When Richard Nixon made his historic visit to China in 1972, he was accompanied by the requisite passel of reporters. One of them, James Reston from the New York Times, underwent an emergency appendectomy in China and was treated with acupuncture for his post-operative pain.

It was so effective, he wrote about his personal experience in his paper.

"That’s how most Americans first learned about acupuncture," says Chien Fang, M.D., an HMF internist who has also completed training in traditional Oriental medicine. "Before the coverage in the mainstream press, acupuncture had a very low profile in the U.S. It was available, but only from practitioners in Chinatown."

With each passing decade, acupuncture has gained more acceptance from patients and the American medical community. Both Dr. Fang and Jason Geng, O.M.D. can treat patients with acupuncture, herbs, and other traditional Chinese techniques. They see HMF patients as well as adults and children who are not in HMF’s care.

"Acupuncture is appropriate for many non-surgical conditions," says Fang. "We treat athletes and dancers of all ages. Some patients come to us with back problems, allergies, asthma and even irritable bowel syndrome."

The initial acupuncture consultation takes about an hour and includes taking a complete medical history, including a list of all current prescriptions. The doctor will listen to your specific concerns, ask questions, and determine whether acupuncture can help.

One or two visits may be all that’s needed for some problems, while more complex conditions will require more sessions.

Acupuncture is the ideal first line of treatment for certain conditions such as acute back pain. Acupuncture will often resolve the problem quickly and more completely than taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Advil. On the other hand, if a patient has had back pain for many years and has been through many specialists and many therapies, they often view acupuncture as a last resort.

For treatment, the patient undresses, dons a gown, and lies on the treatment table. The doctor inserts fine, flexible, disposable needles. The number of needles, their placement, the depth to which they are inserted, and the length of time they are left in are all dictated by the doctor’s training and experience.

"Patients are often surprised at where I put the needles," says Fang. "Acupuncture is based on the concept of ‘meridians’ or the body’s twelve energy pathways, so I don’t always place the needles at the site of the problem."

If you’ve ever poked yourself with a straight pin, know that acupuncture needles are much, much finer. Some patients cannot even feel the needles going in; others feel a tiny twinge. In some cases, the needles deliver a very weak electrical current to aid healing. How do patients react?

"Many people fall asleep during treatment," says Geng. If you’d like to learn more, call 626/397-8323 to schedule an acupuncture consultation. Doctors Fang and Geng see patients in the HMF specialty office in Pasadena.

Common indications for acupuncture

Musculo-skeletal conditions

  • Back or neck pain
  • Frozen shoulder
  • Tennis elbow
  • Sciatica
  • Plantar fasciitis or heel pain
  • Arthritis
  • Sprains/strains
  • Tendonitis

Lifestyle changes

  • Stress/Tension
  • Smoking Cessation
  • Insomnia

Medical conditions

  • Irritable bowel symptoms
  • Allergies
  • Skin rashes, acne, eczema
  • Menopause symptoms
  • Migraine or other headaches
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Pregnancy-related nausea