We were lucky to catch up with Dr. Edison Tai recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Dr. Edison, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
My name is Edison Tai. I am a licensed Acupuncturist. I am from Taiwan, a country that inherits real Chinese culture. My family in Taiwan is a Chinese medicine family. I have fifteen cousins, 11 out of them are medical doctors. Therefore, learning and practicing Chinese medicine is what I did since I was a child. when I grow up, I work in a big hospital fitness department, I help weak patients rehab and also get a personal trainer certification. In 2010, I apply to a university in Daphne, Alabama, to study a doctoral program in Sports Management. That’s how I combine my medical knowledge and my exercise science background. In 2012, I got a job in Denver, Colorado, that’s a big and famous sports nutrition company, and my job is to do research with elite professional athletes and publish the results as research papers in medical journals. When I work there, I also got my Ph.D. degree in 2013. I saw many professional athletes get injured in their athletic careers and cannot overcome injury. I want to help them as I did in a hospital in Taiwan, but according to American law, I cannot do anything because I am just a researcher rather than a legal, medical practitioner, even though I know how to do it. This is the main reason why I decided to get a medical license to help people. According to my knowledge and family background, an acupuncture license is my best choice. Now I can help people who needed, and I want to bring real Chinese Medicine to the U.S.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am the founder and owner of my clinic, Dr. Tai Acupuncture. There are three major differences between Dr. Tai Acupunctre and the other Acupuncture clinic. First, my diagnosis method is way different from the general acupuncturists. There is a basic concept of medical treatment: If the diagnosis at the beginning is wrong, then all follow-up treatment is useless. The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) diagnosis is basic on the “Four Examinations”, which are: looking diagnosis (checking the tongue), listening diagnosis, smelling and tasting diagnosis, and touching diagnosis (feeling the pulse). Especially pulse diagnosis is the final decision for patients’ syndrome but is also the most difficult skill. Usually, an acupuncturist will use their three fingers (index, middle, ring) to feel the patient’s pulse, but the results are quite subjective and difficult to assured. In my clinic, besides only using fingers to feel the pulse, a TCM pulse diagnosis device also is used. Since 1989, Jinmu TCM Pulse Diagnosis System has been developed for more than 30 years, and there are more than 141 research papers published on PubMed until 2021. Evidence shows it’s the most accurate TCM pulse diagnosis system in the world. Dr. Tai Acupuncture is the only clinic that uses it in the U.S. Secondly, my needle skills are developed by the old Tai family, it’s more precise, efficient, and most importantly safe and painless. There is case from my patient before, I had a patient who really worried about the needle will cause pain, so I set her prone (face down) position and started to needle her. Until I finish my first five needles and insert my sixth one, she asks me, “Dr., are you already start?” This is a true story from my patient.
Finally, I am from Taiwan. Most people in the world don’t know the difference between Taiwan and China, they will think Taiwan might be closer to Thailand because of pronunciation. In fact, China uses simplified Chinese for writing, and the Taiwanese use traditional Chinese. Traditional Chinese is from the 2nd AD and continues used now. This means all ancient medical books are written by traditional Chinese, and a Taiwanese acupuncturist can easy to read and understand them. I modify my TCM skills from all classical and bible level medical books, also all my herbal medicine prescription is from the classical formula. The knowledge of ancient Chinese medical classics is extremely difficult and It’s impossible for people who cannot read traditional Chinese to make it.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
It’s not easy for me to open my own clinic, how to educate people and let them know acupuncture is not only inserting the needle into a patient’s body but is a part of Chinese medicine, which includes using Moxibustion and Chinese herbs medicine, also it is holistic medicine, we treat people, make people healthy, rather than treat a specific disease. In addition, it takes more time to let the patient know acupuncture is a natural therapy, it helps people to boost their own self-healing ability, rather than just kill some virus. I will say a peaceful attitude and open mind thinking are very important. According to what I know, most Acupuncture in the U.S. is Anti-modern medicine. They think the medicine is poison. I had worked in a Taiwan hospital, and I cooperate with other departments, so I don’t anti any treatment. In my opinion, there is no bad treatment method, only has a bad practitioner. The problem is not drugs, is humans.
Opening your mouth to ask is very important, but I am more believe in fate. Do the things you like, when you doing it long enough, the people walking in front of will show up and guide you, no matter use the positive (teach) or negative (depress) method. The way I use is always to focus on my work and let people know I do my best, and it’s really working on me to attract people who are interested in me.
Also, lower down risks at the beginning of your business. People believe higher risk means a higher return, but it’s not when you just start it. You need to believe, you do not fail, just not success yet for a long time, but you don’t allow to wait until you succeed if you have a high mortgage.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
How my acupuncture skills were learned, would relate to my family. I was born in Taiwan and grew up in a medical family. My family is an old and elite medical family in south Taiwan. More than half of my family members are medical doctors, and the Tai family has our own Chinese kung-fu and Chinese medicine skills. Therefore, most of my acupuncture skills are Tai family acupuncture skills, also called “Tai Needle”, it’s very different from what most American acupuncture schools teach. When I learn the difference between American patients and Taiwanese patients, Master Shifu Hwang and Dr. Wen-Chiang Pai guide me as my mentors. Master Shifu teach me his Tai-Chi skills and experience with herbs used in the U.S. Dr. Wen-Chiang Pai show me his clinic in New York and how to treat different cultures of people.
About my business building, when I start my business, Liliana Morris gives me the most help and guides me on how to establish my business step by step. She is the main person help me to start Dr. Tai Acupuncture. Dr. Jessica Shepherd is the other one who inspires my business. She builds a premier wellness and concierge medicine practice, Sanctum Med + Wellness, which lets all our talent can work together for health and wellness support.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dredisontaiacupuncture.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.tai_acupuncture_clinic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrTaiAcupuncture
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-edison-tai-ed-d-mba-l-ac-28513669
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dr-tai-acupuncture-addison?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)
