Southern Village Acupuncture & Herbology
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    • Li Lin, PhD, LAc
    • Susanna Lea, MS, LAc
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Menopausal Joint Pain

10/2/2017

 
This patient had debilitating pain in multiple joints for three months. After ruling out osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, her rheumatologist referred her to our clinic. After 2 sessions of acupuncture treatment and 2 weeks of Chinese herbal medicine, her debilitating joint pain is completely gone! As a bonus of her treatment, her hot flash is also gone.

This kind of joint pain is often seen among, but not limited to, menopausal women. We have seen some patients also having this kind of joint pain after chemotherapy.
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Dx in Traditional Chinese Medicine: Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiency

​Tx: Tonify Liver and Kidney Yin

Low Back Pain Due To Multiple Causes

8/11/2017

 
Approximately 80% of global opioid supply is consumed in the United States, although U.S. has only about 5% of the world's population. As concern about the wide-spread use of opioid pain medications grows, it is important that the many Americans who suffer from back pain know that they have an effective treatment option in acupuncture. In order to help people suffering from pain find long- term relief, acupuncture is one of the medical modalities recommended by the American College of Physicians (ACP) as an alternative to opioid drugs and surgery for back pain.

In the midst of the opioid crisis, Mr. Lane's story may bring hope to the people who are suffering from severe low back pain and narcotic dependence.
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My name is Doug Lane. I have had back issues for most of my life. The last few years have been especially troubling. I was treated for frequent muscle spasms with physical therapy, muscle relaxers, and lidocaine rubs. This numbed the pain but did not treat the cause.

After an especially bad episode of back pain, my general practitioner took X-rays that revealed I had spondylolisthesis. This is where the L5 vertebra slips forward and over the S1 vertebra causing compression and significant pain. I was then referred to an orthopedic specialist. I was treated with steroid injections which covered the pain for 18 months. When the effectiveness of the injections wore off, the pain was greater than before.

I needed an MRI before further steroid injections. The MRI revealed spinal arthritis, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease and 3 bulging disc. This was in addition to the spondylolisthesis. I did not respond to further steroid injections. I was devastated and the pain was much worse.

I was then referred to the Specialty Pain Hospital for chronic pain. I was given narcotics (opiates) and naproxen which I took around the clock. These medications came with their own set of negative issues. At this point I took medical leave from work, was depressed, and angry.
Unable to face that life would be this way from now on, my husband looked for alternatives to hopefully relieve my pain. While on-line he discovered Dr. Li Lin of Southern Acupuncture and Herbology.

I was a little skeptical but willing to try anything. The first visit I arrived with a pain level of 5 ½-6. Li Lin explained that the first treatment may not last as long as acupuncture is cumulative. After the first Acupuncture treatment with Li Lin my pain level was 0. And for Three full days!
There after, I have gone for treatments twice a week for a couple of weeks and am now down to only once a week. I did not realize how badly the pain was until it was gone. My pain level has rarely been more than a 2 or 3. I am feeling so much better mentally as well as physically.
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Not only that, my use of narcotics(opiates) and Naproxen has grown less and less to where I no longer take them at all!

Li Lin is a true professional and well educated in her art. I have only great praise for Li Lin. She has definitely improved the lives of myself and my family as well as many others.

Do's and Don'ts for Bulging Disc and Herniated Disc

5/22/2017

 
This is the best video I've found to show the exercises to treat bulging disc and herniated disc. The same exercises I recommend to my patients, but explained much much better by Dr. Mike Hsu. Great appreciation to Dr. Hsu!

Perimenopause

3/4/2017

 
I love Chinese herbal medicine!😄 It helps a lot of women with their perimenopausal and menopausal issues. I often joke with my patients that treating a menopausal woman is to save her whole family. If you have a menopausal wife or menopausal mother, I think you will agree. LOL😂😂😂😂😂
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Mid-back Pain Caused by Hiccups

2/8/2017

 
Can hiccups cause severe pain? The answer is YES. Here’s an example: one day, a patient came in with severe pain in her mid-back. The pain was so sharp that she had been unable to sleep on her bed for a week. She said it also caused shortness of breath. She had not fallen, had not been hit, and nothing was sprained. However she did report that she had had a serious case of hiccups just before the pain started. Apparently, the hiccups caused her diaphragm to spasm, and that injured her mid-back. I treated her mid-back and diaphragm with both acupuncture and cupping. A week later I followed up with her, and she reported that the pain was gone completely after that one treatment.

Abdominal Pain

2/5/2017

 
Recently, a patient who had had pain on the left side of his abdomen for many years came to see me. He reported that the pain worsened when his stomach was empty. Previous to seeing me, he had had an endoscopy, a colonoscopy and other tests. All of his test results were normal.

At his first visit, based on what he had told me, I treated his stomach and large intestine. When he returned for a second visit, he reported that there had been no change in the pain. I palpated his abdomen and found that the exact location of the pain was at his left psoas muscle. Suddenly I realized that it was his psoas, not his digestive system that was the source of his pain. After I treated his left psoas muscle, the pain went away, and he has not had any abdominal pain since.

