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.

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…

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.

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.

Since the days of Jack LaLane and Jazzercise, most people would agree on the health benefits of a regular exercise training routine to keep our bodies operating effectively and efficiently. Few would argue the importance of getting our heart rates up or “getting our daily steps in.” On the other hand, popular culture seems generally much less concerned about maintaining a regular training routine for our minds.

There is nothing quite like cupping. I have a tendency to repeat this statement to friends and clients who have never experienced it. Cupping is not like acupuncture and unlike massage. It can be slightly uncomfortable but also feel really good. It is rather simple in its application and how it works but is profound in its ability to transform the body.