Amongst the wide variety conditions I treat in clinic on a daily basis, the vast majority of my patients report regularly experiencing some level of digestive disturbance. Whether it be heartburn, indigestion, fatigue after eating, belching, nausea, abdominal bloating, or irregular bowels, most patients report being affected by at least one of these symptoms.

This time, since the start of Covid-19 has brought up many emotions, feelings, responses, and both conscious and unconscious ways of acting that for many of us are unprecedented even when compared to past traumas or struggles. And yet, as with all trauma the real struggle is to assimilate the experience and expand into it rather than contracting around it.

Sometimes we can’t wait for our garden to grow – what do we do when just getting to the next minute feels overwhelming? When taking a deep breath feels like the beginning of a panic attack? When we feel like our head might explode, the walls are closing in, like we might jump out of our skin?

Urban areas are characterized as being densely populated cities or towns, where the majority of people are not directly dependent on natural resourced-based occupations. Urban lifestyles tend to be fast-paced with lots of distractions, whether technological, auditory, visual, or practical. It is a difficult phenomena to stay connected to your body and health while living with the stimulation of urban life.

Over the last few months, I’ve read countless articles and spent many hours researching in order to gain a better understanding of how the COVID-19 virus takes hold in the body and the potential harm it can do to those who are infected. After weeks of reading reports from doctors and epidemiologists it has become apparent that this virus is very different from anything the medical community has dealt with in the past.

Over the past several weeks there has been much discussion on public safety and what it means for individuals to truly feel safe in their communities.  As the incidences of police brutality continue to be exposed in this country we are starting to collectively examine and question the role of those whose job it is to protect and serve us.

What can traditional Chinese Medicine teach us about healing? One of the first things I learned in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) school is that this is a holistic medicine. You may have noticed when you come in for a treatment that we ask a lot of questions that on the surface have little or nothing to do with the health concern that brought you to acupuncture in the first place…

Hashimoto’s and pregnancy are linked in many ways. Hashimoto’s is the most common autoimmune disease in the United States and pregnancy is one of the factors that can lead to it. Many people do not know that thyroid hormones can also affect the hormones that are responsible for fertility and successful pregnancies.

Acupuncture is considered one of the most successful forms of integrative medicine in restoring fertility in patients by balancing endocrine hormones and improving the function of ovaries and sperm quality.

Stress is defined as any demand on the body, mind and spirit to perform and is derived from the Latin word stringere, to draw tight. The bodies stress response both enhances function, (either physical or mental), such as during endurance training or challenging mental activities, as well as inhibiting functions such as in chronic cases of adrenal exhaustion.

It is a well known and sometimes feared fact that as we age, our once supple skin begins to dry, and the amount of collagen available to tighten our curves slowly declines.  Additionally, our skin is our first line of defense against toxins and any other foreign matter.  Thus, living in urban areas with high smog and poor air are another perpetrator against the health of our skin.

Post traumatic stress, (PTSD), affects millions across the globe from such disasters as tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes and war.  PTSD affects the bodies ability to be resilient, cognitive and emotionally and physically balanced.  In 2005, after  hurricane Katrina and Rita, in response to the horror and tragedy of people’s livelihoods being wiped away, the organization Acupuncture Without Borders was born.

Welcome to summer when the vitamin D is plentiful, and the dresses and shorts come out.  There are so many wonderful attributes to this season, including blooming trees, grasses, flowers and other plants.  For those sensitive to pollens and other environmental triggers, Universal Family Wellness Clinic would like to mention what often goes overlooked; ‘Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Treatments for Asthma and Allergies!’

For many women, endometriosis and fibroids are a difficult part of every day life. These conditions can be intensely draining emotionally, and depleting biochemically. Additionally, common western treatments such as pain medication, hormonal regulation, and surgical options are invasive and may not help a woman to address her symptoms and reach her fertility goals in a safe and healthy way.

When we're young, there's stuffed animals, someone to tuck us in, books to be read, perhaps a soothing song to be sung or played, and a hypnotizing mobile above our head to slowly and calmly rock us to sleep.  As we get older, late night studying or socializing occupy the moments right up until our head hits the pillow.  

Universal Family Wellness Clinic (UFWC) is inconspicuously located in Silverlake, Los Angeles, just around the corner from Sunset Junction in an unassuming brown and tan building. This Acupuncture and East Asian Herbal Medicine Clinic has combined ideas of sustainability and accessibility to create a successful business model that offers the community affordable, effective, natural medicine and fuels a healthy growing business.

Hey all my herbalist colleagues, after tweaking and adjusting this formula each week for 3 months I have found an effective, low dose herbal solution to a complex combination of health concerns for one particular patient. The patient is a mid-forty year old female with three kids ages 5-7.

This article is meant for practitioners of herbal medicine. If you are not a practitioner it is important that you know herbal medicine is most effectively and safely utilized under the care of a licensed professional. Even though many people have similar symptoms, each person's root imbalance and herbal prescription is unique.

It can seem overwhelming to face health issues when we are busy with life, work, and family, all at the same time.  Often our health and wellness take the back burner to the immediate demands of our lives, work, and families.  At some point we realize that we neglected our health, diet, and exercise routines and are faced with the challenge of getting back to balance.  

As acupuncturists, we spend a lot of time with our patients talking about their diets. Many people come in knowing that they could eat better, but they are not sure where to start. Shifting to a diet that is rich in vegetables, healthy fats and quality protein is one of the most profound changes you can make for your health. Old habits do die hard, but there are some ways to make it much easier, and so much more delicious.