Read about Dr. Lawrence Taw in our 2010 Newsletter.

EAST-WEST MEDICINE
Winter 2010
“The study of medicine begins with the patient, continues
with the patient, and ends with the patient.” – Sir William Osler
Our Approach to
Patient Care
Our team of UCLA-trained,
board-certified
physicians
has a strong background in
traditional Chinese medicine.
They work in unison with
a team of Chinese medicine experts at all stages of
patient care and management. During the initial office
visit the physician will perform an exam that combines
western and Chinese medicine diagnostic techniques.
The physician will then design
an individualized treatment
plan which integrates western
strategies with Chinese medicine techniques. We place
strong emphasis on self-help
to empower patients to
achieve wellness and
prevent illnesses.
Letter from the Director
T
hese words have inspired me throughout my career in medicine.Yet, healthcare as provided today seems to have lost
sight of its focus: the patient.
Despite ground-breaking medical research
findings and the development of life-saving
surgical procedures and pharmaceuticals,
our healthcare system has been shown to
have many shortcomings. Not only have
the accelerating costs been under scrutiny,
questions are also being raised about the
paradigm that leans heavily upon high-tech
and invasive crisis intervention. Decades
of debates have finally reached the historical juncture when major reforms to
our healthcare system are now urgently
needed.
Over the last forty years at UCLA, I have come into
contact with many patients who suffer from health
problems that have eluded solutions. In my effort
to solve problems for my patients, I have become
convinced that we need to rebalance our healthcare
system to focus on patient-oriented care, prevention, early disease recognition, and health promotion.
Medical traditions other than the western biomedical model should also be recognized for their
potential to heal both the current system and the
human population.
This conviction is what inspired me to establish
the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine sixteen
years ago. Since then we have helped thousands
of patients by blending the best of both modern
western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine.
Our programs in education, research, and resource
development continue to nurture innovative ideas
and effect change.
The successful outcomes of our approach tell us
that we are in a unique position to transform healthcare toward a positive direction. I invite you to join
us in our effort to make healthcare safe, effective,
affordable, and accessible to everyone.
Ka-Kit Hui, M.D., F.A.C.P
Wallis Annenberg Professor in Integrative East-West Medicine
Founder and Director, UCLA Center for East-West Medicine
“UCLA’s Center for East-West Medicine
saved my life.”
Several years ago my body began to betray
me. Bizarre irregularities appeared one by
one over the course of a year: constant
heart palpitations; lightheadedness; burning and irritated lips/palate/gums/tongue;
worsening of my hypoglycemia; constant,
severe gastrointestinal pain; abdominal
bloating; sinus problems; pain in my salivary
glands; severe pain in hands and feet; constant neck pain; nausea; flashes of anxiety;
reappearance of menopausal hot flashes;
and sensitivities to chemicals and drugs I
previously tolerated.
Not surprisingly, I deteriorated mentally.
I spent my day crying and despairing. An
analyst by trade, I believed that, if I could
organize the symptoms, surely one alert
physician could diagnose me.
But that never happened. Over the course
of more than a year, I saw two dozen
specialists, including eleven days of testing
at The Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Months went
by, but my symptoms failed to improve and
new ones appeared.
Six months later, I walked into the East-West Center.
My “Western” doctor at the Center explained that
they saw patients like me all the time and could
help me. Improvements came quickly with weekly
acupuncture and acupressure treatments by my
“Eastern” doctor of Chinese Medicine and with
moderate dietary adjustments. Occasionally, tiny
lidocaine shots were used to train my screaming
muscles to calm. A side from that, I was given no
drugs, not even any herbs.
Soon my body was no longer my enemy. Three years
later I’m on a maintenance schedule of one treatment every three weeks, my body has regained its
equilibrium and I know how to keep it on track.
