Traditional East Asian Medicine (also known as Traditional Chinese Medicine - TCM) is a complete medical system that has been practiced in China and other Asian countries for over 2,000 years. It is an empirical, individualized, result-based system. Every herb we prescribe has been tasted and tested by generations of master herbalists. Every acupoint we, as practitioners, experienced during our extensive training.  

Licensed acupuncturists and herbalists complete over 900 hours of clinical work prior to graduation. While studying our ancient texts we also learn about anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and pathophysiology.  We are often in the unique position of helping people to merge ancient wisdom with modern health innovations.  

The goal of Traditional East Asian Medicine is clear up current symptoms (e.g. to clear congested sinuses) while treating the root of the issue. Herein lies the art. There are manifold reasons why a person might be blowing their nose (to list a few: weak digestion, poor fluid metabolism, internal fire leading to clogged fluids). In Traditional East Asian medicine we ask you about how your entire bodyis functioning to resolve deeper issues and strengthen your entire constitution.

We also pride ourselves on our ability to refer out to modern allopathic practitioners.  There are certain health conditions require modern analyses, medications, and tests. There is no doubt that antibiotics, which can treat dread diseases like the bubonic plague, are a boon to civilization. However, we strongly believe that the first line of defense for many ailments ought to be traditional medical practices.

Elements of a treatment may include:

• acupuncture

• herbalism

• cupping

• gua sha

• nutritional counseling

Acupuncture is...

The insertion of small, sterile needles into specific points on the body.  Each patient receives a personalized treatment based on their current issues and overall constitution.

Acupuncture needles are much smaller than the hypodermic needles used in immunizations.  One of the biggest misconceptions about acupuncture is that it is a physically stressful experience.  Most patients feel a small pinch upon insertion and then a dull ache (or nothing at all) during their treatment.  Most patients drift off into a light nap during their treatment and many report feeling refreshed and relaxed when they leave the table.  

Acupuncture works through different channels in the body: removing blockages, balancing energy, and building qi.  We may place a needle in the foot (the bottom of the channel) to help move qi and clear pain from the head (the top of the channel) This brief video provides a nice visual explanation: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dhhdmahBQU8.

There are a few different modern theories on how acupuncture works.  In most modern tests acupuncture is found moving key substances around the body: natural painkillers (like endorphines), oxytocin, and increased blood flow.  To do this work, acupuncture cues the parasympathetic nervous system to take over.  The parasympathetic system is responsible for repairing and restoring all the systems in the body.  Many people spend their day in the stressed-out sympathetic system.  This leads to chronic inflammation, pain, and a host of other modern complaints.  (If you are interested in a more complex definition of how acupuncture works, I would recommend reading this site: http://www.itmonline.org/arts/acuintro.htm).  Acupuncture can shift the body from the alarmist sympathetic mode into the pacific parasympathetic mode and thus encourage global healing in the body.  Patients are often pleasantly surprised to find that acupuncture will almost always help sleep and digestion, even if the focus of the treatment is joint pain. 

Herbal Therapy is...

an ancient system that spans over 500 single herbs and 300 formulas.  Some of our formulas have been handed down for thousands of years and have demonstrated their effectiveness time and time again.  In the pre-modern era, herbs were commonly prepared by boiling roots in water, distilling the essence of roots in grain alcohol, or cooking ground herbs into salves and pastes.  This type of medicine was practiced by all civilizations and one of the most precious items in ancient civilization were exotic herbs.  Needless to say, where there was money to be made there were fakes to be sold.  As modern herbalists we are still trained to recognized, by sight, smell and taste, the raw form of all our herbs.  This is in many ways a relic of a more ancient system where you had to be sure that they money you were shelling out was for real ginseng.  

Modern herbalists are concerned not only with high-quality products but also with additives. The herbs that we stock are distributed by American companies and are heavily regulated in their country of origin.  We want to make sure that we are dispensing potent herbs with nothing extra added.  We stock products from:

• Blue Poppy
• Evergreen Herbs
• Kan
• K.P.C.
• Seven Forests

We don't expect modern people to brew up their own herbs anymore (although you can!)  Most of our herbs are offered in pill or liquid form so they are easy to carry and consume in today's busy world.  We can also craft custom formulas in granules (these are simply dissolved in water).  Custom granule formulas can be tweaked from week to week as your health picture changes.  If you are indeed interested in brewing your own herbs we work with Chicago's premier raw herbal pharmacy, Inner Ecology, to offer you herbalism in its most powerful (if most smelly) format.  

Herbal formulas are selected based on individual patterns and are modified as needed based on patient reaction.  For patients who are fearful of needles, herbs are often a great way to enter  the world of traditional medicine. 

Nutritional counseling is...

an essential part of any healing process.  An old aphorism states that "food is the first medicine", and it is hard to challenge the truth of this statement as study after study asserts the physiological benefit of different foods.  We offer food recommendations and recipes based on your constitution and your lifestyle.  We won't recommend exclusively home-cooked meals if you simply don't have the time. Oftentimes, if patients can simply modify their habits (e.g., eating cooked instead of raw vegetables) they will see improvements in their energy level and attitude.

All treatments will include a discussion of dietary suggestions and options, with the understanding that changing habits takes time and positive support.