In modern society, many people have what they need.  They may not have every want, but wants can be endless.

Needs are having air, food, exercise, health, sleep, detoxing, shelter, clothing, and love, without which you cannot exist.  Everything else can be considered icing on the cake and/or entertainment.

Love is having meaningful friendships and relationships.  These are relationships that nurture you and provide you with knowledge and quality time.

Quality time is that time where you are  nurtured, cared for, loved, fed, educated, restored, allowed to grow, harbored, offered refuge to, joked with, humored, laughing, playing, where hearts are open, not closed, shielded, withdrawn and neglected, or where feelings are not withheld, where you are trained, shared openly with, mentored, and allowed to keep your heart open.    It is a reciprocal relationship between people, not a one sided relationship where one gives and the other takes, which can leave one exhausted and overwhelmed.   It is a mature relationship of sharing, of mutual respect and care, and generosity of the soul.  It matters not if you’re rich or poor, but rather if you have enough love in your heart to care, and think of others, and not just yourself.  It is a matter of the golden mean, of putting your best efforts for others and putting others before yourself, as well as being big-hearted and generous.   Of course there will be people who don’t get it; but eventually they might awaken from their selfishness.  I like to think of it of having an attitude of gratitude and a life of sharing and caring.

Being financially limited does not mean you have to be poor in spirit.   Life is short, and often we never get to show or  say to people how much they mean to us.  And death can be as sudden as the snap of a finger.  Simple gestures carry a ton of sentiment, and quality time is one of the ways of sharing affection.

Life is a matter of putting in effort; what you get out of it is equivalent to what you put into it.  If you’re lazy and think these words are meaningless, then one really is missing common sense.  It matters not how beautiful you are on the outside, but how beautiful you are on the inside.  One generally gives more than they get back, but you’d be surprised what comes back to you if you dare live this way.

People ask me what qualities describe a good acupuncturist.  Since I have lectured throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe teaching Acupuncture, I can share some of my insights here.  As a lecturer,  acupuncture professor and clinical supervisor, as well as occasionally taking on private students, perhaps my insights can help an unknowing consumer find the best practitioner for them.

I often tell my students that the single best quality to look in an acupuncturist is their ability to listen, explore, translate and interpret a patient’s signs and symptoms from contemporary language into the language of Acupuncture and related Traditional Chinese Medicine.  From here the treatment and herbal therapy all spring forth.

The next best quality is years of experience, or them going the extra mile to study and apprentice under a seasoned practitioner and continue to maintain that relationship with their mentor as their clinical experience grows.  Many students who go to school and graduate from a Master’s program basically know the minimum basics of which to get licensed, but have very little practical experience managing case loads, difficult diseases, and things other than just “cookbook” cases.   Also, their knowledge tends to be fixed, and they have little experience to be creative or modify their treatments accordingly.   As a result, you may be discouraged with less than optimal results.

I always know these acupuncturists in my classes as they ask me, “Dr. Chu, what are good points for ___________ disease?”  Its not that they don’t know their acupuncture points and location or aren’t certified properly, its just that these practitioners have not learned the logic of using Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine properly.

One last thing is that Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture treats Mind, Body, Spirit and Emotions.  A seasoned practitioner has life experience, understands the causes of disease, and is mature in mind, body, spirit and emotions, and treats those with appropriate means.  It is a complete general medicine that considers, in addition to Acupuncture and Herbal therapy, lifestyle changes, good nutrition, exercise, healthy emotions, reducing stress, appropriate dressing, avoiding toxins, and not pulling genetic triggers.

Caveat emptor!

One of the things I am often asked about is, “Where am I needled?”

There are many forms of acupuncture that evolved throughout the ages, as a Teacher of acupuncture and a Clinical supervisor,I have had to teach students many styles of acupuncture, and sometimes, patients have a preference of where they want to be needled.   I can needle them anywhere.

A good practitioner never has to directly treat the site of injury.

If you want to get the latest local info on acupuncture and herbal therapy locally, check out Thumbtack.com for more details on our clinic:

http://www.thumbtack.com/Acupuncture-and-Natural-Health-Consulting-Pasadena-CA/service/379321

Acupuncture and Natural Health Consulting

Looking for acupuncture in Pasadena, Arcadia, San Gabriel Valley area?

You can now look at http://acuchu.com for more information!

Our clinic is at:

1028 N. Lake Avenue, Suite 107
Pasadena, CA 91104

Pasadena Acupuncturist and Herbalist Robert Chu will help patients with infertility, Cancer treatment related side effects, cardiovascular problems, diabetes, thyroid issues, and pain.

Clinic hours are by appointment, please call (626)345-0441 to schedule.

Check out our blog at:

http://acuchu.com

Or call us at:(626) 487-1815 Cell phone/Voice mail

Interview conducted by Namwook Cho, Reporter from Comprehensive Medicine News (a Korean Language journal) .

1.    How long the externship has been running in Disney Cancer Center, and how many students are participated in and how many patients are treated by acupuncture?

The externship from Emperor’s College at the Disney Family Cancer Center Integrative Medicine Clinic has been in existence since the beginning of this year.  Thus far, 5 students have participated in the externship program and they get to experience acupuncture and Chinese medicine in an integrative medical setting with roughly 8 – 10 patients per shift.

2.    What are the major symptoms of patients whom wanted to be treated by acupuncture?

Since we are seeing all types of patients, we get all types of issues ranging from side effects of cancer treatment like nausea, vomiting, headaches, dizziness, loss of appetite, weakened immunity system, fatigue, lethargy, and pain.  We also do a fair amount of neuromusculoskeletal pain disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, gynecological diseases, stress, insomnia, poor memory and the like.   Modern living itself is a major problem, and people like to get acupuncture to simply relax.

