As a child, Li was fascinated by what she saw every time her grandmother took her to the acupuncturist. As an adult, she turned that fascination into a career in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Li's Story
"Acupuncture is not only my career, but it's a very important part of my life."
I was brought up in China by my grandparents, who were strong believers in acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. When I was little, I received acupuncture for my own health, and surprisingly, it wasn't scary for me, it was interesting. When I grew older, I decided to start medical school because I wanted to be a doctor, but I soon quit that because I decided I wanted more freedom.
"Turning to Traditional Chinese Medicine wasn't a big change; it felt like very natural."
Medical schools in China combine both approaches to medicine, so if a student graduates from a TCM school or a Western school, they're prepared to practice either. It's different in this country. Culturally in China, Western medicine supports TCM. All of the research involved in Western medicine can help us see a problem from a different angle. Integrating that modern research with TCM gives us greater knowledge to pass on to our clients.
"People have very stressful lifestyles."
I have found that most of the problems I treat come from people being over-worked and stressed. The body is not in the rhythm it should be because of this type of lifestyle. Also, we do not have enough nutrients in our bodies. I always suggest supplements, like Chinese herbs, and lifestyle changes. I like to keep the herbs in their original form, because a lot of times when you see the formulas you don't see what they really look like. Herbs come from roses, leaves, barks, minerals and shells. There are a lot of combinations that make the formulas that help address different health conditions. A lot of times, patients can use a combination of acupuncture and Chinese herbs to correct a lot of their problems.
"In acupuncture, we don't see the body anatomically like in Western medicine. We see it as more of an electric model, full of connections."
Where we see certain problems, we also see an internal connection, and by inserting the needle in certain spots, we can remove that imbalance or crack it at early stages so the person can help heal himself as much as possible.
In my practice, I mostly attract a lot of women for things like fertility, hormones and pain. Some people come here and they want to look younger. Some want to reduce wrinkles or lose weight. Some people come in for mental issues, like depression, anxiety or for a lot of craving problems.
"People say it just feels like a mosquito bite."
A lot of time, they don't feel much at all. Explaining why and how it works helps people release that nervous mood. Once people get on the table, they feel more relaxed, so I put in the needles and, a lot of time when I'm finished, they haven't felt anything. My approach helps get them over the first time experience.
