Practitioner of the Month: Jayden Kim, Acupuncturist

Practitioner of the Month: Jayden Kim, Acupuncturist

Every month, we’re showcasing one of our amazing practitioners so you can get to know them and their services better.

Jayden Kim
Registered Acupuncturist

 


ABOUT JAYDEN KIM


 

Jayden Kim graduated with a diploma in acupuncture from Burnaby’s PCU College of Holistic Medicine. During his time at Pioneer Ergonomic and Dawson Medical Clinic, Jayden helped many patients overcome everything from chronic pain and digestive disorders to stress and infertility. He is also one of the few registered acupuncturists in North America to offer Korean Elemental Therapy services.

Jayden shares how he got into acupuncture and tips to boost your mental health naturally.


Q&A


1) What led you to pursue a career in acupuncture?

I graduated with a general media design degree and focused on architecture and product design, but I had severe stomach pain for years which did not allow me to function properly. Then I had a chance to volunteer at an Olympic house run by the Korean government during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. I was assigned to help a Korean medicine doctor for two weeks as his assistant. I thought needles were placebo and didn’t believe in it until my stomach pain attacked again during my volunteer shift. When I asked if the Korean medicine could help my stomach pain, Dr. Kim helped me relieve the pain in less than a minute with a simple needle. I was surprised by that. During the two weeks, I asked Dr. Kim many questions about acupuncture and was amazed by the possibilities. It was then I decided to change my major to acupuncture.

2) What are the benefits of Korean Elemental Therapy and how is it different from traditional acupuncture?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupuncture does not rely much on the five elements while Korean elemental therapy uses the five elements in most cases. Also, the needle points are different. Korean Elemental Therapy only uses five shu points which are located in the limbs, so even if you have stomach pain for example, rather than puncturing locally, elemental therapy uses distant five shu points to remove stomach pain and it is very effective.


3) In Canada, one in five people experiences a mental health problem every year. What can people do to improve their mental health?

Well of course they need to talk to their family doctor first. After speaking with their doctor, there are a few natural solutions they can try. People should stay warm and avoid being exposed to extreme weather conditions like cold, wind, extreme heat, etc. It includes cold drinks too. This may sound funny but hot sauces like mustard and wasabi can relieve stress so adding a bit of them to food may help. Also, it is important to learn how to be grateful and show gratitude.

4) Can acupuncture be used to treat mental health illnesses like depression, anxiety, addiction and insomnia? If so, how does it work?

Yes, acupuncture helps with mental health and it is very different from Western medicine. Western medicine looks at the brain as the main root for mental health. In oriental holistic medicine, we see the heart as the main organ that is in charge of the mind. The heart is called “The House of Mind” for that reason. People with insomnia and anxiety often have imbalanced heart energy (qi) and by treating the heart system, the insomnia and anxiety gradually get better.

Addiction is a different story as there are quite a few different types. It could be hard drugs, alcohol, sugary foods, smoking, etc. I had a patient who drank a minimum of four or five cans of Coke a day and could not stop drinking pop for years. She tried acupuncture to curb her soft drink addiction. After three sessions, she noticed that she did not crave Coke as much and drank maybe one or two per week. One day, she opened a can of Coke and said the artificial sugar flavour made her feel gross so she threw it away. In her case, her stomach system was not well which was why she craved an abnormal level of sugar and then got addicted to it.

5) How often should you see an acupuncturist?

This varies from person to person. I would recommend two times a week ideally or at least once a week until the problem disappears.

To continue with the soft drink addiction story, my patient came to see me again nine months after her last treatment and said she started drinking Coke again. She came in for sessions twice a week and said they helped minimize her soft drink cravings. It would be ideal for her if she could visit once every two weeks or so for maintenance as acupuncture can be used as preventative medicine.

I have another patient who has been seeing me for back pain caused by a car accident but said she could not stop eating sweets including soda and chocolate. She decided to try my weight management service and came to see me bi-weekly. The results were good. She said she drank half a Coke and felt bad, so she threw it away and did not drink any for the past two weeks. Not only that, but she also felt her cravings towards food diminish. She had an abnormal appetite and always felt the urge to eat a lot but now she is eating almost half of what she was eating before.

Like the cases above, acupuncture’s job is to balance people’s lifestyles. Doing acupuncture bi-weekly or at least monthly can help maintain a healthy lifestyle and allows your body to function at its best.

 



Dislike needles?
Jayden provides non-needle acupuncture and uses safe, effective equipment including an ion beam, electro infrared stone machine and special aluminum pallets to deliver similar results as traditional acupuncture. If you’re not comfortable with any of these devices, Jayden also offers energy healing (Ghee Gong (Qi Gong)) which is similar to reiki. He also does acupressure stimulation and point injection therapy – both are excellent options if you’re seeking natural pain relief.


 

Come in for a FREE Discovery Visit to meet Jayden and learn how acupuncture, Korean Elemental Therapy or non-needle acupuncture can help you achieve your health goals.

This no-obligation session is a great opportunity for you to share your health concerns and get your questions answered. Jayden can also provide personalized treatment options so you can start thinking about your recovery journey.

Book A FREE DISCOVERY VISIT NOWBook A FREE DISCOVERY VISIT NOW

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