Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Truong.
Hi Kim, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Natural medicine has always been a part of my life. I grew up around botanical medicinals within my family home and upbringing, spending time in my family’s herbal pharmacy as a child. I was always fascinated how specific combinations of organic products could be used as potent medicine for practically any ailment or disease. Dried fruits, leaves, seeds, roots- most were food items that are not only nutritious but also meant to be curative. I loved the way they looked, how they felt in my hands, the earthy way they smelled. I loved knowing that they grew from soil and were nourished by sunlight and water, which means the medicine we absorb is from nature, just as we are. Mainly, I loved knowing how people got better from taking these herbs.
I always knew that I had a particular love of medicine, to help people feel better and improve their lives. When I was still at the stage of deciding which field of medicine to dedicate myself to, there were particular points that I had heavily considered. I knew that I wanted a medicine that is safe as well as versatile. I wanted to be able to help as many people as possible for any health problems, and that it would work for anyone, anywhere. How could I offer maximum benefit and not cause any harm while using the simplest of toolkits? A medicine that not only has intelligence but also wisdom? I finally found my consummate answer in Eastern medicine.
The broad scope of Eastern medicine’s reach is due to its adaptability- to have its science solidly based in physiology while the art of its diagnostics is able to recognize the myriad pathophysiologies. In other words, this medicine understands how our innate biological systems work in conjunction with one another, which then helps me understand why there is dysfunction and how to help adjust it. I wanted to go beyond just a bandaging therapy that merely patches up symptoms yet leaves a person’s condition unchanged. My practice is about creating entire shifts in bodily functions to where it can perform optimally and maintain good health. The goal is to not only improve your health today but sets you on a path for improved health tomorrow.
That is how all of those patients from the pharmacy of my childhood managed to have such different ailments, yet all get better with the same set of tools. It could be any miscellaneous illnesses, or it could even be a presentation of the exact same symptoms- and yet, the diagnosis would be as unique as the individual person. The reason why is that it is not a treatment of a disease but of the person’s condition. What that means is, of course, your symptoms are the primary focus. But what actually matters is questioning: how did these symptoms come about, and how can they heal? What is your body type, your age, health history, diet, environment, how is your illness uniquely presenting itself? That’s where the answer lies, and this is why the medicine I offer works so incredibly well. There is recognition that the patient before me is a complex being while aiming to arrive at simplistic solutions.
It’s a rather simple toolkit, really. An impressive yet modestly sized library of herbs, a handful of needles. The sophistication is within its diagnostics- a distinct perspective of mind, body, and health. What sets this medicine apart is both the diagnostics and technique- to understand the body’s response to its own illness and then to understand the body’s unique response to the medicine. How can a patient’s body heal most naturally of its own accord, without suppression or surgical removal? How can I encourage physiological restoration while also avoiding any damage of side effects? When there is lucidity on that basis, then I would know how to make natural, simplistic medicine become corrective. It then transforms from a seemingly simple toolkit into an expansively, holistically, and exceptionally healing medicine.
There are many working parts that make up our health; it’s about knowing how to see the whole picture. Because a person’s health is essentially a network of inseparably collaborating systems, with this therapy, people find they are able to recover collectively. So, while addressing a primary concern, patients may gain indirect benefits, such as their sleep, digestion, immune response, energy, even their moods all improving in a parallel cascade. That is the very basis of this comprehensive medicine and a true representation of medical holism.
This is a medicine I feel profoundly proud to dedicate myself to and share, that I feel safe to provide, from the eldest to even the youngest patients. This medicine views both the micro view of observing the individualistic needs of each patient, yet also sees the macro view of a person’s health as a collective, intertwined whole adapting to its environment. In that way, I can safely offer health solutions without the risk of causing any harm.
