TESTIMONIALS

What our patients are saying...

Clare A. Avatar
Clare A.
5 star rating
I come from a family of western medicine Doc's so I was biased learning about what chiropractic can offer. In just a few months I'm sold. I've never come across a doctor whose job is caring for me as a whole human being- physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual etc.. I have struggled with anxiety and also digestive and GI problems my whole life. In just a few months, I've learned so much! Dr. Joe and other good chiropractors educate you instead of treat you like a diseased person. They bring you to optimal health by not just focusing on reducing the symptoms but by actually going to the root of the issues and allowing your body to learn to heal itself. I trust Dr. Joe and will continue to see him because I have seen such wonderful improvements and I would recommend him to anyone and everyone!
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Mia F. Avatar
Mia F.
5 star rating
I am so grateful to have found Dr. Smith. As an athlete who likes to push my body to the limits and a career which compromises my neck and back I have been "fixed" by Dr. Smith many times. I am still amazed at how the partial tear in my hamstring has now been flawless for the past two years and how after moving one weekend and suffering from excruciating shoulder pain I walked out of Dr. Smith's office completely carefree. I don't understand all the techniques and modalities he employes but they absolutely work. He is thorough, attentive and entirely dedicated to helping you feel your best. Bring him your worst problem and he will undoubtedly create an effective treatment plan and solution for you. Thank you so much Dr. Smith!
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Jennifer M. Avatar
Jennifer M.
I'm in the midst of my healing journey and I recommend Dr. Joe to everyone who will listen. He's able to connect ALL of the dots and get to the root cause, ultimately saving my sanity along with time and money. I'm so thankful.
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Starla D. Avatar
Starla D.
5 star rating
Dr. Joe is brilliant, kind, patient and deeply supportive. I've been to numerous integrative doctors, healers, naturopaths and medical professionals and he's the best! He uncommonly brilliant holistically and scientifically - and knows things and can connect the dots in ways for each unique person and their unique health challenges - that very few practitioners can. I've referred 4-6 of my friends and relatives to him as well and they all agree!
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Nicole Maddox Avatar
Nicole Maddox
I have struggled for years to discover the root cause of my ill health. Dr Joseph Smith took the time to listen to my history and ordered bloodwork. He immediately offered a comprehensive plan. Very quickly upon following the plan I saw an improvement in my health. My sensitivity to gluten and gut issues lead to autoimmune diseases that if not for Dr Joseph Smith would have decimated my future. Chronic migraines, joint inflammation, brain fog, chronic allergies and fatigue seemed to control my life. I now experience a full life. Hiking a few times a week. No more migraine, or joint swelling and my sessional allergies are unnoticeable. Dr Joe is my hero!
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Loren S. Avatar
Loren S.
5 star rating
Dr. Smith is extremely knowledgeable and patient, taking time to understand your background, determine the root cause of the issue, and then explain his approach to remedying it.

I had neck pain and impaired mobility for weeks. He adjusted me and applied various Applied Kinesiology techniques. I recall he pressed somewhere on my shin-- and surprisingly it was sore there. Post treatment, I felt 100% better and have not had that issue since. Amazing.

He also brought awareness of the impact/influence of specific food on the body. I have suffered from terrible headaches my whole life and have seen many specialists/allergists/ENTs in an effort to figure out the cause, with no success. Dr. Smith had me closely monitor what I ate and I discovered a correlation with drinking milk and getting a headache. I had no idea all these years. I now drink milk substitutes [rice milk, almond milk]-- and it has made all the difference.

Dr. Smith has devoted his life to improving the health and well-being of his patients. I highly recommend him and only wish he would open a second office in SF!
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Zoe K. Avatar
Zoe K.
5 star rating
There aren't enough stars in the Yelp galaxy to express my appreciation and enthusiasm for Dr. Joe and Lighthouse. Within two days of my first visit, he gave me renewed energy, within 11 days, he gave me a new body, within 15 days he gave me a more vibrant personality and a more powerful brain, and I'm sure that when we meet again on day 17, he will have given me a whole new life. In half a month he has corrected a lifetime of struggles. I had given up on myself because I had reached out to every kind of doctor for answers and they only left me with more questions, mainly "Why can't you help me?" followed shortly by "Why am I paying you to tell me that I'm hopeless?" I felt lost and had accepted the darkness as a part of my life until I bumped into Dr. Smith on the street.

