Taking a Natural Systemic Approach to Healing

Acupuncture is a method of healing that has helped millions of people over the course of over 2500 years. It is based on the understanding that the human body is a complex bio-electrical system. This is something that Western science has only recently discovered. Energy, or what is called chi, circulates to all parts of the body along pathways called meridians. When this movement is blocked or disrupted, pain and illness are the result. Acupuncture re-balances and restores the correct flow of chi, thereby bringing back health and vitality.

To look at it another way, acupuncture helps the body to heal itself. The human body has a marvelous intrinsic intelligence. If you cut your finger all of the many biological steps that are required to heal the cut happen without you having to direct that process. Acupuncture simply stimulates your body to initiate the healing processes that are already working within it.

CALL TO FIND OUT MORE +1(626) 441-1888

 

Some CONDITIONs TREATED BY ACUPUNCTURE

 

A

acne 

achilles

acid reflux

amenorrhea

arm pain

addictions

allergies

ankle sprain

anxiety

arthritis

asthma

B

back spasm

Bells palsy

bladder control

bursitis

C

carpal tunnel

chemotherapy side effects

chronic fatigue

common cold

constipation

coughing

Crohn’s disease

D

degenerative discs

depression

de quervains tenosynovitis

diarrhea

diabetes

 

E

ear infection

eczema

edema

endometriosis

F

fertility

fibromyalgia

fibroids

foot pain

frozen shoulder

G

gastroparesis

gallstones

golfer’s elbow

gout

H

hair loss

hand pain

headaches

heart disease

herniated discs

herpes

hip pain

hormone balance

hypertension

I

IBS

impotence

male infertility

female infertility

insomnia

IUI preparation

IVF preparation

J

joint pain

K

kidney stones

knee pain

L

lactation

leg pain

libido

lower back pain

low stomach acid

M

menopause

menstrual problems

miscarriage prevention

migraines

morning sickness

Morton’s neuroma

multiple sclerosis

muscle strain

muscle tension

 

 

 

N

nasal congestion

nasal infection

neck pain

neuropathy

P

PCOS

peri menopause

plantar fasciitis

psoriasis

R

rheumatoid arthritis

rotator cuff injury

S

sciatica

shoulder pain

sinus pain

smoking cessation

stress

surgery recovery

T

tendonitis

thyroid issues

trigger finger

U

ulcers

W

weight loss

whiplash

 

Nature's Remedies

 

The use of medicinal herbs in the system of Traditional Asian medicine can be traced back more than 3,000 years. In contrast, most pharmaceutical drugs have been in usage for less than 70 years. Though some may consider use of herbal medicine new age it is actually one of the most time tested medical systems in the world.

Another great advantage of Traditional Asian Medicine is that it is customized to treat each individual patient. In the western medical system two patients with the same pathology would most likely receive the same prescription. In the Traditional Asian medical system we recognize that 2 people with the same pathology will have different body types,  lifestyles, and health histories. Even though they might have the same pathology, the medicine that they consume will have to perform differently to be the most effective for each patient. In short, one size does not fit all.

Because herbal medicines are customized, patients who take herbal medicine experience far fewer side effects than patients who take pharmaceutical drugs. In fact, most patients who take herbal medicines experience no side effects at all.

Patients who take herbal medicine in conjunction with their acupuncture treatments can also expect an acceleration of their healing process. Some have even called herbal medicine portable acupuncture because it continues to improve a patient’s condition in between treatment visits.

In addition to providing effective healing for a wide variety of health disorders, Chinese herbal medicine is also very useful in maintaining general health and preventing disease. Certain herbs, and herbal formulas can be used to strengthen the body and boost its immune system. Traditional Asian herbal medicine is a tremendously safe and effective way to treat disease, and to promote vibrant health.