3. How is the externship in the hospital is operated?   For example, any in or out patients of the hospital can be treated by their needs or patients should be advised by doctors in the hospital and get permission to be treated by acupuncture?

No, the clinic is the Integrative Medicine Clinic and they can be self- referred.  In California, Licensed Acupuncturists are primary treating physicians, which means we diagnose and treat according to Traditional Chinese Medicine principles.  Anyone can walk off the street, and if we’re available, we can see them, but we usually suggest they make an appointment.  Some are referred by doctors at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, with specific problems and we see them, of course.

3.    Why do you think Emperor’s College of TCM could get a chance to have externship in Disney Cancer Center?

Well, Emperor’s College of TCM is one of the nation’s oldest and prestigious schools of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and has a long standing reputation in the community, so when this opportunity came up, the school was a natural choice to offer externship for its students.  Emperor’s boasts a high ranking pass rate of students that excel on both the NCCAOM® and California Acupuncture Licensing Exams and is always seeking to enrich educational opportunities for their students.

4.    What’s reaction of patients who are treated with acupuncture by the students in the hospital?

The reaction is favorable.  Since I am the supervisor of the externs and we use both the Master Tung Acupuncture and traditional points, we have amazing efficacy with acupuncture.  I teach the students to have logic in selecting points, not just go by rote memorization.  By identifying the patient’s signs and symptoms with the acupuncture channels, we have almost immediate effect.  Pain disappears almost instantaneously, and complaint symptoms subside.

5. What is your personal opinion on working with western doctors and acupuncturists?

Acupuncture in China is already modernized through what is called “Traditional Chinese Medicine” (TCM).  We are already a modern paradigm, as TCM is the system of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal therapy that stems from the 1950’s, widely taught in schools, and practiced in hospitals in China, and is the leading form of Acupuncture practiced worldwide.  So for us to be put in the modern integrative medical setting is already natural.  We already work side by side with doctors, read diagnostic tests, blood work, reports of findings, do orthopedic tests, refer to a patient’s health history and in addition, do our Chinese medicine diagnosis of inquiry, tongue diagnosis, palpation of channels, and pulse taking.   All acupuncturists should be familiar with Western Medicine diagnosis, even if we do not treat with western medicine.  I can only see more and more hospitals doing this, as patients are often looking for a more natural method of healing, want to lessen side effects from taking multiple drugs, and perhaps in the case of cancer, strengthen their immunity system and combat fatigue.

6. Dr. Chu, you are famous worldwide for lecturing on acupuncture, could you tell us a little about your teachings?

Yes, I just came back from lecturing for a week in Paris, France, and I am asked to lecture in various countries through Europe, Canada and the United States, where I teach the Master Tung and Optimal Acupuncture systems.  I provide continuing education to MD’s and Acupuncturists, since 2005, and founded ITARA – International Tung’s Acupuncture Research Association, to preserve, standardize, educate, and research new applications of the Tung family system of Acupuncture with integrity, and open sharing.   ITARA has now grown with branches internationally.  My lectures are always filled with humor and clinical anecdotes, where I hope my colleagues can find a more effective approach in the clinic, and their patients benefit.

7.    Where can we reach you Dr. Chu?

Currently Monday afternoons at the Disney Family Cancer Center from 1:30 pm to 6 pm, at the Integrative Medicine program at the Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center in Burbank, CA, please call 818-748-4751 to schedule an appointment with my interns, or at my private practice during the week in Pasadena at 1028 N. Lake Avenue, Suite 107, at (626) 345-0441.  You can look up more information at http://acuchu.com.

Thank you for your time.

Many thanks!

Its well known that Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can treat Seasonal Affective Disorder to help with depression, sadness, moodiness, loss of interest, Withdrawal from social situations, and an increase in ingesting carbs.

You can read more here:

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120104/HEALTH/201040310/-1/SITEMAP

Since I deal with many cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy, as well as surgery, and my position as Clinical Supervisor for Emperor’s College Acupuncture externs at the Roy and Patricia Disney Cancer Center in Burbank, as well as in my own Pasadena private practice, I am often asked, what can Acupuncture do for cancer patients?

My response is typically we can promote a sense of well being and quality of life, boost the immunity system, and treat naturally the signs and symptoms of those undergoing conventional treatment and their side effects, including:

Anxiety

Back Pain and Sciatica

Constipation

Diarrhea

Dizziness

Ear Pain and Ringing

Eczema and other Skin Problems or rashes

Edema

Headaches

Infections

Insomnia

Migraines

Nausea and Vomiting

Numbness and Neuropathy

PAIN of all types

Stress

Weight problems

The advantage is huge – offering patients to empower themselves in their treatment, treating side effects without additional drugs, and overall, giving them a better quality of life.

Often, patients ask me if acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help treat stress and anxiety.  There was stress and anxiety in ancient China, too, so the answer is, of course!  Acupuncture can have a direct effect of calming the mind, body and spirit, and often, nothing is more relaxing than an acupuncture session with soft lights, beautiful music, and warmth.  Chinese medicine in the form of natural herbal therapy can also reduce stress and anxiety and promote a sense of well being, without  the dangerous and sexual side-effects of anti-depressant drugs.

There’s a new study out:

http://technology.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474980981911

Read about it here:

http://www.healblog.net/health-news/pain-accompanied-by-chemotherapy-might-be-relieved-by-acupuncture/