Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Truong, L.Ac..
Briefly walk us through your story- how you started and how you got to where you are today. You can include as little or as much detail as you like.
My name is Kim Truong, L.Ac., and I am the licensed acupuncturist, herbalist, and owner of A New Day Acupuncture and Herbal Clinic in Spring Branch, Houston, Texas. I appreciate the opportunity to have my voice and story invited here, and honored to be a part of Voyage Houston’s local media platform.
To get to where I have arrived today started with the foundations in which I came from. I grew up in the islands, surrounded by ocean air, where it was commonplace to replace controlled air conditioning with an open window. We often picked fruits, vegetables, and flowers of every sort from our own backyards- gatherings where we climbed coconut trees to collect its fruits were an entire event. We walked or biked to the grocery store, to the dentist office, to school and almost anywhere close by. The sunshine and breezes were comforting and nurturing, and it encouraged a lot of time outdoors. There is a certain simplicity to that way of living that actually supports a naturally healthy life.
But what I have found is that it’s really not about any particular place but what we choose as a lifestyle. We thrive best when we are in tune with our true nature, and then to have that complemented by our surroundings. We ourselves are nature. It’s about harmonizing our internal and external environments, regardless of whether we are at the beach or on a busy highway. It’s within this unity between self and surroundings where we are our healthiest- how we choose to live, what we choose to eat, how we choose to feel, and what we choose as health care.
I grew up around natural medicine as a part of my upbringing. A number of the elders in my family were herbalists. They knew their ways around turning organic products into adaptable healing medicines. What my family also knew was to advise us on healthy eating and lifestyle, because they are all contributing factors. What all of that showed me is that our bodies respond best to what it can understand. In other words, our bodies can process and metabolize elements that are closest to its own nature. We are entirely capable of applying natural means to maintain good health and prevent disease.
It just makes most sense to me that medicine should not hinder the body’s natural processes, but encourage it to evolve and regenerate. We may not be acutely aware of it, but every second of every day, our bodies are in a constant state of renewal and regeneration.
In Eastern medicine, there is a profound understanding of maintaining a balance of life and living. This medicine is so versatile based on the fact that it recognizes the diversity of human health- the human nature. When we remove obstructions and redirect our body’s innate systems to operate as it is intended, then we are able to obtain our optimum version of health.
With this practice, instead of the human body answering to the medicine, the medicine answers to the body.
The human body’s design is essentially perfect, as long as it functions the way it is meant to. So what my job entails is to find out where things are off course and set things back on track. That way, a person’s own systems are empowered to do exactly what they should. That is the epitome of natural health.
There is a certain poetry and wisdom behind all of the sophisticated science of Eastern Medicine. Its philosophies view the expansion of human existence down to our individual health. Truly holistic health on every relatable scale. I find it perfectly represents who I am as a person and a practitioner, and I hope I am also doing well to represent this medicine and all it can do in helping people in living their best lives.
Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Sure I’ve encountered quite a number of setbacks and obstacles en route. At this point, I’ve chatted with many other entrepreneurs on their own stories, and facing obstacles seems to be a rite of passage for most business owners. It’s about how you manage it and move forward that counts most. It’s inevitable that life will have its ups and downs. It’s how we maneuver the fluctuations that makes us who we are, and through that, we find out who we emerge to become.
For myself, I’ve had to relocate a number of times for various reasons, and each time starting over proved to be difficult yet equally exciting all over again. But honestly, what I’ve found is that obstacles serve to be invitations for blessings of sorts into our lives. I’m so grateful for much open-hearted kindness and generosity to have come upon my path at the right moments, especially when I needed it most. The cliché about one door closing leading to other doors opening is actually quite true. We just need to remain adventurously open to opportunities.
Additionally, obstacles obviously require solutions. Because of that, going through them alters our perspective to show how much our own judgment and instincts must be acknowledged and respected.
So as backwards as it may sound, I find that although setbacks may be temporary detours from our intended plans, but they may be unexpected avenues for empowerment. It is ultimately the pressure that creates the diamond.
We should at times let life pleasantly surprise us.
Tell us more about your business or organization. What should we know? What do you do, what do you specialize in/what are you known for? What sets you apart from others? What are you most proud of brand wise? What do you want our readers to know about your brand, offerings, services, etc?
I am the acupuncturist and herbalist at A New Day Acupuncture and Herbal Clinic, licensed with the Texas Medical Board. My practice offers the span of Eastern medicine which collaboratively provides holistic health care. Generally speaking, it restores function, mobility, and regulates our circulatory, nutritional and chemical balances. This is why the scope of Eastern medicine is so broad in how we can help with so many varied conditions. It comes down to the synergy of human physiology. In other words, instead of compartmentalizing the physique into individual areas of health, it is being able to see the bigger picture of the human body as a collective, cooperative system. Approaching health in that perspective opens boundless possibilities for health to flourish.