 

 

Your First Visit

 

Please plan about an hour for your first visit. Because we make our diagnosis based on a holistic paradigm it is important for us to gather as much information as we can about your medical history. Even details that seem unrelated to the condition that you are seeking treatment for could provide important clues for an accurate diagnosis.

A brief western physical assessment may follow your medical history interview. Finally, your tongue and pulses will be examined . This will provide information about the status of your organ systems. Once we reach a clear diagnosis based on the physical examinations and your medical history interview, you will be given an acupuncture treatment.

Acupuncture needles are considerably thinner than the injection needles that you may be more familiar with. In fact, several acupuncture needles can fit into the barrel of an injection needle. There may be a moment of slight discomfort as the needles are inserted, but the sensation is minimal and brief. Like many patients, you may feel extremely relaxed after the needles are placed, and may even fall asleep.

Generally, we will let you relax and let the needles do their work for about 20-30 minutes. After they are removed you may be given further treatment, such as cupping, or massage depending upon your condition.

CALL TO FIND OUT MORE +1(626) 441-1888

 

Acupuncture for Fertility.  Yes, It works!

 

A Personal Note from Roxy Han L.Ac.

Of all of the things that I have, one of the most precious, is a collection of thank you cards and baby photos from couples that I’ve helped conceive. 

It never gets old.  Every time I get a picture of a chubby cheeked new baby in the mail I get a big goofy smile on my face.

I love that I get to help people with this amazing system of medicine.  The more I learn about it, the more in awe I become with its intelligence, and harmony.  By themselves, or in conjunction with Western medicine, acupuncture and herbal medicine powerfully facilitate the path to pregnancy.  I’ve seen it happen time and time again.

My patients, as all couples seeking help with fertility, represent a wide range of clinical issues.  Among them, there are no two identical stories.  All my patients are different people, and as such, have different lifestyles, different bodies, different health histories, etc.  Isn’t it strange then, that so much of western medicine applies a “cookie cutter” approach to treatment? 

I believe that the particular strength of acupuncture and herbal medicine with infertility, as with other pathologies, is in its customized approach.  From a traditional Chinese medical standpoint, there are several different reasons why a couple may not be able to conceive.  It is my job as an acupuncture fertility specialist to find out which reason it is, and treat accordingly.

As I said before, each person is very different from the next, so it is crucial to get an absolutely accurate diagnosis.  That is why I gather evidence for diagnosis from several sources.  I start with the standard health history questionnaire, and a separate fertility history questionnaire.  Using those as a launching pad, I ask my patient more specific questions that get me additional information I need.

From there, I look for physical evidence of certain pathologies in my patient’s skin, eyes, pulse quality, and tongue. Finally, when I am satisfied that I have enough information I distill what I’ve gathered into a precise, patient specific diagnosis.

In the realm of Chinese medical infertility, there are several different possible diagnoses, too many to highlight here.  But I will give you two examples so that you can see the contrast between them.

In the first case, just a few months ago I had a patient, let’s call her Mrs. A, who came to see me 2 weeks before a scheduled In Vitro procedure.   She wrote down in her history that over the past year she had been having extremely light periods that only lasted 2 or 3 days.  Her skin was pale and her tongue was pale. 

For a practitioner of Chinese medicine, those are all signs of what we call “blood deficiency.”  It does not always mean anemia.  In fact, there is no English term that is an exact translation.  It basically means that the body does not have enough circulating blood, doesn’t have good quality of blood, or that the tissues are not receiving nourishment. 

A woman with this type of clinical picture may get pregnant, but would have a very difficult time maintaining the pregnancy.  For this type of patient, the uterine lining, which is made of blood, may be too thin to properly anchor and nourish the implanting egg. 

The odds of this woman having a successful IVF were slim.  I gave her my honest assessment, but she decided to do the IVF anyway.  Unfortunately, she did not get pregnant.

