- Art of Wellness Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)11704 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 295, Los Angeles, CA, 90025
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Wellness
Why You Should Get Regular Acupuncture Treatments
Everybody knows you should see your family physician at least once a year and your dentist at least twice a year. But not everybody knows about acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine and the many benefits it can provide for you. If you start incorporating acupuncture into your health and wellness regime, you may not have to rely on the family physician so much for those minor little issues. Let’s look at how getting regular acupuncture treatments can help you stay happy and healthy.
There are many ways acupuncture treatments can change a person’s life. One of the most noticeable is acupuncture can get you to look at your health from a completely different perspective. This could mean you might start taking a more in depth look at your health, which may allow you to veer away from some of the mainstream medical practices such as multiple pharmaceuticals. Many long-term acupuncture patients find they no longer need all the medications prescribed by their family physician, because the symptoms have been controlled using acupuncture.
Acupuncture is great for prevention. Because regular acupuncture treatments can balance hormones and boost immunity, there is a good chance you won’t need that annual flu shot or all those over-the-counter cold medications. A trained acupuncturist can spot a problem like decreased immunity from a mile away. It can appear as symptoms such as chronic fatigue, insomnia and even body temperature fluctuations. A couple of treatments can make a big difference.
What about relieving some of that extra stress we all deal with? Yes, regular acupuncture treatments can keep that at bay too. Many people don’t equate being poked with tiny needles as a relaxation technique, but it truly is relaxing. Many patients actually fall asleep after or while the needles are being placed. And the effects can last for days or even weeks. So the next time you feel irritable and overwhelmed, call us here at Art of Wellness and we are more than happy to schedule an appointment for you.
Regular acupuncture treatments can help you save money. What? It’s true. This goes back to the previous benefits. If you don’t need as many pharmaceuticals, you will ultimately save money. Also, conditions like stress, anxiety, fatigue and depression can keep you from going to work, possibly costing you several days of pay. But with regular acupuncture treatments, your moods can be more effectively managed and you won’t need to miss work as frequently.
And the most popular reason to get regular acupuncture treatments is that it may help you remain pain free. Research has shown acupuncture is more effective than opioids for controlling things like arthritic pain in the joints. It is also be incorporated into hospital emergency rooms throughout the United States, so people do not need as many pain medications. As a matter of fact, in Asia, acupuncture is sometimes used by itself during and after surgical procedures to treat pain.
While many of you may have a needle phobia, don’t let that deter you. Acupuncture will help you relax. Most of our patients actually fall asleep during their treatment. Acupuncture is part of an amazing medical system that has been around for nearly 3,000 years. In comparison, Western medicine has only been around for about 200 to 250 years. That puts things in perspective a little, especially when you consider most people in Asian countries live longer, happier. There’s no better time than the present to start a good habit. Just be sure to seek out a fully trained and licensed acupuncturist. Your whole life just might change for the better.
Traditional Chinese Medicine VS. Opioid Crisis
The opioid crisis is a serious issue in the U.S. Why are so many people addicted to painkillers when they could be pain free naturally?
In this newsletter, Dr Tan discusses the healing benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine and how to get off opiates.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) vs Opioid Crisis
By Dr. Qineng Tan, L.A.c, Ph.D.
Pain killer abuse, also known as ” the opioid crisis”, is sweeping across America. Painkiller abuse is not only the number one substance abused in the entire world, but it is also the most easily accessed substance via our Western health care system. The US makes up 5 percent of the world’s population and consumes approximately 80 percent of the world’s painkillers. According to the Center for Disease control & Prevention, Every day, more than 115 people in the United States alone die after overdosing on prescription pain relievers. This is a serious public health crisis that also effects both social and economic welfare. The Centers for Disease control and Prevention estimates that the total “economic burden” of prescription pain killer misuse alone in the United States is $78.5 billion a year, including the cost of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment, and criminal justice involvement. When people are prescribed pain killers, most think they are doing the right thing by taking them because they are being prescribed by a trusted physician, but what people do not know, is that there is another solution to their pain relief that is completely natural. That solution is traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In 2012 a study published by NIH Public Access ( Arch Intern Medicine. 2012 October 22; 172 (19) ) concluded “Researchers discovered acupuncture is effective for the treatment of chronic pain and is therefore a reasonable preferred option”.