Benefits of the
Integrative East-West
Approach:
• Improved qualify of life
• Fewer medications
• Lower risk of side-effects
and other complications
• Lower cost
Western medicine has some excellent methods of
diagnostics and treatments. But it compartmentalizes the body into specialties and is incapable of
treating it as a whole. But much of what we consult
Western medicine for can be accomplished far better by Chinese medicine, more gently, less invasively,
less expensively, and it can even succeed where
Western medicine fails.
So, yes, the Center for East-West Medicine saved
my life!
– Karen
Dr. Jun Liang Yu recently retired after
working with Dr. Hui for twenty-four
years. Their partnership commenced
in 1985 when he trained under
Dr. Hui in clinical pharmacology at
UCLA. In 1993, Dr. Yu joined Dr. Hui
to establish the UCLA Center for
East-West Medicine. Dr. Yu played a
vital role in developing an integrative medicine model and has trained
many medical students, rotating residents, fellows and clinicians, including
clinicians currently practicing at the
Center’s clinic.
Dr. Jun Liang Yu (right) with Dr. Ka-Kit Hui.
www.cewm.med.ucla.edu
UCLA Center for East-West Medicine p.2
Extending the Reach of
East-West Medicine
Malcolm Taw, M.D.
“I am a big believer in EastWest medicine. [It] could
save patients and the healthcare system a lot of money.”
– Dr. Schockman,
Vice-chairman of Postsecondary
Education Commission for the
State of California
“I have sent many patients
with refractory sinusitis to
the Center, where they benefit from the holistic approach
to treatment. We presented
our treatment philosophy
and preliminary data from
our study [on refractory chronic sinusitis] at a
recent national otolaryngology meeting, where there
was great interest in our
approach.”
– Marilene Wang, M.D.,
F.A.C.S.; Professor, UCLA,
Division of Head and Neck
Surgery; Chief, Head and Neck
Surgery,VA Greater Los Angeles
Healthcare System
Dr. Malcolm Taw was introduced to the
Center for East-West Medicine when he
enrolled in the course offered to fourthyear medical students in 2000.
“What drew me to the field of integrative
East-West medicine was seeing the benefit
to the patient. During the fourth-year
course, there was a patient with Meniere’s
Disease, who had severe vertigo. He had
sought Western medical care, but nothing
worked. At the Center, he was treated with
acupuncture, Chinese therapeutic massage,
and trigger point injections. Not only did he
get better, he was able to swing dance!”
Dr. Taw is now Assistant Clinic Professor at
the Center. He is an Internist certified by
the American Board of Internal Medicine
and has undergone training in a Masters
Degree program in Oriental Medicine. He
is developing a special clinic focusing on
Head and Neck Disorders to treat patients
with migraines, tension headaches, dizziness, vertigo, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and
temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ).
www.cewm.med.ucla.edu
Dr. H. Eric Schockman, one of Dr. Taw’s patients,
travels a great deal in the course of his work. But his
ability to do his work was impaired when he began
to experience hearing loss, vertigo, hallucinations at
night, insomnia, and a constant noise in his ears, all
of which worsened when he flew. Dr. Schockman
was seen by an Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon and
had numerous tests. Months passed but there was
no diagnosis. “I reached the end of the Western
medicine route when my doctor said, ‘We can’t do
anything more.You’ll just have to live with it’.”
“Someone referred me to Dr. Malcolm Taw. He
treated me with acupuncture and trigger point injections and also taught me self-acupressure. After six
months, the condition cleared. I have none of the
symptoms, even when I fly. Dr. Taw is an excellent
healer, sensitive to the patient, and he understands
how East-West medicine can make a person whole.”
One of Dr. Taw’s current research projects on
refractory sinusitis is carried out in collaboration
with Head and Neck Surgeon, Dr. Marilene Wang.
The study is to objectively measure the improvement in sinus and global health symptoms after
treatment at the Center.
In addition, Dr. Taw traveled to Sacramento and
Washington, D.C. to meet with legislators’ healthcare advisors to discuss how integrative medicine
can help with healthcare reform.
UCLA Center for East-West Medicine p.3
“Without East-West medicine, I would
not be where I am today.”
