Dade W. Donovan, DC

San Mateo, United States

5

20 reviews

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Telephone:
+1 650-348-4233
Website:
www.drdade.com
Address:
700 South Claremont St Ste 111, San Mateo, CA, 94402
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.4 miSan Mateo
0.9 miHayward Park
1.8 miBurlingame
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Today –
Local time (San Mateo) 20:05 Thursday, 26 June 2025

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Description

Specialties

Dr. Donovan specializes in conditions of the extremities and spine with special emphasis on rehabilitation, and prevention of re-​injury. Areas of particular interest are sports injuries, postural syndromes and cumulative trauma injuries.

Dr. Donovan combines Active Release Techniques and instrument assisted soft tissue work with a variety of Chiropractic techniques to produce rapid relief and optimum recovery.

Frequently a variety of other factors can contribute to an injury and/​or complicate recovery. Dr. Donovan overlays a holistic approach that addresses Diet, Rest, Exercise, Alignment and Mindfulness (D.R.E.A.M.) to ensure patients respond optimally and are able to enhance their own self help skills.

History

Established in 1998.

Dr. Donovan discovered Chiropractic after he himself was treated for an old soccer injury. The treatments quickly resolved the chronic elbow and neck pain that had affected him throughout college. Dr. Donovan attended Life Chiropractic College West in Hayward where he graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1998.

Dr. Donovan added Active Release Technique (soft tissue release work) to his practice in 2002., finding it a powerful tool to help patients with sports injuries and repetitive stress injuries. Additionaly, he uses a whole person approach that addresses any contributing causes of health problems. Diet, Rest, Exercise, Alignment and Mindfulness all affect health in both significant and subtle ways. Addressing these in addition to the structural work allows patients recovery faster.

Meet the Business Owner

Dade D.

Business Owner

Dr. Donovan discovered Chiropractic after he himself was treated for an old soccer injury. The treatments quickly resolved the chronic elbow and neck pain. In addition to traditional chiropractic techniques, Dr. Donovan is full body certified in Active Release Technique™.

Dr. Donovan is a San Mateo native. Outside the office, he enjoys spending time with his family. He likes to be outdoors, to row, backpack, hike, cycle, garden, travel, and can be somewhat fanatical about soccer.

Dade W. Donovan, DC also recommends

Massage Therapy By Maren Collins

10

reviews

Massage Therapy

Dade D. says,

«Our in house massage therapist. Great hands, intuitive and caring. Specializes in Lymphatic Massage but uses a variety of other techniques as well.»

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20 reviews of Dade W. Donovan, DC

