Whole Family Acupuncture - Jamie Boyd

We are proud to have Jamie Boyd, L.Ac. andWhole Family Acupuncture spotlighted for this month!

Whole Family Acupuncture wants to help you and your family achieve optimum health. By using lifestyle recommendations, nutrition, Chinese herbal medicine, magnets, acupuncture, cupping, massage and moxabustion, they strive to help your family with their health care needs and wellness goals.

We asked Jamie to describe a little about herself and what she has to offer mothers and babies - at every stage of life.

Jamie, tell us a little about your background and studies:

I am a licensed acupuncturist in the state of California as well as a Diplomat of The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. I received my Master’s of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego.

While attending PCOM, I interned at Children’s Hospital, UCSD’s Geriatric Clinic and San Diego Hospice and Palliative care inpatient facility. I also studied Gynecology and Pediatrics in China at the Chengdu University of Traditional ‘Chinese Medicine’s Hospital. During my training in Traditional Oriental Medicine, I was an assistant homebirth Midwife for 4 years. I assisted in over forty homebirths.

How do you approach patient care?

I use an integrative medical approach with all of my patients. I try and bridge the gap between modern Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine to help teach my patients about the disease process they are experiencing, or to help them understand how preventative medicine can be used to ward off potential disease processes from occurring. I strive to empower my patients to educate themselves about their health and become proactive in the healing process. I am a caring practitioner with a diverse knowledge base offering exceptional care to you and your family.

Tell us a little more about Traditional Chinese Medicine; what makes it a good healthcare option?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complete system of medicine dating back over two thousand years. TCM addresses disharmonies in the body that can result in pain, disease and illness. TCM looks at the relative health of the whole body and all its systems in order to realign the body for optimal wellness.

The basic tenet of Chinese Medicine is that the body is comprised of energy and the energy flows in very precise pathways throughout the body. These pathways are subject to disruption due to lifestyle, diet, trauma, aging and emotions. When disruption occurs, blockages can form. These blockages can be experienced as pain, a change in digestion or appetite, insomnia, headaches, a compromised immune system, depression and any other symptom one experiences when illness strikes. Acupuncture opens these pathways and reestablishes the flow of energy to balance the body and promote wellness.

We will create our diagnosis by listening to your complete medical history, looking at your tongue and taking your pulse. The tongue is a map of the body in TCM. It is the only muscle in the body that we can look at with the naked eye. Its size, shape, color and moisture can tell us a lot about how and if the body is well nourished. The pulse is taken on both wrists in 6 different positions. In TCM each pulse relates to the 12 organs. We can feel the various excesses and deficiencies occurring in each organ and where the disharmonies in the body are located.

What types of treatments do you use to help your patients feel better?

We see a number of different techniques in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Acupuncture is the use of hair thin needles placed in various places on the body to promote the flow of energy so that the body can balance itself. We also use moxbustion. It is the use of an herb to heat up the body for areas of cold or pain. We use fire cupping to help with pain, respiratory problems and the common cold. Magnets are used to coerce the proper flow of energy in the body, especially in children needling is not an option. Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine is given in cases where internal means are necessary to promote balance. It also prolongs the effects of the treatment by cultivating the proper energy flow on a daily basis. Herbal medicine Is food based and is a gentle way of helping the body to regain its natural balance.