Ellistine Davis-Alfred suffered from episodic
left-sided numbness and weakness, transient right-sided visual loss, dry and burning
eyes, headaches, and fatigue caused by
Multiple Sclerosis. Her physicians prescribed a number of potent medications,
which Ms. Davis-Alfred could not tolerate.
Symptoms were so severe that she was
hospitalized for three days.
“The case manager in the hospital referred
me to the UCLA Center for East-West
Medicine. I did go to the Center and have
been treated by Dr. Lawrence Taw. I am
so much better. My symptoms are gone. I
am no longer on any M.S. drugs. I am not
limping. My pain has decreased. I no longer
have migraines. Dr. Taw taught me how to
manage my symptoms by myself.”
Dr. Lawrence Taw also was introduced
to the Center in our fourth-year medical
student class and was deeply impressed
with the therapeutic potential of integrative
medicine.
Lawrence Taw, M.D.
He returned on rotation as a resident, then, as a
Fellow. Now he is a Board certified Internist and
assistant clinic professor at the Center. He is trained
in a Masters Degree program in Oriental Medicine.
Dr. Taw has developed a clinical and educational
program that focuses on patients with inflammatory
diseases. The Inflammation Program targets patients
with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other
autoimmune conditions such as lupus, multiple
sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease. The goal
is to improve the patients’ health by partnering with
and empowering them to make healthier lifestyle
choices. Dr. Taw’s individualized treatments and
patient education have helped decrease or control
inflammation and reduce medications.
Dr. Lawrence Taw offers
the following dietary tips to
decrease inflammation:
• Increase intake of Omega-3 fatty acids, including
fish, such as salmon and mackerel, and flaxseed.
• Increase intake of fiber. Examples include organic
fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
• For cooking, use extra virgin olive oil.
• Avoid high-fructose corn syrup and artificial
sweeteners.
Lawrence Taw, MD with students
from UCLA School of Medicine.
www.cewm.med.ucla.edu
“My patients suffering from
osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia,
and
connective
tissue
diseases like rheumatoid
arthritis and lupus have had
excellent results from the
Center
for
East-West
Medicine at UCLA. Through
my collaboration with the
physicians and healthcare
providers at the Center,
my patients receive an individualized treatment plan
tailored for their condition.
Learning more about health
and disease from the
Traditional Chinese medicine
perspective has allowed me
to appreciate the benefits of
this approach for health
maintenance, wellness and
disease prevention.”
– Mihaela Taylor, M.D.,
Rheumatologist,
UCLA Medical Center
UCLA Center for East-West Medicine p.4
A Comprehensive Center for Integrative Medicine
Educational
Programs
REFLECTIONS BY
STUDENTS AND
RESIDENTS
“I like the idea of thinking
about medicine as a more
holistic, whole-body, systemsbased treatment rather than
a reductionist, machine-like
approach of Western medicine. I look forward to learning, exploring, and practicing
some of these Eastern medicine teachings.”
Clinical
Care
Research
Information
Resources
International
International
Collaboration
Collaboration
The interconnected programs at the
UCLA Center for East-West Medicine
– Fourth-year medical student
Educational Programs
“Throughout my few weeks
of learning here, I have been
transformed from an initial
skeptic, to a firm supporter
of the Center’s approach to
healthcare…I believe that
this combined framework
is the model of the future,
and will revolutionize the
care of chronic disease, as
well as quality of life, disease
prevention, and rehabilitation. My hope is that one-day,
this healthcare model will
be nationally integrated into
our current Western medical
education. Its ramifications
extend beyond pushing the
limits of disease treatment,
but also encompass costeffectiveness and patient
empowerment.”
– Rotating resident from
Harvard Medical School
Education and training permeates every
aspect of the Center’s activities.
Our education programs include:
• Courses for medical students
• Resident rotations
• Fellowships for physicians and nurse practitioners
Special focus on primary care, preventive care,
geriatrics and palliative care
• Summer Course: Introduction to integrative
medicine
Open to non-medical students
Grant Chu, MD is our first East-
West Primary Care Fellow.
