Update: this post originally announced that chiropractic care had arrived at Happy Head. It is no longer accurate. We do not offer chiropractic adjustments or spinal decompression therapy. Happy Head is a massage business — that is all we do, and it is what we are good at.
Rather than quietly delete the page, here is a straight account of where things stand, because people still arrive here searching for it.
What changed
For a period we offered chiropractic alongside massage at one studio. That arrangement has ended. The service page it pointed to is gone, the pricing quoted at the time no longer applies, and there is no chiropractor to book at any Happy Head location.
What we actually offer
Massage, at seven studios across San Diego, from $69 an hour, with no membership and no contract:
- Foot reflexology and body combo — our signature, and the $69 starting point
- Swedish — the gentler, flowing option
- Deep tissue — firmer, targeted work on the stubborn spots
- Plus prenatal, four-hands, couples and group bookings — all on the services page
If a tight, aching back is what brought you here, deep tissue is the usual choice. What it will do is give you short-term relief from pain and muscle tension, which is a real and worthwhile thing. What it will not do is realign anything, and we are not going to tell you otherwise.
If you were looking for a chiropractor
You will need to find one independently — we can’t refer you to one in-house. A few things worth doing before you book anywhere:
- Ask about their education and licensure, and check the credential rather than taking the word on the window. We wrote up how to do that for massage therapists in this guide, and the same instinct applies.
- Tell them your full health history, including any medications.
- Ask how many sessions they expect you to need and what it will cost you out of pocket, before the first appointment rather than after it.
- Be wary of anywhere selling long prepaid packages up front, or treating adjustment as a fix for problems that aren’t musculoskeletal.
We went through what the research actually supports for spinal manipulation, and where massage honestly fits around it, in this guide to spinal decompression and chiropractic care.
When back pain needs a doctor, not a booking
Neither a chiropractor nor a massage therapist is the right first call if your back pain came on after a fall or accident, is getting steadily worse, wakes you at night, or comes with numbness, weakness, or any change in bladder or bowel control. That is a same-day GP or urgent care conversation. A massage is a good hour; it is not a diagnosis.
Book what we do have
If an hour of genuinely good bodywork is what you’re after, book a session or find your nearest studio. Walk-ins are welcome at all seven, though weekends get busy.
