Among the many paths and specialties a Chinese medicine student can focus his or her career on, an increasingly popular area of interest is in sports medicine. Some students go on to become acupuncturists specializing in orthopedics, where they treat patients, often athletes, with ailments specific to the muscle and bone. Many students find this path particularly rewarding if they were once athletes themselves, hoping to heal others as they understand the patients’ experiences and share their pain.

As Chinese medicine works to gain acceptance in the US healthcare system, many practitioners have taken their careers to the next level, breaking into the world of professional sports. Mark Kastner, L.Ac. of Circle of Living Acupuncture Center in San Diego has been practicing for 24 years on athletes of all ages, from high school basketball stars to retired pro football players. He’s treated the Padres and the Chargers, and eventually began working with the L.A. Lakers after treating player, Luke Walton, number four who plays forward.

It’s officially August! You have one more month for all your summer travel plans. Going on any camping trips this summer? Whether you’re going hiking for the day or taking a river tubing adventure, there are some traditional Chinese medicine items and tips that can help you get the most out of your vacation.

Whatever outdoors activity you’re planning, beware the mosquitos. White flower oil is a natural and effective treatment for bug bites, so be sure you have some in your backpack and use it generously. White flower oil is made from Chinese herbs and is a strong analgesic (pain reliever). You can apply it directly to skin, and one dab will relieve the itch of a mosquito bite. It can also be used as a preventative measure—try applying it behind your ears and on your elbows and knees before going outside. Mosquitos don’t like the smell.

By Arnaud Versluys, PhD, MD (China), LAc

In biomedical terms, immunity is ‘a condition of being able to resist a particular disease especially through preventing development of a pathogenic microorganism or by counteracting the effects of its products.’[1] The actual process of resisting the pathogenic perpetrator is called immune response or immune reaction, which is ‘a bodily response to an antigen that occurs when lymphocytes identify the antigenic molecule as foreign and induce the formation of antibodies and lymphocytes capable of reacting with it and rendering it harmless.’[2]

Your eyes are two of the most complex organs in your body, but can often be taken for granted. Chinese medicine can help your eyes more than you know. It’s never too late to start taking better care of your eyes.

People with cataracts (which includes nearly all adults over the age of 65) are told there is nothing that can prevent the growth of cataracts and therefore to wait until the cataract “ripens” (gets more opaque) and then have it removed surgically, according to acufinder.com

Have you ever had an inexplicable ringing in your ears, but don’t know why or how to get rid of it? You may have a condition called Tinnitus, and there is a wide array of causes. Exposure to sudden, loud music or explosive noises can cause Tinnitus, a nerve disorder that involves a consistent ringing sound in a person's ears. At its worse, Tinnitus can lead to deafness. Tinnitus affects one in 10 people, and can range from mild to chronic. While it is a common problem for veterans and the elderly, other common causes include whiplash or even dental work. While it is a difficult phenomenon for Western and East Asian medicine doctors to treat, tinnitus is not incurable.

In Chinese medicine, chronic Tinnitus is believed to be caused by kidney weakness, according to Pacific College of Oriental Medicine Faculty Member Dr. Mohammed Javaherian. Acupuncture is recommended and treatments will focus most likely on the kidney meridians, as well as on points along the liver and gallbladder meridians to help strengthen the root of the problem.

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between Chinese and Japanese acupuncture? Is one better than the other? Maybe you’ve never had acupuncture before and you’re not sure who to go to...well, today we’re going behind the scenes with Japanese Acupuncturist and Pacific College Faculty Member KC Conover, as well as Chinese Acupuncturist and Pacific College Clinic Director Dr. Greg Sperber to uncover some of the unique qualities that distinguish these two acupuncture styles.

First off, let’s look briefly at the history of acupuncture. This healing method originated in ancient China and from there, expanded into Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Every culture since then has developed their own signature style of acupuncture, but the roots remain grounded in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This means that Japanese acupuncturists are taught TCM to begin with and from there pursue a Japanese traditional, apprentice-style training to develop the Japanese style.

With so many massage types or “modalities” out there, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out which one is right for you.  Each massage modality is unique and uses different techniques to best address the needs of the patient. One common trait you will find amongst the Asian modalities is that they are performed with the patient’s clothes on, unlike Western “Swedish” massages, which use oils and are done without clothing. Find out more about the different styles below and click on the links to watch short video demos of each, performed by Pacific College faculty experts.   

by Ted Kardash

This is the second in a series of six articles on fundamental Taoist principles.  Each commentary will focus on explaining and understanding a separate principle along with its application to daily living.

by Ted Kardash

This is the first in a series of six articles on fundamental Taoist principles.  Each commentary will focus on explaining and understanding a separate principle and its application to daily living.

Everyone has allergies from time to time, but imagine your life if you had a stuffy or runny nose, headache, or sinus pressure every day? This is what it’s like for those with chronic sinitus. There is something natural that can not only reduce these symptoms, but make you feel more energized, boost your immune system, and can even improve your skin and hair health: eating foods that fight inflammation.

Traditional Chinese medicine has long held the belief that the foods you eat and the lifestyle you lead can impact your health as much as any medical regimen       . Inflammation is the root cause of chronic sinus problems, as well as allergies and hay fever.