, asked for the same treatment, and was told to lie down. Without any warning, explanation, or consent -- he grabbed my head and cracked my neck. I was blindsided. Terrified. Shocked. And then he casually walked out and said, "That'll fix your hand." This was not a misunderstanding. This was not a mistake. This was a violation. I said NO. I said I was afraid. I said it multiple times, in multiple appointments. He did it anyway. As a result of that one reckless, unwanted act: * I've been to the ER three times * I've had multiple medical consultations and now need an MRI * I'm in constant, daily pain * I've been unable to work for over a month * I've had to hire help for basic tasks -- including someone to wash my hair * I can't drive, can't sit through a meal, can't do basic chores * I've lost money on a non-refundable vacation and Mother's Day plans * I've spent thousands of dollars trying to manage the damage through massage, medication, and anything I can find for relief I reached out to Martin directly using the personal number he gave me -- the same one he told me to use when he was collecting $200 in cash. I was angry, in pain, and feeling completely violated. Yes, I used profanity in my texts. I was furious, and rightfully so. But instead of taking responsibility, he dismissed everything. He said: "If it's money you want, call my ex-wife. She took it all." "I live on $1,000 a month." "Jesus doesn't like the F word." "This line is for friends and family -- call the office." So when he's taking money, I'm "family." But when he seriously injures me, I'm told to take a number? I then contacted Christina McDonald, hoping she would do the right thing. She admitted she was concerned about Martin, mentioned his divorce, possible health issues, and that there was no excuse for what happened. She seemed sympathetic and followed up with me -- promised I wouldn't need legal action, that she would make it right, and that she would talk to her husband. Then came the silence. More calls, more messages. Excuses. Eventually, I got a message through her secretary, saying they were now getting a lawyer involved. So after all this -- the pain, the trauma, the financial loss, the inability to function -- I was ignored, dismissed, and lied to. None of this would have happened if Martin had respected the word "NO." He was told not to touch my neck. He did it anyway. And now I'm the one left picking up the pieces of a life he disrupted with one reckless decision. This isn't just about a chiropractic adjustment. It's about consent. Boundaries. Basic human decency. And the complete lack of professionalism or accountability shown by this clinic. If you value your health, your safety, or your dignity -- think twice before trusting this place read more

Preference Chiropractic Clinic - Chiropractors Near Me - Chico, California

I went four times and the male doctor didn't greet me, wasn't very nice. Not mean, just distant. He released neck, yet he couldn't help my SI joint, lower back. Went in with severe pain, left each time with severe pain. The last time, he tried to do an adjustment for sciatic pain, turned around and just left the room. I hollered down the hall asking when I should come back. I never went back. The billing lady was nice. read more

Absolutely the best Chripractor care I have ever received! The office ladies are amazing, Dr Martin has been a life saver. He listened and adjusted slowly to make sure I could tolerate. My neck has never felt so amazing and my migraines are gone. Best chripractor office in Chico. Everyone should go see Dr Martin! read more

Been going for years now. Love them! I recommend them to everyone I know needing help, we take our athletic kids too to keep them aligning fine through sports and growth. read more

Candace is amazinggg!! Always seems to know what I need to adjust and how to maintain feeling great!

I have been going to Preference Chiropractic for over 20 years. You are in amazing hands with Christina. She is the best chiropractor in the North State. read more

Wonderful staff and very clean office. Dr. McDonald is kind, knowledgeable, and fantastic at adjustments. 100% will go back.

Dr. Candace and Dr. Martin (mother and son) both treated me while I was pregnant. I had never received chiro care before and went because my baby girl was breech and I heard chiro care might help her turn. I went to the office about 10 times in the final weeks of my pregnancy. Candace and Martin are wonderful people, along with the rest of the staff at Preference. I was pretty emotional and distraught at the thought of having a c-section and while that was the outcome, these people made me feel hopeful, cared for, and helped relieve a lot of prego pain in my neck, back, and hips. I don't write many yelp reviews but I had to take the time. Thank you McDonald family! read more

Preference Chiropractic absolutely changed my life! I HIGHLY recommend that you consider them for your chiropractic needs. The office staff is amazing and the Dr.'s are very passionate and knowledgeable. I cannot say enough good things about this team! read more

My daughter has been seeing Dr. Candace for almost two years. We LOVE this place. Dr. C is knowledgeable, friendly, professional, kind, and funny. We always leave with great information for overall health and my daughter always feels so much better after visiting. This office is a blessing to us. My husband sees Dr. C and Dr Kristina. He has had an ongoing knee/hip issue. He thought he would have to have adjustments for quite awhile, wrong....they fixed him in three visits. Love love love this office. read more