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Place rating: 5
San Mateo, CA
Dr. Dade is fantastic. He listens. He asks questions. He is empathetic. His gentle manipulation and use of active release technique producers excellent relief from pain and discomfort. Dr. Dade brings tremendous knowledge of lifestyle changes, exercise and new technologies to his holistic practice. Dr. Dade is a true health care professional.
Place rating: 5
San Mateo, CA
Excellent Chiropractic office. From the front-​desk to the massage therapist to the chiropractor — every one is top notch, first rate.
Dr Donovan provides a chiropractic adjustment during the 20 minute session, and also takes a look at any other part of your body that may be giving you trouble. I really appreciate the adjustment as well as the continued guidance towards overall body support and strength. I am glad that he is certified in ART therapy, because I have felt much relief in my shoulder during my visits with him this year. He also took a look at my ankle and is helping it heal in a better way for my overall structure and posture.
Dr Donovan is very knowledgeable and kind, and I am so happy that I found his office on Unilocal
Place rating: 5
Burlingame, CA
Dr. Dade practices a hands-​on form of chiropractic care that’s both rare and powerful. I’ve seen other chiropractors — and now that I’ve discovered this approach, and experienced Dr. Dade’s insightful and effective care, I would never go anywhere else. I am so grateful to have found this office. Thanks Dr. Dade!
Place rating: 5
Burlingame, CA
Dr Donovan is very thorough in his assessment, asks the right questions and really listens to my needs. I went to him when I first moved to the area because I had plantar — his treatment helped me get rid of it quickly.
Due to some back pain last week, I was able to get in the same day. Even though I hadn’t been in in over a year, everyone treated me with respect and kindness. His office staff, Dee and Linda are helpful and equally kind. Highly recommend Dr. Donovan as he really cares about his patients.
Place rating: 5
San Mateo, CA
If I could give him more stars, I would. On a one-​to-​ten scale, I would give him an eleven!
Dr. Donovan is very thorough in his assessment and treatment. I went in for back pain that I had neglected for years (I slouch and have a very full chest). Immediately after his first treatment, I started to feel so much better. He is very gentle and even knows to treat areas of pain you don’t tell him about.
I had surgery on my foot last year and I will just say the experience was a bit of a nightmare. I told Dr. Donovan about the pain I was still experiencing in my foot almost now a year later. Not only did he do adjustments on my foot (I didn’t even know chiropractors could do this), he watched how I walked and recommended excellent inexpensive foot inserts. My own podiatrist I saw didn’t do this. My foot feels so much better, the swelling went down and it’s all thanks to Dr. Donovan.
Dr. Donovan has a bedside manner that is hard to find in doctors these days. You can tell he genuinely cares and will go above and beyond to help you. He has fit me in on rather short notice and he indicates on his voicemail greeting he will go beyond business hours to help his patients.
One last thing, his office staff is super. I don’t think I have ever looked so forward to visiting a doctor’s office. They are all very good to me. If you’re looking for a chiropractor, look no further. Dr Donovan and his staff will take excellent care of you!
Place rating: 5
San Mateo, CA
Dr. Donovan is an exemplary chiropractor. He has a great knowledge of physiology and addresses needs well. I’ve been to him with various back and neck issues over the years. My husband has seen him many times primarily for neck issues.
Two additional things mark Dr. Donovan as a great health care provider.
First, he does not play the «you need to come in for regular maintenance» game. If the series of treatments has led to relief from pain and better function, he is perfectly happy to tell you to call him if you need him. I have dealt with chiropractors who seem more interested in guaranteeing my repeat business than in actually curing my problem than I care to discuss. Dr. Donovan is absolutely not like that.
Second, he knows when you need care from other providers. My husband’s neck thing was not getting better, and at one point Dr. Donovan said he was concerned about continuing treatment without further diagnostic information. He encouraged my husband to seek care from a DO or MD, and/​or to get an MRI. My husband got an MRI which showed serious degeneration in his cervical discs. Dr. Donovan was smart to hold off on further chiropractic treatment until getting this information, because the wrong approach could have led to serious injury. Dr. Donovan understands the link between chiropractic and other treatment approaches and is not a zealot about chiropractic medicine.
Dr. Donovan is an excellent addition to any care team, and a nice guy on top of that. We highly recommend him.
Place rating: 5
Belmont, CA
