Sometimes a different perspective is all that is needed to change the outcome.
Fei Yang practices traditional Chinese medicine and has been a registered acupuncturist since 1985. Since establishing her practice on Goldstream Avenue in Langford roughly a year ago, word is starting to spread about her alternative treatment approach.
“Most of the people that come in have tried Western medicines,” Yang said, noting many of her patients have had very little success with that approach. While her process takes time, which can be a challenge, Yang said there can be a number of benefits that have a huge impact on quality of life.
With individualized programs geared to treat conditions such as chronic illnesses and pain, sleep problems, digestive issues, depression, anxiety and more, she covers a broad spectrum. But the diagnosis doesn’t just look at physical symptoms and is a process, she noted, that “has been used for thousands of years.”
It takes into account everything from the quality of one’s pulse to their facial complexion to their tongue. “The diagnosis is quite in-depth to see where the imbalance is,” she said. It also includes looking at both physical and emotional traumas. “It’s very important to know their mental state … Chinese medicine treats the body and the mind as the same.”
That’s key because “lots of physical conditions come from mental stress … Those blockages can get bigger and bigger.” Whether caused by divorce, childhood traumas, an increase in stress or other triggers, those emotional barriers need to be addressed before the physical symptoms will subside. “It helps to close that chapter and tie up loose ends,” Yang said, adding “each time a person visits they learn something about themselves and their body.”
This approach isn’t something new for Yang. “My mom is 79 and still practices traditional medicine in China,” she noted. “She learned from her grandfather and went to university as well … It’s in my family for quite a few generations,” Yang said with a laugh. “Mom picked the career for me … It just happened that way.”
