By Lynn Jaffee, L.A.c

You may be surprised to find that during an acupuncture appointment, your practitioner will ask to look at your tongue. This may seem like an odd request, and is probably the first time a health care provider has asked you to stick our your tongue. However, in Chinese medicine, a practitioner can garner quite a bit of information about you and your condition, simply by taking a look at your tongue. When your practitioner looks at your tongue, he or she is looking at the shape, color, size, coating and positioning or movement of the tongue, each of which offers a piece to the diagnostic puzzle.

by Eric Brand, M.S., L.A.c

The development of concentrated herbal extract powders, commonly known as "granules," has had a major impact on the field of Chinese medicine. The consistent and easily quantifiable nature of granule extracts makes them well-suited to evidence based medical research, while the portability and convenience of granules dramatically increases patient compliance. Granule formulas can be extensively customized and deliver a comparable level of potency to raw herb decoctions, but granules have a longer shelf life and require less space and preparation than their raw counterparts. Most practitioners appreciate the degree to which these important factors affect our day-to-day clinical practice, but few practitioners are aware of the larger trends surrounding the use of granules in Asia. While granule use has produced a number of new approaches to prescription formulation and dosage in Asia, these clinically essential developments are only just now beginning to be appreciated in Western countries.

by Mitchell Wolf, L.A.c

 My first exposure to Toyohari came in October 1997. Four senior teachers from Japan came to Seattle, Washington to teach a weekend introductory workshop. Three of them were blind and among them was Toshio Yanagishita Sensei, who now serves as the president of the Toyohari Association of Japan. I had recently graduated in April 1996 from the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM) as a member of the first class of the New York City campus. On the start of the weekend, each teacher stood up and introduced themselves to the class. I don't remember who it was, but one of them said, "We have come all the way from Japan, to teach you how to overcome your handicap of vision." The next stood up and said, "We have come to teach you the correct way of practicing acupuncture." Although I was a bit taken aback by these blunt statements, I immediately knew that I had come to the right place. Although it was not until 11 years later that I took the first level certification course, this brief weekend had a major impact on how I practiced acupuncture in the succeeding years, as I tried to incorporate the concepts that I was exposed to during this weekend.

The New Year brings fresh opportunities for students of Pacific College to gain experience in Oriental medicine. Under the supervision of Pacific College faculty and board members, students of Pacific College in San Diego have the opportunity to gain valuable experience in integrated health care settings, while providing much-needed care to people in the community. Through the off-site internship program, students can volunteer at eleven different sites around San Diego County. Working at an offsite clinic is an excellent learning experience that can change the way a student practices medicine. This kind of volunteer work will shape the future healer each student will become. Work at offsite clinics can be quite different from the work at the PCOM clinic. Sometimes the off-site clinics involve cramped conditions, and lack administrative support. Set-up tables or equipment may be needed, which means students will have to work as a team to help each other to operate efficiently and with what materials are available. Access to herbal remedies is limited off-site, presenting an opportunity for students to hone their needle technique. Each location also varies in clientele; some are inundated with patients, while others may be sparse. Working at various off-site locations can help students become proficient in both busy work environments as well as slower-paced places where more time is spent on each patient.