By Jorga Houy, LAc, Emperor’s College Alumnus and Owner of LA Sports Acupuncture

This blog post is part of our AOM Day Series on Qi. Another post in this series is on Chinese tongue analysis.

When you go to your acupuncturist, you’re going to hear about “Qi.” Your acupuncturist may say that your Qi is “deficient” or “stagnant” or even “exuberant” or “rebellious.” This may leave you wondering what exactly they’re talking about. What is “Qi” exactly?

Qi, pronounced “chee,” really refers to a lot of things depending on the context. In a very grand sense, everything is Qi, the space around us, the earth, and everything in between is a temporary manifestation of Qi swirling about; every identifiable thing is simply a transient concentration of Qi. Read more

By Jennifer Dubowsky, LAc

This blog post is part of our AOM Day Series on Qi. Stay tuned for more blog posts.

Tongue diagnosis is an essential tool used by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. Your tongue plays a unique role in your body’s construction; it is the only organ of your body that is both interior and exterior.

When I examine your tongue, I systematically look at very specific characteristics and I learn a lot about the interior of your body and the state of your health.

Tongues differ from one person to the next and, although people probably take them for granted, they have a lot to tell me if I look carefully. Your tongue provides a window into how your body is functioning, for example, each tongue will change as its owner ages or experiences improvements or declines in health. Read more

By Jennifer Dubowsky, LAc

In both Eastern and Western medicine, a patient’s pulse plays an important role because it is a valuable indicator of their well-being. We’ve all been to Western doctors who checked our pulse rates as one method of determining heart health. A normal rate is considered to be between 60-90 beats per minute and a rate that is considerably faster or slower may signal a problem.

In Chinese medicine, pulse taking is also a very important diagnostic tool that provides your practitioner with information about the state of your health but in different ways. Chinese Medicine pulse diagnosis is a more detailed and subtle process; we are looking for much more than your pulse rate. Read more

By Lisa Rocchetti, Director of Admissions and Marketing
& Nina Grenningloh, Communications Specialist

May is National Stroke Awareness Month. Run by the National Stroke Association, the goal is to make Americans aware that they may be able to save a life of a person experiencing a stroke.

To honor National Stroke Awareness Month, Emperor’s College Acupuncture Clinic is supporting the National Stroke Association’s efforts to educate Americans about the risk factors associated with stroke. Read more