It is a great joy for me to be able to share with everyone such an extraordinary way to be healthy.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think a common struggle that plagues many physicians and service providers when first starting out is a mindset obstacle called imposter syndrome. It’s a case of wondering if you are presently capable enough to give patients what they need now. As a newbie, it can feel an awful lot like a flaw, like some type of insecurity. But the more years I am in this profession, I am finding this trait to reveal itself to become quite an asset and the sign of an intellectually ambitious and also caring practitioner.
For a while, it can feel like an internal struggle- creating a cognitive restlessness, a drive to keep learning and elevating, a particular sense of never enough. That could perhaps be perceived as the seemingly negative aspect of it.
But the shiny silver lining in this characteristic is the promise of a practitioner who continually improves. There seems to always be another facet to think over, another method to apply, another lens in which to look through, and more solutions to offer. It’s a kind of anxious productiveness, so to speak- a type of goal-posting which serves as motivation. It then becomes an actual blessing in disguise because it creates a practitioner who never stops upgrading and refining herself.
So early on I had grappled with what could be labeled as imposter syndrome. But I now recognize it as the continual will to strive for betterment. It went from being regarded as a struggle to a transformed mindset of healthy growth, to where I’m always giving my absolute best to each patient.
We’ve been impressed with A New Day Acupuncture and Herbal Clinic, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My name is Kim Truong, L.Ac., and I am a Texas Medical Board licensed acupuncturist and herbalist at A New Day Acupuncture and Herbal Clinic in Houston, Texas. My clinic treats neurological disorders, chronic illness, pre- and post-operative pain management and rehabilitation, and women’s health. My aim is to offer healthcare for those who wish to not only patch up their symptoms but aim for true holistic health to live their best.
My goal in providing healthcare has always been to not only keep my therapies as natural as possible but to also be easeful and simple. I have found that our biology responds best to medicines that have the simplest whole ingredients and most closely resemble our natural biological makeup. When the medicine is able to give clear communication to the body, there is greatest efficacy in instigating the body’s own neurovascular and metabolic responses to heal.That’s why I find acupuncture to offer such potent and immediate results, and how herbal medicines can create actual shifts in systemic behavior.
Something I’ve noticed through time is the cycling of trends, including in healthcare. With the escalating upsurge in social media as a means of information and education, it is an increasingly progressive pattern to showcase medicine as rapid-fire suggestions. It tidies up the idea of healthcare into convenient shrink-wrapped packages and short-lived appeal. From the latest superfood discoveries, enhanced lab panels, electronic scans, devices that replace manual therapy, to all the newest innovations of various medical modalities. It all seems to be about how we can put our health in maximum acceleration in the shortest time, sort of like having a caffeinated healthcare plan. And in the midst of all that, I also see aspects of traditional East Asian medicine cropped into shortcut quick fixes.
Shortcuts, hacks, and modifications of therapies can all be great to a certain degree- it can offer quick and fast tricks for momentary relief. I myself have found tips like these to be very useful from time to time. But it is a snippet of medicine, a snapshot, without context of the true intention to comprehensively heal.
Healing is an ubiquitous term, but what does it truly mean? To heal is not just a temporary delay of symptoms, but it is to create a positive shift in systemic function in a way that not only restores but also maintains good health. Healing considers our present as well as our future health.
My intention as a physician is to do much more than offer a superficial medical bandaid. I want to actually correct and restore your body’s physiology to operate daily in its naturally ideal state.
We are a culture of scientific advancement, which is brilliant and exciting. I am all for evolution and continual progress. We never know how open doors can invite new knowledge, and that’s wonderful. But at the same time, so often with trends, its very nature is that they are here today and gone tomorrow. With our own bodies and health, there should be foundations of reliability, and I hope the consistency of my clinic offers just that.
Instead of catching up with trends, what I want to convey is that the effects of Eastern medicine are timeless. There have been welcome aspects of medical development that further enhance its incredible use for modern diseases. But at the core of it, Eastern medicine remains steadfast in its classical applications and efficacy. The reason why it has remained continually effective for thousands of years is that its systems are grounded and aligned in basic biology. This is why this medicine of my practice so reliably and effectively works for so many people.