Hands down the best chiropractic office in Chico. Talented, thorough, and knowledgable, the awesome family team Christina, Candace, and Martin have helped me out SO much with chiropractic care over the last few years. The front office crew is absolutely delightful and I am amazed they are able to squeeze me in at times without much notice if I feel a migraine coming on, and the relief I feel after being adjusted is profound. I have been to a chiropractor that tried to sell me a $2000 treatment plan (that I almost fell for because I was so over the pain my migraines caused me), and that office made me feel like I was just a dollar sign, I was in, adjusted, and out, and when my body didn't respond to an adjustment, well, that was just too bad. This is the complete opposite of my experience at Preference Chiropractic. I mostly see Dr. Martin, and he's willing to work with me and try different styles of adjustments/tools to help me. I never feel like he/they are in a rush, and always take the time to check in and make sure I feel great before I leave the office. I am so grateful a friend referred me to their office and I have made countless referrals to friends. The office has a cozy, homey feel and my kids love tagging along with me to my appointments and are always made to feel welcome. If you are looking for chiropractic care in Chico, get to Preference Chiropractic, they are THE BEST! read more

I'm a big fan of this place!! My favorite is Dr Martin but I've also seen Dr Christina McDonald and she is great to! They listen and can usually figure out the problem without laying their hands on you then they do an assessment to confirm it. Schedule is usually very accommodating even for same day appointments. Look no further for a chiropractor that cares and isn't out to get your money by signing you up for weekly visits like a lot of them do. read more

I had back pain due to sciatica issues for 2 months ,was debilitating to the point of not being able to move without pain! Work, walking, sitting all hurt . After the 1st visit with Dr Martin got about 80% mobility back , after the 2nd visit (1week apart) almost back to 100%. I am recommending him to anyone and everyone! Anyone with chronic pain knows how pain free is a blessing! read more

I hate going to the doctor. I LOVE going to Dr Candace at Preference Chiropractic. She is so knowledgable, and is totally open in sharing what she knows with you; showing she truly cares about your health and wellness. Not only will she adjust you, she will send you home with stretches and exercises to help maintain your body's peak performance. Her adjustments are so gentle (and effective), setting her apart from many chiropractors. I started seeing Dr Candace while pregnant with my daughter, as she is certified in the Webster technique and has specific additional training to work with pregnant women and children. She helped align my pelvis in preparation for my natural delivery and eased my back pain. Since then, she has seen my newborn and was so gentle in helping get her body transitioned to the world. She guessed correctly that my daughter had been favoring one side of her head/neck, and gently coaxed it back to the proper position. Dr Candace also took the time to explain what benefits, such as helping with the liver, this specific adjustment would bring my daughter. Then she went on to offer tips on breastfeeding. The price is beyond reasonable, especially for the care you receive. I hear the chiropractors here are all family, so I'm sure you can't go wrong with any of them. I'm so glad I found Preference Chiropractic. read more

Don't hesitate to go to any of the chiropractors at Preference Chiropractic, they are amazing! Not only do they know what they're doing, but they're wonderful people. I started out seeing Dr. Christina McDonald 25 years ago and have gone there off and on throughout the years. Seeing her children working in the business alongside her with such skill and patience is beautiful. read more

Dr Christina McDonald has been my chiropractor for over 20 years and I have only positive things to say about her practice. Dr McDonald listens to her patients. Her interventions are as minimally invasive as possible. Her Skill, affordability, and kindness will keep me coming back as her patient. read more

