July 8, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Free Acupuncture Clinic Draws Seniors To Wise & Healthy Aging:

It’s Thursday morning, and Santa Monica resident Rose Kaufman, 99, has an appointment to keep. It’s one she’s looked forward to each week since July 2012, when she first began receiving acupuncture treatments at WISE & Healthy Aging in downtown Santa Monica.

Kaufman is one of a number of seniors who receive treatments — completely free of charge — at the WISE & Healthy Aging’s Community Acupuncture Clinic, a community service that the nonprofit, social service organization offers in a unique collaboration with Culver City-based Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The Acupuncture Clinic has been in operation for a year and a half, said President and CEO Grace Cheng Braun, with WISE & Healthy Aging providing the space and administrative support, and Yo San University bringing the medical supervision and graduate students who provide the acupuncture treatments.

“It’s a win-win for both organizations,” Cheng Braun said. “As well as for the students who complete valuable, specialized training and the seniors and caregivers who receive relief from chronic pain and feel increased energy as a result of the treatments.”

With a goal of bringing affordable, subsidized acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine care to the Los Angeles Westside community it serves.

Yo San University has many different community projects, including partnerships with the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles pain clinic, the Being Alive HIV/AIDS clinic. and the Venice Family Clinic, according to university Co-founder and Co-chancellor Daoshing Ni.

But the clinic at WISE & Healthy Aging is the only outpatient Yo San program that works entirely with seniors, Dr. Dao said.

Dr. Dao said working with seniors requires special sensitivity.

“You have to be gentle, as some are very frail, and some bruise easily,” Dr. Dao said. ” At the same time, seniors are pretty determined, pretty strong and very committed. If they want to get care, they’ll be there.”

In practical terms, this means that, especially at the beginning, an elderly patient may begin with as few as six or eight of the ultra-fine, sterilized acupuncture needles being applied, whereas a more aggressive treatment might utilize 30 or more, explained Lawrence Lau, the university’s dean of Academic and Clinical Affairs in charge of the master’s degree program.

Dr. Lau said the number of needles is increased as the individual feels more comfortable.

“People who get the treatment have enjoyed it,” Dr. Lau said. “They may not get up off the table and start dancing, but they feel good.”

Dr. Lau and his colleagues have found that seniors’ initial reaction to the idea of needles is about the same as in the general population.

Some are fine with the idea, some are a little wary, and others say, “No way!”

Rose Kaufman had no reluctance about the needles and trying out the WISE Acupuncture Clinic.

She was already getting acupuncture at UCLA when she learned about the new clinic, so recognized the benefit.

“It feels like you’re being needled, because you are!” she said. “They use needles that connect the meridian with the area where the pain is. So they really address your pain spots. For me, that is my whole right side. The acupuncture helps me day by day.”

When Kaufman and others come to the Thursday morning clinic for their treatment, they are escorted to one of three treatment rooms set up in the flexible space of the Edwards Center.

Here, the Yo San interns (two of them master’s degree students and one a doctoral candidate) provide the approximately hour-long treatments. They consist of a detailed history or current status interview followed by careful placement of the acupuncture needles, and then 20 to 30 minutes of very deep relaxation for the patient before the needles are removed.

Sometimes this is followed by Qi Gong, a gentle form of Tai Chi stretching and movement especially well-suited to seniors.

The treatments are supervised by Brady Chin, an experienced acupuncturist and martial arts expert who has a special rapport both with the interns and the seniors they treat.

Since the program’s inception, 15 interns have completed their “externships” at WISE & Healthy — an especially great bonus for the doctoral students, who are specializing in healthy aging, said Yo San President Lawrence J. Ryan.

“Our hope is that they’ll carry that experience with them, and as they become licensed practitioners, some may choose to specialize in the area,” Ryan said.

Kaufman thinks the students are already succeeding. So far, she’s been treated by two of the doctoral candidates, and finds both of them to be “excellent” and” knowledgeable.”