To say that Dr. Smith has a gift would trivialize his intellect and his devotion to his work, but what he has is far more special than mere skill. In a single glance he can give you a better idea of what's going wrong in your body than you would receive from hours of work with a specialist or single-modality practitioner. Dr. Smith passes no judgment and his openness made me feel comfortable being completely honest with him, instead of presenting the "best" version of myself. My life changed after my first session with Dr. Smith and looking back, I can't believe what bad shape I was in. I am 24 and already my memory, energy, and interest in life were waining (I now know that this was due to brain degeneration... yep, at only 24). Since working with Dr. Smith, I have felt healthier and happier than I have in my entire life -- childhood included -- and after my first adjustment combining chiropractics with neurology, the good doctor gave me the best day of my whole life at age 24.

Dr. Smith is brilliant, kind, and driven. He will work as hard as you towards your recovery and if you're willing to give your health 100% of your effort, you will see a 100% improvement in your health and quality of life. His service-based philosophy and commitment to the greater good (if you ask him, the greatest good is to find the cause and he delves directly to the root of all your problems) make him stand apart from any medical practitioner I have known professionally or socially. His motivation is to help you help yourself. He describes his role as being that of a teacher, and he teaches his students how to live healthily in their bodies. With Dr. Smith you will be treated as an individual with a unique set of circumstances and this is the key to recovery-- and, boy, does that recovery happen quickly with personalized treatment.

There is no doubt in my mind that Dr. Smith can treat any person suffering from any kind of ailment, and even those who do not yet know that they are ailing. His approach is TRULY holistic and he gathers his techniques from various healing arts, so you are not seeing just one doctor. Every one can benefit from his approach which deals directly with the root cause and works from the ground up. It works not just for physical and mental health, but in all facets of life. Dr. Smith believes that a healthy world is made up of healthy individuals and I am certain that if every person knew a Dr. Smith, the world would see a 100% improvement. Miracles happen more often than you think.

*Caution: health and happiness may be habit-forming.
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Mercy .. Avatar
Mercy ..
5 star rating
He is a great doctor. Very kind and welcoming. Makes you feel like one of the family. His adjustments are so good almost makes you wanna fall asleep. He really caters to the aching parts of your body. He will talk you through what he's doing and how it's going to benefit you. Very nice guy and he's very personable highly recommend him.
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Nic M. Avatar
Nic M.
5 star rating
I have worked with Dr. Joe for about 5 months now. I've waited this long to put up some "reviews" since health journeys are long (mine included) and I didn't want to make any major statements until I had a good sample size of facts. Anyway, I've decided the facts are overwhelmingly in and here's my major statement: Dr. Joe has truly changed my life for the positive and I would wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone.

I found Dr. Joe through an incredible Youtube lecture he gave on "food sensitivity" and after gathering my courage, reached out to see if he was interested in treating me (my issues revolve around allergy, digestion, blood sugar, terrible energy, Eosinophilic Esophagitis, ect). He was and we began our work (which I'm still in the thick of today). As I do not live in San Francisco, we initially skyped and I was so impressed and excited that he actually listened to my health-story (something sadly many health care practitioners don't do). From my symptoms described and a written questionnaire, he ordered a series of tests he was interested in seeing the results of, which I proceeded to do (mostly blood work, some stool). When these results were in, we once again met online and he gave me his ideas and prescriptions (diet, supplements, lifestyle, ect.) which I've been following since and we tweak when needed. Eventually I went up to SF to see Dr. Joe and did a 4-day intensive which was also fascinating and productive. Now we are in weekly contact, we still do tests and tweak my lifestyle, but my symptoms and outlook are miles and miles improved since I started 5 months ago. I feel safe with Dr. Joe. I trust him completely and feel like he really knows me medically, something which is rare and I'm so grateful for.

Dr. Joe is worth every penny, a true, powerful science-based holistic approach to healthcare. He is an incredibly smart and kind person and I am truly honored that I get to work with him. It hasn't been an easy process, but change never is - it is not an exaggeration when I say every aspect of my life has improved under his tutelage. I don't have to feel as bad as I once did. Life doesn't have to be that way. Dr. Joe has empowered me through my health. I am truly, truly grateful. If you are struggling with a health issue that seems too complex to manage (and maybe other Doctors are not listening), I sincerely urge you to give Dr. J a call and see what he has up his sleeve.