So often when people hear “acupuncture,” they think it’s all about a static map of simply plugging needles, and it’s truly not. There is so much intricacy in the diagnostic processes and analyses, where so much of it comes down to the unique diagnosis and refined technique. For it to be correctly effective, it takes much experience, continued learning, and genuine dedication to fine-tune this practice. This point has to be emphasized. Acupuncture is an invasive process after all and requires expertise and precision. So it’s not about fixed protocols, but respecting the complexity of the patient that stands individualistically before you. It is a versatile medicine that is expansive and adaptable to each person.
These methods heal conditions from their innermost foundations so that we achieve thorough health from the inside out. My aim is not to temporarily patch up symptoms, but to shift the patient’s physical makeup towards their most empowered version of health. When the physical health is stable, it is only natural that the emotional state is also improved. There is consideration of the mind and body connection in health. From there, patients find themselves making collective progress- when people feel better, they have more clarity to make better decisions, and just do better for themselves overall. It’s remarkable to bear witness to the happier shift in so many lives that I’ve been fortunate to have come my way.
For my clinic, I focus primarily on neurological conditions. I treat patients of all ages, from seniors to infants. I’ve treated conditions that are more common, such as neck and back spinal pain, radiculopathy, spinal stenosis, insomnia. But also treated patients with conditions like tremors, Bell’s palsy, neuropathy, spasms, post-stroke recovery, phantom pain, even supported a patient with brain tumor while he underwent chemotherapy. What I truly enjoy is being able to help people who otherwise have dead-end conditions. What I mean by that is, the only other remedies they are offered are to be indefinitely medicated or to undergo surgery. These options may be very useful and can work wonders for many. I have much respect for all medicines and support integrative health care. However, we need to be mindful that any therapies that behave as suppressants may temporarily patch up the problems, but long term exposure can quite often make some things worse.
What I do is similar to recovering original muscle memory, or rather, creating a shift in restoring the body’s natural physiological functions to how it is meant to be. The human design is innately perfect, and that is where we achieve our optimum health. What is important is that there is improved quality of life. The part that I find most fulfilling is being able to reignite hope that life can and will improve.
The passion of my work is to support children with neurological issues. They have long, wonderful lives ahead of them. If I can help one child to be able to walk an extra step, speak an extra word, have a restful night’s sleep, smile openly and freely, to be with their families, to run and play with their friends, and truly look forward to each new day- that fills my heart like nothing else. Their health means so much to them, and being so, it means the world to me too.
Improving a patient’s quality of life in any way, big or small, is the heart within this clinic and of what I do and why I do it.
But as I had mentioned earlier, the very nature of Eastern medicine encompasses the whole picture of a person’s health. So I have patients coming in for any variety of conditions, from digestive health, immune support, pain management, gynecology, to issues of internal medicine. There is a growing movement of people who wish to be in tune with their natural healing processes, and we work together to get their health where they wish it to be.
I have seen how much health conditions can take its toll on the lives of patients. It can be life altering. There is a definite mind-body connection to health, so chronic illness often leads to any variety of stress and emotional ailments as well. So however much I can help a person restore their lives, to be able to help bring sunshine back into their lives, so to speak, that is what drives me to keep working hard.
We all want to make a difference in life, to fulfill what we feel is our personal purpose. For me, I feel the impact of good health can completely change a person’s life for the better in every way. Offering genuinely holistic health care that is compatibly at one with the human body is my contribution. It is where I am the happiest, and I hope it is something that each and every person at my clinic can sense and benefit from.
Can you talk to us about your view on risk taking. Have you taken any major risks (and if so, can you tell us about those risks? Regardless of whether you view yourself as a risk-taker or not, we’d love to hear your perspective on how you think about risk.
Risk is really all about how you look at the word and what it really means to you. It could either be about something that you do, or on the flip side, it could be about something that you don’t do. Every chance is about action and outcome. But how do you view it?
For example, this magazine features all the risk-takers, people who pummel forward to follow an idea or passion because we believe in it so much. The risk here would be whether our passion translates into public acceptance. Yet if we hadn’t decided to bet on our gifts, the risk would be wondering if we could have reached our fullest potential.
At the end of the day, what we do is ultimately for ourselves. So if the risk of challenging our ideas and making them work outweighs the risk of never bringing them into fruition, then we often find our answers on that scale.
The dictionary definition of the word risk boils it down to: exposing oneself to any supposed danger. What is categorized as “danger” could simply mean its result is unknown. In the various definitions of risk, the common term used in each is “exposure”. So this indicates opening oneself up, whether it’s good or bad or simply unknown. But it’s about inviting yourself to step forward and be vulnerable. I can choose to either view that fearfully or excitedly. I personally decide to accept plunging into new things excitedly.
For myself, opening my practice would be considered my biggest risk. Life has no guarantees in our day to day. It’s about allowing ourselves to live up to our fullest potential with whatever comes our way. When you believe so firmly in what you have to offer, it gives you the strength to commit, believe, work, and let it blossom. Then it’s all really worth the risk, any way you look at it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.anewdayacu.com
- Instagram: @anewdayacu
- Facebook: @anewdayacu
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Phone: (832) 779-6889
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Email: kim@anewdayacu.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/
kim-truong-anewdayacu/
