Voted as the best Acupuncture in Silicon Valley in 2022 by the Mercury News Readers Awards, Anna Mai has even more validation of her great work. A master in traditional Chinese medicine from the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Anna can attest the importance of Acupuncture after suffering a serious injury and healing herself using that ancient technique.
Know more about Anna’s journey and Acupuncture in general in this interview for MysticMag.
Acupuncture is an ancient and traditional form of medicine that is still relevant in today’s world. What can you treat with acupuncture?
Acupuncture has been around for 3000 years and is still used to treat anything related to illness of the body. The range of treatment can be headaches, indigestion, menstrual issues, fertility, organ issues to pain of any kind. Ideally you want to approach health with a preventive approach and acupuncture is a wonderful way to maintain optimal health so diseases will be at bay.
What is your reasoning when someone seems hesitant to try acupuncture?
There are a number of reasons why people are still hesitant to try acupuncture. The first and most common is the assumption that it’s painful. The sensation you feel is not the prick of the needle but rather the energy of the channel moving. That feeling is heavy and sometimes radiating not at all like a syringe flu shot.
Even though acupuncture has been around for 3000 years, it’s still relatively new to the west. Anything new and different will take people some time to get familiar with.
When did you start to get interested in acupuncture? Before you worked with it, were you a regular patient?
I believe everything in life happens for a reason and every experience whether good or bad opens up opportunities for you. When I was 12, I injured my L4/L5 on a roller coaster ride. I was scared to tell my parents, fearing they would not allow me to go to Great America again. This dislocation in my lumbar developed into Scoliosis and eventually in University I started having severe Sciatic pain.
For months I was limping and in pain. Then to my father’s encouragement I tried Acupuncture. Within a few sessions the pain was gone and I became a believer and eventually applied and was admitted to Chinese Medicine School in San Francisco. I see a significant amount of sciatic cases in my clinic. If I can’t treat your sciatic then you most likely will need surgery to correct the damaged lumbar disc.
In your opinion, what is the overlooked and underrated aspect of acupuncture that everyone should know?
I feel that in the west acupuncture is still considered a last resort when everything else has not been effective. Not to say that western medicine is not effective but if you can combine both East and Western medicine to provide care for our patients then they will benefit tremendously. Rather than just treat the illness as they appear, why not take the approach of preventive care.
Acupuncture is wonderful when used as preventive care. When you create an environment of balance in the body, the disease will be less likely to appear and if they do appear it will be easily treated.
You were elected as the best Acupuncture in Silicon Valley. What differentiates your work from other acupuncturists?
To start I was completely surprised and so humbly honored. I had no idea we were nominated, let alone win. I have to say we have amazing patients that walk through our clinic. Every acupuncturist has their own style of treatment. My technique is no different than any other acupuncturist. However, what sets our clinic apart is our style. I believe a place of healing should be warm and inviting .
You feel it the minute you walk into our clinic. That calm and relaxing environment immediately puts patients at ease and for 60-90 minutes they can leave their trouble at the front door. Plants and flowers located throughout the clinic help create Qi flow and fresh air that is needed in a healing environment.
What other elements are important to improve the results of your work and allow your patients to have a healthier life? (diet, exercise?)
I always tell patients that we are partners in this journey of getting well. I can only do so much in a treatment session, they have to continue this process at home. Depending on what patients are coming in for, the compliance could be dietary restriction, stretch and exercise or lifestyle, stress management alteration. Together I believe we will reach that goal of optimal health for everyone.