Because the pain worsened when his stomach was empty, my first thought was that the cause of pain had to be related to the digestive system. However, in this case, it turned out to be the psoas muscle, not the stomach, which caused the abdominal pain. Interesting!🤔

How I Became An Acupuncturist?

2/1/2017

 
I have often been asked, "What made you become an acupuncturist?" The short answer to this question is passion and calling. The long answer is......

When I was in college, my major was chemistry. Although I was raised in China, I had little interest in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) until I met a TCM doctor, Dr. Fan Zhenglun. He ignited my interest in Chinese herbal medicine.

As a chemist, I wanted to study Chinese herbal medicine in a scientific way. That's why I came to the United States and to UNC to do my graduate work in medicinal chemistry under Professor K. H. Lee. At UNC, I spent five years studying the chemistry of medicinal herbs. After receiving my PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences, I realized one fact -- even though I knew the chemical components of the herbs, I still didn't know how to use the herbs. The ancient Chinese doctors knew how to use the herbs, but they knew nothing about herbal chemistry. I wanted to know how they had known how to use the herbs. So I decided I would study the herbs in the old fashioned way.

It was my good fortune to meet Hai-Sha Ni, a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner in Florida who was willing to take me on as his apprentice. My family and I moved to Florida, and, while working toward my Masters in Oriental Medicine at the Florida College of Integrative Medicine, I studied under Hai-Sha Ni for three years, learning all I could about Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture. These three years of apprenticeship built a solid foundation for my later practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I am always very thankful for my mentor, Hai-Sha Ni.

My initial interest was only in Chinese herbal medicine. I was not so much interested in acupuncture, because I was AFRAID of needles. 😛 When my mentor first taught me acupuncture, honestly I was a little skeptical. How could a needle in the LEFT LEG eliminate the headache at the RIGHT TEMPLE? That's unbelievable, isn't it? However, many people were healed right in front of my eyes. I could not deny the facts. So, my attitude toward acupuncture changed from skeptical, to curious, to humbled. Despite my fear of needles, I started to study acupuncture and practice on myself. The more I studied and practiced, the more I fell in love with this ancient healing art.

I have to say that the study of Traditional Chinese Medicine has humbled me as a scientist. I am acutely aware of how much there is still to learn in this field. And, I am so grateful that I can do what I love and love what I do.

Low Platelet Count

2/1/2017

 
A mother-to-be was told by her ob/gyn that her platelet count was too low, and she was referred to see a hematologist. During the time she was waiting to see the hematologist, she let me treat her with acupuncture and herbs. By the time she finally saw the hematologist, her blood test showed that her platelet counts was already NORMAL. 😄😄😄

New Year, New Beginning

1/1/2017

 
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The chapter of 2016 has closed. 2016 is a year full of blessings. I'm grateful to God for using me as His instrument to help people. I'm grateful to my patients for their trust in me. I'm grateful to my mentors and peers in the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine for their teachings and sharing to improve my skills. I'm also grateful to my husband and children for their unconditional support.


Now we have turned to the chapter of 2017. 2017 will be super exciting. April 9th, 2017 will be the fifth anniversary of our clinic. The Big Boss will lead us to a new phase for the next 5 years. There will be a lot of changes in the clinic. One of the changes is that we will move to a new location in September, 2017. The new clinic will be more spacious, quieter and more convenient to get to.


You may wonder who the Big Boss is. He is God Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth and everything in between. He called me out of the field of pharmaceutical sciences to study Traditional Chinese Medicine. He made the path straight and provided all the resources beyond my imagination. I used to work in the school of pharmacy. Now I work in God's pharmacy. The longer I work in God's pharmacy, the more I'm amazed by God's creation, and the more I'm humbled in front of His feet.


Lord, here I am. Use me as your vessel to heal the broken hearted and bind up their wounds. May the clinic be filled with Your presence. May people who come with brokenness leave with Your love, joy and peace.


"Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Donor lean on your own understanding. In all things you do, acknowledge Him. He will guide your path." (Proverbs 3:5,6)

How Many Needles?

12/14/2016

 
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One day a new patient came for his very first acupuncture treatment. When I finished the needle insertions, he asked me with a puzzled look, "That's it?" I answered "Yes, that's it." Then I heard him give a big sigh of relief, and he said " I thought I would be like the Kung Fu Panda. If I had known you only used a few needles, I would have come much earlier."

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Address:
​​410 Market st.
Suite 330
chapel Hill, NC 27516

Telephone
​919-590-9870

Email

info@SouthernVillageAcupuncture.com

Hours

Mon: 8:30am - 5:30pm
Tue: 8:30am - 5:30pm
Wed: 10:00am - 6:00pm
Thur: 8:30am-6:00pm
Fri: 10:00am - 6:00 pm

Saturday: 10:00am - 4:00pm
​Sunday: closed

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  • Home
  • About
    • Li Lin, PhD, LAc
    • Susanna Lea, MS, LAc
  • Treated Conditions
  • Services
  • Testimonials
  • Insurance
  • Forms
  • FAQ