I had never been to a chiropractor before, mostly because my insurance doesn't cover it and I wasn't sure if I could rationalize the expense for something I didn't think I needed. I'm 37 weeks pregnant and at 35 weeks, found out my daughter was breech. I got online and did a ton of research and found that the most reliable method for turning a breech baby is a chiropractic adjustment using a specific technique called the Webster technique. I called around and looked online and found that Preference Chiropractic regularly does the technique and works on pregnant women (in fact they were the only practice I found in Chico that's certified in this technique). I talked to my doctor and she confirmed that this was the best option and referred me to Preference Chiropractic. At my first appointment, I was super nervous. I'm a big believer in alternative care, but the idea of having someone manipulate my body while heavily pregnant honestly scared me. I started to relax as soon as I sat down in their waiting room. It was packed! Full of people from all walks of life- kids, elderly, other pregnant women, college students, etc. and many/most of them seemed to be repeat patients, which eased my mind. I waited a couple minutes for my appointment, then went back and as I was walking in, another pregnant woman walked out, which was also comforting. I saw Dr. Christina MacDonald, who has a ton of experience with Webster technique. She was really patient, knowledgable and kind, and I liked her and felt comfortable with her immediately. I'm happy to say that as of my 5th appointment today, my daughter is no longer breech! It was a bit of a commitment going in 5 times in 2 weeks, and it got a little pricey because of my insurance not covering it BUT it's 100% worth it to be avoiding a c-section. I cried tears of happiness when I found out it had worked. If you're looking for a really caring, compassionate, family-oriented practice- whether pregnant or not- I would highly recommend them. If you are pregnant and have a breech baby, call immediately and schedule an appointment ASAP and get started with your adjustments. I didn't have much hope on my first appointment but I'm so glad I stuck with it and I really appreciate the care I've received here. read more

Very friendly staff and doctors. Very affordable Chiro care too! Love the homey comfy office.

LOVE DR. MARTIN!!!! I saw him after a car accident, and the only reason I stopped seeing him was because I no longer live in Chico. Great doctor who walks you through your adjustments. And he's a Giants fan!!!! Extra points for that! But seriously I can't recommend him enough and his staff is awesome! Great Dr, who is down to earth, and easy to talk to if you have questions or concerns. read more

My husband and I have been successfully treated by Christina for different issues over the years. She demonstrates superb insight and intuition, along with experience and training. The first time, my husband was hesitant to see a chiropractor but was immediately sold when Christina made huge progress for his condition after other medical professionals had little to offer. The first time I saw Christina, I was in pain from an unusual dislocation of my scapula. Christina figured it out, made corrections, and gave me the perfect exercises to do for follow up. Occasionally the issue begins to reappear and the exercises put things back in just a few minutes. I've had other issues over the years and Christina seems to have a sixth sense for helping me get back to normal quickly. I've recommended her to a number of folks who sing her praises. I hear only positives regarding her practicing family members in this office, as well. read more

I have been coming here for a long time and I always get a good, affordable adjustment. I like that I am usually able to get into see the doctor the day that I call. I live in Redding and have not found a chiropractor that I like in this area but I am in the Chico area often and I always make sure to go to Preference to see Dr Martin McDonald. I have seen the other doctors there too (his mother and sister) and they are very good as well. I love the laid back family atmosphere, cute house that the office is located in and the staff is super personable and do a great job. They are also knowledgable about health and wellness. A+. read more

This place is truly wonderful. I've been going to Dr. Candace for about a year and a half now. At first I was terrified of seeing a chiropractor but I was in great need of one for my back. I explained to her how I felt about chiropractic and she was so kind and understanding. She started working on me just with just the equipment at first and slowly transitioned to adjusting me manually when I began to feel comfortable with her doing so. She's so good about explaining the process, answering any questions and listening to her patient's concerns. I've been worked on by Dr. Christina too, and she has also been great. Everyone in this office is very kind and they all work to make you feel comfortable. The environment is very inviting. read more

If I could do 10 stars I would. My husband sees dr Martin and I see dr. Candace. She helped me so much during my pregnancy. I think it's going on a year of going once (or twice a week when pregnant) and a lot of pain has gone. She is so caring and nice, and great with the kids :) I feel sad knowing one day I may move or something and not have her as my chiropractor! Before you go to the doctor go see her read more

SHADY!!! I've been there twice now at the recommendation of several friends. The first time, they billed me $52 even though their cash price is $32 (didn't tell me that until they already charged my card) and my insurance copay is $40. They said they couldn't verify my insurance copay at the time so I needed to pay the full price and anything I paid over would be credited on my account for the next visit after insurance covered the cost. I went back today for an adjustment and they charged me the full cash price. When I asked about the credit from my first visit they told me there wasn't one. They said they never actually billed my insurance so there was no credit to apply to my account. There "must have been some miscommunication" between the front desk and billing (all two of them). They also stated they would submit the billing now if I wanted them to but basically threatened me with a higher bill because they were going to "have to bill" for more than just a visit if they were submitting it to my insurance. The doctor is nice enough, but his office ladies are super shady! Bill the insurance or take cash price, don't say you're going to bill them and then not do it and pocket the difference! I don't mind paying whatever the price is, but I can't stand dishonesty and thievery. read more