“They are very understanding — I guess the best word is compassionate,” Kaufman said. “Because people are coming in suffering, and because they are hurting, sometimes they’re not all that pleasant. But In this clinic, the practitioners are very efficient, very gentle, and very kind.”

WISE & Healthy Aging’s Cheng Braun and Yo San University’s Drs. Dao, Ryan and Lau hope that many more seniors and their families will hear about the Acupuncture Clinic, and come for the no-fee treatments.

“There is no downside to acupuncture, and the benefit is enormous,” Dr. Dao said. “It can help your body feel younger and feel less pain. I definitely recommend everyone take advantage of it.”

To find out more about the WISE & Healthy Aging Acupuncture Clinic, or to make an appointment, call 310.394.9871. Information is also available online, at www.wisehomecare.org.

in News
<>Related Posts

Anti-Drunk Driving Resolution Introduced as City Council Honors Late Palisades Teen Killed in Crash

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Levi, who was set to attend the University of Virginia this fall, was killed by a drunk driver on May...

Free and Reduced Price School Meals Available for Eligible Families in Santa Monica-Malibu District

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Parents in Need Encouraged to Apply, SMMUSD Commits to Nutritious, Accessible Meals By Brandyi Phillips, SMMUSD Chief Communications Officer Santa...

Big Blue Bus to Raise Fares for First Time in Nearly a Decade

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

The fare increase aims to offset rising costs for fuel, utilities, and supplies, according to the agency. The Santa Monica...

Shore Hotel: A Local Destination for Summer Fun

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Bring on all things summer. Walking or biking along Santa Monica Pier, you might find yourself taking a pause at...

Santa Monica’s 150th Anniversary to be Celebrated with Vibrant State of the City Event

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets, beach chairs, and picnics to enjoy during the performances Santa Monica will mark its...

Soprano Golda Zahra Returns to BroadStage For a One-Night-Only Musical Celebration

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Hailed as “the rising star of the opera world” by The Hollywood Times, internationally acclaimed soprano Golda Zahra makes her much-anticipated return to BroadStage in...

(Video) Hundreds of Drones Light up the Sky for Palisades to Celebrate July 4th

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

The Event Marked One of the First Large Gatherings Among Palisadians Since the January Wildfires. The Event Marked One of...

Transform Your Life: The Free Virtual ONENESS GLOBAL SUMMIT Debuts July 18-20, 2025

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

The ONENESS GLOBAL SUMMIT, a transformative three-day virtual event, is coming, July 18-20, 2025, offering participants worldwide a free opportunity...

Santa Monica Home Defies Convention: Architect Eric Owen Moss Debuts Shape-Shifting Design

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Pistachio-Colored Marvel Boasts Curving Walls, Sharp Angles, and Challenging Design A striking residence in Santa Monica is turning heads with...

Caitlyn Jenner’s Friend and Former Foundation CEO Dies in Malibu ATV Crash

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

ATV Plummeted 350 Feet After Rear-Ending Vehicle in Malibu Sophia Hutchins, former CEO of the Caitlyn Jenner Foundation and longtime...

New SaMo Bridge Program Refers 56 People in First Month; 37 Connected to Services

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

According to city officials, the program is on pace to meet its goal of serving 260 individuals annually Santa Monica’s...

Multi-Family Venice Property on Rare Double Lot Lists at Over $5M

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

In total, the four units provide 5,398 square feet of living space A multi-family property located one block from Venice...

Hama Sushi Hosts Weekly Music and Comedy Open Mics

July 5, 2025

July 5, 2025

The venue, a Venice Beach staple since 1979, has recently expanded its legendary happy hour to the entire patio Hama...

Connections Breakfast to Network Local Business Professionals in Malibu

July 5, 2025

July 5, 2025

The event, sponsored by Malibu Country Mart, will feature a breakfast mixer where attendees can meet new contacts  A Connections...

12th Annual Gopher Scramble Golf Tournament to Benefit Venice Heritage Museum

July 5, 2025

July 5, 2025

The museum opened to the public in March 2024 at the Main Street Design Center with its inaugural exhibition, “This...