Practically everything is susceptible to the evolution of time- from our standards of health, environmental factors, our diets, even the diseases that develop. But the creation of mankind and our inherent biology essentially remains the same. Our bodily functions, its structures, its overall design, and how they all operate interconnectedly- remain largely unchanged. Eastern medical science acknowledges this.
At the heart of Eastern medicine are unchanging principles which entire systems are built upon. With almost anything, when you build upon solid core principles, that foundational system can then become adaptable for any day and age. The principles are like the good bones of a house- when that structure is solid, then you can build anything upon that stability. There is then proper focus on core processes of the human body and how it is presenting disease. I am trained to focus on the way the body behaves and not only fixate on disease labels. There is discernment between what develops symptoms and what maintains disease. This way, the medicine then works versatilely for any peoples, through any region or era.
For example, we can all recall the recent pandemic and what it was like. There was confusion, surprise, and so many questions surrounding a mysterious newborn illness. Allopathic medicine did a great job in handling the sudden influx of cases but had struggled for some time to identify and label this infectious disease. Admittedly, it was brand new to practitioners of Eastern medicine as well. We’ve never seen or heard of such a disease. And yet, my colleagues and I still managed to observe a patient’s health as a whole and still provide efficacious health care allowing many patients to recover faster and better. And how was this done? By understanding the unchanging core principles of human physiology through the lens of Eastern medical systems, and then be able to adapt and apply it to change.
This is how a historical medicine and tradition created millennia before still holds true so many centuries later. This is how an ancient medical practice becomes modern. Beyond all passing trends and any mutable evolution of time, our health responds consistently well to Eastern medicine. Its wisdom taps into the very core essence of biological function as well as a thorough understanding of systems interactions.
That is how and why it conjunctively works- the consistency of Eastern medical science with its art of adaptability.
And so, acupuncture is about so much more than just its tools. It’s beyond protocols, manuals, and shortcuts. It’s about the physician and our ability to truly understand the unique diagnostic systems of this medicine, the nature of the patients, and what solutions that may offer.
This is what my practice provides. There is much appeal in embellished medicines with modern devices. But my clinic is not about any extra bells or whistles- I haven’t found it to be necessary to get optimum clinical results. It’s simply tried and true Eastern medicine that has helped many patients recover from difficult health conditions. Many health conditions where they couldn’t find remedies otherwise. My patients are given hope to heal with cumulative health progress that is holistic and sustainable. Simple, reliable, trustworthy, and extremely effective.
So, patients who suffer from stubborn chronic illnesses find natural relief and healing. An athlete with spastic back pain and radiculopathy can avoid injections and once again touch his toes without discomfort. A patient with sudden facial paralysis can once again smile like she used to. A senior who had full knee replacements can painlessly take the stairs again without medications. Women diagnosed with endometriosis are able to anticipate pain-free cycles. Long-term cases of heartburn are finally alleviated and even prevent future digestive diseases. The quality of life vastly improves when there is good health, and these are the types of clinical outcomes that matter to me.
My mission has always been and remains to not only provide the safest and most naturally effective medicine but to also uphold my professional oath to benefit all patients to the best of my ability and do no harm.
What are your plans for the future?
The present clinical services have done extraordinarily well in helping so many people with so many varied conditions. So, I don’t anticipate any stark changes to what I provide as patients are able to heal and recover with things as they are.
However, there may be expansion in terms of offering nutritional and dietary support. Healthy dietetics for the purpose of optimizing personal health coincides perfectly with the medicine I offer.
What we consume, absorb, and also avoid within our daily diets can all be medicinal. Food is our natural fuel, and picking the right ones that our bodies are able to maximally metabolize and utilize is on brand with my clinic’s mission.
As always, I aim for patients who are healthy inside and out, to have the best quality of life and living.
Contact Info:
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Website: www.anewdayacu.com
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Instagram: www.instagram.com/anewdayacu
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Facebook: www.facebook.com/anewdayacu