Suzie Lee, NP, LAc
Nurse Practitioner Fellow
www.cewm.med.ucla.edu
UCLA Center for East-West Medicine p.5
The UCLA Information Center for
Integrative Medicine is being developed by the
Center for East-West Medicine in partnership
with the Institute of Information of the
China Academy of Chinese Medical
Sciences and the UCLA Library System.
This project aims to provide comprehensive and interdisciplinary information access
and services to medical professionals and
researchers in integrative medicine.
Explore IM Web Portal was launched in the
summer of 2009. It serves as a gateway
for the public, practitioners and educators
to explore multiple perspectives on the
Information Resources
integrative medicine movement. The video clips
were collected through the Visual History Project
and are linked to related writings, profiles of
prominent figures, podcasts, as well as upcoming
events and new research findings.
www.exploreim.ucla.edu
International Collaboration
The Center plays an active role in
international conferences,
organizes seminars, and hosts
presentations by distinguished scientists and clinicians
from across the world.
Our research and resource development efforts
often involve international collaboration.
UCLA
Chancellor
Gene
Block greeted Professor Han
Jisheng (right), a neuroscien-
tist from China known for his
acupuncture research.
Dr. Lin Yi (front center) of Guangdong TCM Hospital gave a talk about breast
health to CEWM supporters from the Chinese community.
www.cewm.med.ucla.edu
UCLA Center for East-West Medicine p.6
Most of the articles published by our
clinicians and researchers can be accessed from
the Center’s website:
www.cewm.med.ucla.edu
Research
OUR MULTIDISCIPLINARY
RESEARCH AGENDA
We have expanded our
research focus in integrative
medicine to reach beyond
medicine to involve scholars
in health systems research,
cost assessment studies,
policy analysis, as well as
sociological and cultural
implications of medical care.
Some of our ongoing and recently
completed projects include:
• Medical Student Attitudes Toward
Complementary, Alternative and Integrative
Medicine
• Whole Systems Research of the Clinical
Care Model at the Center for East-West
Medicine
• East-West Approaches to Fatigue in Breast
Cancer Survivors
• Case Studies on Chronic Cough, Chronic
Fatigue, Neck Pain, and Inflammation
• Refractory Chronic Sinusitis Pilot Study
Our team of clinicians (left to
right) Edward Hui, Suzie Lee,
Jie-jia Li, Ka-Kit Hui, Mingdong
Li, Malcolm Taw, Grant Chu and
Lawrence Taw.
www.cewm.med.ucla.edu
UCLA Center for East-West Medicine p.7
You may wish to give to
the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine
to support its greatest needs.
It is of special value for our Center to receive
unrestricted funds, which can be used for the most
pressing expenses or program opportunities. Or you
may wish to earmark your donation for a particular
project that is dear to your heart.We will work with
you to direct your gift to the area of your greatest
concern and interest.
The Center could not have achieved our success
without the generous gifts of our supporters.Your
gift will ensure that we maintain quality care and
sustain progress in our ongoing effort to improve
healthcare.
All gifts to the Center are tax deductible as provided by law.There are many ways to give.These
include gifts of appreciated securities; matching
gifts; pledges; real estate; bequests; charitable gift
annuities; and qualified retirement plans.
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Oppenheimer
with Dr. and Mrs. Hui.
Please make your check payable to the
UCLA Foundation Fund #6695 and mail to:
UCLA Center for East-West Medicine
1033 Gayley Avenue, Suite 111
Los Angeles, California 90024
Visit our website:
www.cewm.med.ucla.edu
UCLA Center for East-West Medicine
email: cewm@mednet.ucla.edu
Clinic - Santa Monica
2428 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 208
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Tel: (310) 998-9118
Fax: (310) 829-9318
Education and Research - Westwood
1033 Gayley Avenue, Suite 111
Los Angeles, California 90024
Tel: (310) 794-0712
Fax: (310) 794-3310