Oakland Health and Fitness

Licensed dentist Dr. Maya Eydelman is an artist. Not just because the bridgework, resin, and crowns she constructs are sound in both form and function but because her chic dental office is filled with her own creative paintings. Amid the modern gallery vibe, patients let go of their dental anxieties as the gentle doctor helps maintain their oral health with regular cleanings, cosmetic bonding, and Zoom teeth-whitening laser treatments. Dr. Eydelman also helps calm nerves with the aid of sedation dentistry and specializes in oral conscious sedation.

Not only is licensed acupuncturist Sharone Franzen a San Francisco native, she also stayed in the area to study. After earning an undergraduate degree from San Francisco State University, she received a master’s from the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco, where she is now an instructor. Armed with a wealth of knowledge in traditional Chinese medical practices, she treats patients with acupuncture and herbal medicine to help induce the body’s natural healing processes. By combining these techniques she treats a variety of maladies, working to prevent disease, control pain, calm the mind, and strengthen the body more effectively than eating salads made of free weights.

Certified members of the National Guild of Hypnotists, the husband-and-wife team of James D. and Lynn C. Swearingen have been tapping into patients' subconscious since 2006. The duo delves into clients’ minds to discover causes of anxiety, low self-esteem, and emotional trauma before taking steps toward behavioral change. Their treatments also help guests quit smoking, navigate 12-step counseling, or overcome their fear of taking tests while submerged in a shark tank. During each personalized appointment, the Swearingens train patients in self-hypnosis, which requires a minimum of four 50- to 90-minute sessions to master.

Dr. Michael Ruscio has just one problem with conventional medicine: too many pills and needles. Instead of administering harsh chemicals and invasive procedures, he relies on the restorative power of nature to treat many of the most common medical ailments, such as headaches, diabetes, obesity, and depression. His deft hands also adjust backbones to quiet chronic and acute pain and range across the muscles, delivering strokes to tense muscles during Swedish and deep-tissue massages.

For more than 15 years, Active Life Chiropractic has worked to quickly provide relief from pain, and to achieve long-lasting results. Chiropractor J. Scott Threde and his team of massage, polarity, and bodywork therapists build comprehensive treatment plans that include not only pain relief, but recommended lifestyle changes, ergonomic assessments, and referrals to an on-site staff of rehabilitative personal trainers. In addition to providing chiropractic care, Active Life's partnership with Walnut Creek Sports and Fitness Club allows for affordable, engaging childcare through the club's Kidzville program.

In addition to sharing the same parents and dental practice, Drs. Son Pham and Thuy Pham share a devotion to beautifying and restoring teeth through the full range of family- and cosmetic-dentistry services. Dr. Son demonstrates this commitment by continually exceeding his yearly required hours of continuing education, staying abreast of such dental developments as non-mercury fillings, all-porcelain crowns, and whistling dentures. Dr. Thuy, meanwhile, volunteers each year at Remote Area Medical, an outreach program where she provides free dental care for the community.

The dentists' focus on advanced yet comfortable treatments carries into the decor of the practice. Guests are welcomed with cheery yellow walls and vibrant art and relax in treatment rooms sporting LCD flat-screen TVs, on which they can watch a movie of their choice while undergoing treatment.