Always 5-​star service at Dr Dade’s. From the greeting at the front door through to the appt, I feel welcomed, cared for and understood by a truly professional staff and doctor, all with a great sense of humor too!
Place rating: 5
Brookings, OR
dr dade donovan is the best doctor i know for his care, concern and for going the extra mile. he is my hero, time and again. and on top of all this, he is an all-​around great guy.
my husband was having lower back pain earlier this year. after ordering an x-​ray and mri, dr donovan recommended my husband see his primary care physician to whom dr d sent a note suggesting pool therapy exercise. when we got to the pcp, that pcp denied receiving the note and refused to prescribe therapy, saying it wouldn’t help. (we have since changed pcps.)
well, when we went back to see dr donovan after the visit to the pcp, frustrated and feeling helpless, dr d called in a prescription to the mickelson pool for therapy. we’re in the middle of the scheduled therapy now, and owe a debt of gratitude to dr donovan.
i can’t think of the right superlatives to describe how wonderful i believe dr donovan is.
Place rating: 5
Daly City, CA
I have seen Dr. Dade on two separate occasions over the years and I have to say I’m so impressed. I’d never seen a chiropractor before Dr. Dade. I wasn’t entirely sure what they did. Now I know. They help with a lot of things.
Everyday I drink a powdered nutritional supplement with juice called Deeper Greens. It’s how I get my daily servings of fruit and vegetables. I didn’t know about this product, but Dr. Dade recommended it since I want to, but don’t eat enough fruits and veggies during the day. I’m now hooked on it.
My latest reason for seeing Dr. Dade was a case of frozen shoulder. This is where you get intense pain around the shoulder and down through the arm. It came on without any actual trigger event and has caused me a lot of pain.
Dr. Dade has helped me to stabilize the pain and slowly reverse its course to get better. He told me after the first appointment that I shouldn’t worry and that it would get better. I appreciated his sincere confidence.
It was well placed as I am certainly on the mend. What I really like about Dr. Dade is his deep knowledge of chiropractic and the human body, nutrition, and Active Release Technique, which he used with me for another condition. He really knows so much.
He’s always on time, too, which is great. I truly recommend him to others.
My Growth Coach tip for business improvement: Give your chiropractic patients who’ve not seen Maren, your massage therapist, a complimentary short session with her so they can experience her service, too. I suspect that a percentage of them would then become her clients as well.
Place rating: 5
Redwood City, CA
I had been struggling with some physical issues with my hands and feet for a few months. After numerous visits to my doctor and acupuncturist I was just about ready to give up hope of feeling normal again when I booked a visit with Dr. Donovan. After two sessions my issues have completely gone away. I would not believe it if it didn’t actually happen to me.
Thank you Dr. Donovan…
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Dr. Donovan always knows how to give me relief by fixing my neck, shoulder, and/​or back when my alignment is off. He also has a good sense of humor. He is the best! His receptionist, Dee, is wonderful.
Place rating: 5
Alameda, CA
I have chronic back pain and Dr Donovan is the best! He has a large skill set to draw from (love A.R.T!) and I always walk out feeling better. He’s compassionate, listens, and takes the time you need for treatment. He has an answering service that will page him if you have an emergency outside of office hours (I was sooo grateful when I had to use this) and he has seen me on a Saturday.
Dee, the administrative person, is wonderful and chipper and I look forward to her appointment reminder phone calls.
Maren, the masseuse, is amazing. She is very intuitive and uses hot rocks. I’ve also had several Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage sessions. I had no idea what they were, but they have really been making a difference.
There are so many wonderful things to say, but I heartily recommend you visit Dr Dade’s website at:
Place rating: 5
Concord, CA
Let me just start by saying, I finished the stormy and miserable California International Marathon on Sunday. It may have been the slowest marathon of my life, but I was amazed that I actually was able to finish it, and that is all thanks to Dr. Donovan.
I have always had a lot of running injuries, due to pushing myself way too hard and going way too fast. Not to mention I have one leg shorter than the other and mild scoliosis which I’m sure doesn’t help. It was no surprise that I ended up feeling some injuries coming on after completing two half marathons back to back.
I went to see Dr. Donovan because I had CIM coming up in about two months and I knew I’d need help if I were to complete it. I was behind in the schedule and was forced to do an aggressive training schedule. 13 miles to 15, to 18, to 20 and down. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
