Practitioners Corner: April Spotlight, Dr. Yiwen Su
Traditional Chinese Medicine is not only the medicine of the past, but also of the present and of the future. I feel blessed to have received such intensive training in the origin of this medicine, inherited the valuable knowledge and skills passed on by the true 
masters of the older generations and witnessed the healing power of this medicine in China as well as overseas.
masters of the older generations and witnessed the healing power of this medicine in China as well as overseas.I am a licensed acupuncturist and East Asian Medicine Provider in the State of Washington and a diplomat of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbology (NCCAOM). I am currently the director of dermatology committee of American Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I was invited to speak at multiple national and regional oriental medicine conferences in the U.S. I have a busy joint private practice with my wife Dr. Li Jin at Su & Jin Acupuncture and Natural Healthcare in Northgate, Seattle, Washington.
I entered this medical field in 1980 and graduated with a Masters of Medicine degree in 1988 from Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China. During my training, in addition to a few outstanding professors and very experienced doctors of TCM, I followed one of the founders of the university, famous postgraduate tutor, Master Wen Zhuo-Zhi who devoted 60 years of his life helping his patients in China. I was chosen as his only postgraduate student.
My extensive teaching in combination with my clinical practice have contributed a great deal to my in-depth medical knowledge and clinical expertise. My teaching faculty positions include Chengdu University of TCM in China where I was officially appointed as Guest Professor in recognition of my significant achievements and extraordinary importance in Traditional Chinese Medicine. My other teaching experience in countries outside of China are as follows: professor at Israeli College of Medicine in Tel Aviv, Israel; herbal department chair and faculty chair at Northwest Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Seattle, WA, professor at Emperor’s College of Traditional Oriental Medicine in Santa Monica, CA, core faculty at Seattle Institute of East Asian Medicine and I have regularly been invited to teach at doctoral programs at Oregon College of Oriental Medicine and Bastyr University.
With a major in Dermatology and over 30 years clinical practice, I have had the opportunity to see a great number of allergy cases in addition to skin conditions. I came to realize that allergies are not just our body’s response to allergens, it is a dynamic interaction between our body and the environment. Our body’s overacting to the environment reflects our inner disharmony as well as the ever-changing environment. Only by careful examination of the environmental factors, and fine-tuning our body’s balance, will a better clinical result be achieved.
Many of my patients are referrals from others who failed with conventional medical therapies but benefited from traditional Chinese medicine treatment at my clinic. Some patients chose to work with us in conjunction with their western healthcare practitioners to get the utmost benefits of both medicines, or to get the surface issues and root causes of their health problems taken care of. That is why I believe Traditional Chinese Medicine is not just the medicine of the past, it is the medicine trending towards the future, embraced as a significant healthcare modality in the West.
As for the specific tools I use in my practice, I really see the benefit of combining acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, dietary and lifestyle advice to my patients. Every patient is offered a different variety of herbal formulas, diet and lifestyle that are tailored to his or her specific constitutions. Herbal formulas work only when the herbs are from reliable sources. TCMzone is a valuable resource and provides fine ingredients of Chinese herbal medicine available to licensed healthcare practitioners and their patients in the U.S.
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