10/10
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Raina S. Avatar
Raina S.
5 star rating
This just in!! The amazing Dr. Joseph Smith has curred me of a lifetime of physical discomfort!! I've been to everyone and done EVERYTHING but he was able to figure out exactly what my issue was and what I needed. He is well worth the drive, the money, and the dedication! I've never been so happy!! Thank you so much Dr. Smith!!! =)
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Renee Z. Avatar
Renee Z.
I went to 20 allopathic doctors in 10 years in an attempt to to deal with my chronic pain and chronic GI symptoms; all 20 told me there was nothing wrong with me, and all 20 did blood tests and declared the normal. Finally, after I had endured one migraine very literally after the other for two months straight, I found Dr. Joe. It took him 30 minutes to begin hypothesizing, and the labs he ordered proved him right. Celiac Disease, SIBO, adrenal fatigue, blood sugar imbalance, and a bonus brain asymmetry. Three days after I saw him the first time and after I made the diet and medication changes he suggested, my migraine went away and never came back. Three months after I began working for him, the excruciating nerve pain I'd had for over a decade went away -- and it hasn't come back. I had been on vicodin for pain, adderall for (supposed) attention deficit, and klonipin for anxiety for a decade; I am off all of them now. He has very literally saved my life. He's a total genius, and I'll never trust another physician again -- unless it's one whom he recommends. He has the unfortunate job of telling lots of us the things we do NOT want to hear: my diet is pretty restrictive, and I had to give up lots of things that I loved dearly. Add to the diet stuff that the medications that had been the only reason I could function eventually had to go, too. These are scary propositions, and they were hard to hear. But holy crap have they (along with his interventions) worked. I miss coffee, but I don't miss the abject physical misery I was in. I'm not sure how many decades I'd have left -- or how many I'd spend out of a wheelchair -- if I hadn't found him. Whatever it is that is making you sick, he will figure it out. Without a doubt.
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Hayley Bustos Avatar
Hayley Bustos
I have been working with Dr. Joe for over a year and he has helped me achieve many of the goals that I had for my health. I was in a very dark place when I started working with him, consumed by frustrating symptoms and unable to find answers. He gently and brilliantly helped me find many of the answers within myself while guiding me through labs and testing to help us find more answers. He truly listens to peoples stories and is able to clearly understand how their life experience has contributed to their health issues. Dr Joe is truly passionate about finding the root cause of an issue! He is incredibly intelligent but also intuitive and wise. I feel so deeply grateful for the opportunity to partner with him on my wellness journey. His staff is also wonderful, Nancy is kind, patient and responds super quickly with updates and guidance. I highly recommend Atlas Health!!
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Ryann M. Avatar
Ryann M.
5 star rating
After an extremely long health journey that involved so many doctors and five years of my life, I am content because I have a doctor that I trust and have full faith in. When I met Dr. Joe, his approach was different. It was evident from the moment we met that he truly cared. Dr. Joe worked tirelessly and never gave up until he finally found the root cause of my issues. Once we understood my health challenges, Dr. Joe developed a plan to guide me back to optimal health. During the process of testing, reviewing lab results, and evaluating various treatments, Dr. Joe made sure my mental health and stress levels were managed properly. He gave me meditations and pep talks and was a true supporter throughout the entire process. When I was healthy enough to exercise again, he evaluated my exercise routines to ensure that I was exercising optimally for my condition. As I became healthier, he checked in on me and has always been available when I needed him. I know this statement is very bold, but I can honestly say, Dr. Joe saved my life. It feels wonderful to know I am in good hands and that I truly trust my doctor.
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Nicole M. Avatar
Nicole M.
5 star rating
I have struggled for years to discover the root cause of my ill health. Dr Joseph Smith took the time to listen to my history and ordered bloodwork. He immediately offered a comprehensive plan. Very quickly upon following the plan I saw an improvement in my health. My sensitivity to gluten and gut issues lead to autoimmune diseases that if not for Dr Joseph Smith would have decimated my future. Chronic migraines, joint inflammation, brain fog, chronic allergies and fatigue seemed to control my life. I now experience a full life. Hiking a few times a week. No more migraine, joint swelling and my sessional allergies are unnoticeable. Dr Joe is my hero!
read more