I saw Dr. Donovan weekly, and he was always quick to throw my body back into alignment, all the while keeping me entertained by friendly chats and helpful body maintenance advice. He’s a very approachable Dr, and I feel very comfortable with him and we share the same slightly sarcastic humor.
The ART he did was gentle but effective. I wasn’t screaming in pain and there were no tears running down my cheeks. I did improve my flexibility, motion and balance though.
I plan on visiting Dr. Donovan regularly even without any injuries because I think he will keep things in line and help me become a better athlete. I think the fact that I finished the race with borderline injuries and an aggressive training schedule shows that Dr. Donovan knows what he’s doing!
Place rating: 5
San Mateo, CA
Dr Dade Donovan has a profound understanding of the human body physiology, anatomy and biochemistry. Dr Donovan provides his clients with a holistic approach to pain management and help you improve your movement and performance. He helped me to overcome and manage a very severe pain episode due to a very serious hip joint problem. I highly recommend his professional services since besides being a great Chiropractor he is very personable and he actually takes the time to give you the deserved attention and personalized treatment to you as an individual and not just as a number x patient.
Thanks Dr Donovan for all your help!
Place rating: 5
Menlo Park, CA
I have been a patient of Dr Donovan DC for over 10 years and I couldn’t be happier. As he’s both a Chiropractor and Myofascial Therapist I’m able to get so much care each visit with his vast expertise, knowledge and skills.
Everyone in the office is personable and friendly, it’s a wonderful team. And there is now a recent addition of a massage therapist which I’m excited to learn about and will hopefully get an appointment with soon.
Bottom line is I highly recommend Dr Donovan!
Place rating: 5
San Mateo, CA
Pleasant professional office. I came here because I have suffered dibilitating shoulder pain for over a year and half. Frozen shoulder pain took over my life. I discovered this office by accident and became interested in the active release technique practiced here. I had positive results after just one treatment. Highly recommend it.
Place rating: 5
San Mateo, CA
Dr. Donovan fixed my long-​standing shoulder problem. I had a torn rotator cuff about 10 years ago that never totally healed after surgery. After 1 session with Dr. Donovan I was able to throw a football 10 yards further. Today I can throw any ball like I did before the surgery.
I highly recommend Dr. Donovan
Place rating: 5
Daly City, CA
2nd chiropracter I’ve been to in my life. Probably the only one that I will go back to for any future back problems.
Had a sport’s injury and he was knowledgeable about my sport and recommended exercises that I could do at home to prevent injury and strengthen my back — not a typical chiropracter that only does adjustment. I still had my adjustments done but the extra exercises really helped to keep my back strong.
Highly recommend! Very attentive.
Place rating: 5
Burlingame, CA
I’ve been going to Dr. Donovan for years and I cannot say enough good things about the quality of his care. He is professional, thoughtful, and insightful. Dr. Donovan is a great chiropractor but where he sets himself apart is his focus on your total well being. We’ve discussed diet, vitamins and supplements, what shoes to wear, and even yoga. All have been tremendously helpful in improving my total health.
My husband has always been skeptical of chiropractors but he has been a devoted Donovan patient for awhile now. Before going to Dr. Donovan, he was popping ibuprofen like candy and had chronic pain in his lower back and knees. He loved playing basketball but was thinking about giving it up because of the beating his body took. Thanks to Dr. Donovan, my husband is able to play basketball without the chronic pain. He even does yoga.
Place rating: 5
Sunnyvale, CA
I have been a patient of Dr. Donovan’s for five or six years now. I have worked for chiropractors in the past and have a lot of experience with different doctors. Dr. Donovan is by far the best. I see him for just general stiffness, etc. when ever I need a visit. However, he has been invaluable to me with my sports injuries.
Dr. Donovan has treated me for a severely sprained ankle (or two) as well as helped me rehab a broken tibia. What I love about his style of care is that he takes the time to listen to what I am feeling, before even doing any physical evaluation. Then he gets to work. The combination of Active Release Technique (ART), Graston Technique, and adjustments have gotten me back up and running quickly. Regardless of my condition, whether it’s an injury or just general stiffness and soreness, Dr. Donovan is a wealth of knowledge. He always has some kind of exercise, stretches, or yoga positions that I can do at home to speed my recovery along.
I highly recommend Dr. Donovan. He is very caring, highly knowledgeable, and is a great doctor.