Why not use a method that has been around for thousands of years and is one of the safest, most permanent solutions to pain? If your house had a hole in the roof, what would you do to deal with that hole? Would you cover the hole with a tarp for a temporary fix hoping no rain will eventually come through, or would you repair the roof entirely so you have no further damage to the inside of your home? Now, think of painkillers as the tarp. The painkillers will mask whatever problem or pain you have at that moment, but does not permanently fix the underlining issue.
Why is acupuncture and TCM such a better alternative to painkillers? TCM is safe, effective, non addictive, and helps patients successfully participate in other aspects of therapy so they can completely rid any pain in their body. Acupuncture stimulates the central nervous system when you are receiving treatment for pain. Not only can stimulating acupoints help your body to heal, but it can also activate the part of your brain that governs serotonin levels and trigger the release of endorphins, which are the body’s natural pain-killers.
At Art of Wellness, each of our doctors has more than 30 years experience to help with almost all kinds of chronic and acute pain conditions caused by arthritis,back and neck disorder, herniated discs, spinal degeneration, sciatica, whiplash, rotator cuff injuries, bursitis, joint pain, tennis/golfers elbow, carpal tunnel, hip pain, headaches/migraines, post operative pain, and more. Here at Art of Wellness, our goal is not only helping your pain, but also bringing you back to good health with the teamwork between you and us.
You don’t have to suffer from chronic pain or rely on pain prescription pills for temporary relief. You can live your life much healthier, happier and longer.
You have my best wishes!
Summer Solstice
During 
the summer solstice your yang energy reaches its peak. It is important to harness the peak of this yang energy, because as summer shifts into fall yang energy will decline. This great abundance of yang energy will translate throughout your body because during this season you are active and growing.
According to five element theory, during the summer the organ that receives extra energy is the heart. When the seasons change so do the organs we should focus on in the body. You should focus on the heart during summer. Feed the heart heart-nourishing foods and make sure to remain active so the heart receives positive energy. continue reading
Wisdom Story from Dr. Tan – Bian Que and the King
There once was a well-known Chinese physician who lived over 2300 years ago, named Bian Que. One day, the King called Bian Que to him and asked him: “I hear you have two brothers who are also physicians. Can you tell me–who is the best physician? Now, be honest!”
Bian Que answered, “My oldest brother is the best. My second brother is better than me. Actually, I am just average.”
The King was surprised. “But you are the one who is famous throughout China! Why do you say they are better than you?”
Bian Que said, “My oldest brother believes in a lot of prevention. He looks for the source of illness and treats problems before people even feel anything. So, his patients don’t even realize how much he has done for them, and they don’t talk about him much.
“My second brother treats people at the first sign of a disease. They are having some symptoms, so he treats them before they get any worse. Because of this, people notice that he has helped them, and he has become fairly well-known in our home town.
“But me? People come to see me as a last resort, when they are already very sick. I use the strongest herbs, the most powerful acupuncture treatments. I even perform surgeries! In fact, a lot of the time, I can’t do anything to help them because they are already too ill. But sometimes I am able to save someone’s life. That is the kind of thing people like to talk about, so I am the one who has become famous.”
So, the King understood his meaning: the best physician is the one who prevents his patients from becoming sick, not the one who tries to save them when they are already near death.
Heart Afire: The Fire Element
The organs in Chinese medicine are more than just a physical representation. The organs include not only their physiological function, but also their mental, emotional, spiritual and elemental qualities that align with nature and the seasons. Let’s explore the heart.
The heart season is summer, and heart is considered the most yang: hot, bountiful and abundant. Yang is what is bright, moving, outward, hot and loud. Yin is what is more inward, still, dark and cooler. The color of the heart is associated with red, the climate is heat, the flavor is bitter and it’s paired organ is the small intestine (many urinary issues are due to “heart fire” heat descending). The sense aligned with heart is the tongue, and the vessels associated with heart are the tissues. The heart sound is laughing, and the emotion is joy. The heart houses what is known as the shen, which is the mind and spirit. continue reading