However, she came to see me for the next 3 months to prepare her body for the next IVF attempt.  I gave her acupuncture to circulate blood to her uterus, and herbal medicine to cultivate healthier blood and tissues.  Happily, a few weeks before her 2nd scheduled IVF Mrs. A became pregnant naturally!

Many women who are having difficulty with fertility have blood deficiency, like Mrs. A, however, there are several other types of imbalances, which can also impair fertility.  To give you an example of another type of infertility take the case of a patient who I will call Mrs. C.

Mrs. C came to see me last year for fertility help.  All of her western diagnostic tests came back normal.  She was only in her early thirties, yet, she had been trying to get pregnant for 2 years with no success.  To her doctors she was a mystery.  They told her that she could try fertility drugs, but she decided to give acupuncture a chance instead.

During her consultation I asked her my usual thousand questions, and learned that she usually feels cold before other people do, she often craves hot drinks, and when she has menstrual cramps she likes to put a hot water bottle on her abdomen. 

When I went to feel her pulse I was not surprised to find she had cold hands.  Among other signs and symptoms, these were all clear indications that this woman had a condition that we call “cold womb” in Chinese Medicine.  It is one outcome of a deficiency of warming energy that is known as “yang.”

In the world of Chinese medical fertility, we define progesterone as a warm hormone, and therefore the “yang” hormone.   When a woman is deficient in yang, this means that she is either not producing, or responding to progesterone.  The blood vessels in the uterus are cold, they constrict.  The implanting egg then cannot be nourished. 

This woman’s condition was also complicated by another imbalance, one we call cold-damp.  This means, basically, that a person is harboring excess mucous in their body.  The signs that clued me into the discovery that this woman’s cold-damp imbalance, were that she had a thicker tongue coating, she often had a runny nose, and liked eating a lot of dairy foods, which easily engender mucous.

This can be a problem with fertility because mucous, or what we call “cold-damp,” is usually systemic.  It’s inside the whole body, not just where it’s visible, such as when it’s coming out of the nose.  Excess phlegm and mucous can also reside inside the fallopian tubes where they can hinder an egg’s journey to the uterus. 

With those two imbalances in mind I created a custom made herbal formula with warming and mucous clearing ingredients for this woman.  She had regular acupuncture, and she was also very open to the dietary changes I suggested for her.  She cut out the dairy foods, and raw cold type foods, which helped her considerably.

Within a little over 5 months, Mrs. C (who was no longer cold) called me extremely excited to be pregnant. Now she has a healthy baby girl, who is adorable and looks just like her!

I love getting outcomes like this for people.  Of course, it doesn’t happen 100% of the time.  Just like with IVF, or IUI, Chinese medicine is not infallible.  However, I can safely say that the majority of my fertility clients do become pregnant.

If you have read this far, what I’d really like for you to take away from this is that Traditional Chinese Medical practitioners, such as myself, look at infertility in a completely different way than western practitioners. 

Sometimes we see something they don’t see.  Sometimes you are not as far away from fertility as you might think.  Sometimes correcting an imbalance is all it takes to tip the scales. So don’t give up.  Give acupuncture a try, and you might just be sending me a picture of your beautiful bouncing baby sometime soon.

 

 
 

How Much does Acupuncture Cost?

The price of your treatment plan will vary depending on whether or not you are using insurance, how many treatments you will need, whether or not you need herbal formula etc.

We offer the highest level of quality and expert care at our clinic. We are also committed to keeping our treatments affordable. Our rates are very competitive with standard acupuncture rates for the greater Los Angeles area. The best way to get started is to book a free in office consultation with option to go right into your first treatment. There will be no surprises. We will give you our best recommendation for a customized treatment plan and the cost before we start treatment.

How much does Acupuncture cost with Insurance? 

Every insurance plan is different. So we would need to check and see what your plan benefits are. After your consultation we would be happy to check your insurance plan for you to find out the details of your plan. If your deductible has already been met for the year, and you have coverage, copays typically range between $30-$60 per treatment.