Needles in the skin isn't everyone's idea of pain relief, but
patients of Orlando Ly return again and again for that experience.
Ly practices acupuncture and Chinese medicine at his at 6248 Poplar,
newly relocated from his former space on Highland.
"Acupuncture is often a last resort for patients looking for relief from
pain and other health problems," said Ly, 42, who said he learned
Chinese medicine from his father and grandfather. "But with many
problems, early treatment is the key to relief."
Ly compares the feeling of the needle application to that of a rubber
band lightly snapping on your skin.
He said about 90 percent of his patients seek treatment for aches and
pain, with a few seeking help with weight loss.
Bren McConnaughhay receives acupuncture treatments from Ly for chronic
fatigue and fibromyalgia. On the bed next to Bren is her 5-year-old
granddaughter, Sammi Jo. The child looks relaxed but has an array of
38-gauge needles positioned at special points all over her body. Sammi
Jo's mother, Mandy Ballard, waits in a chair at her daughter's side
throughout the treatment.
Ly treats Sammi Jo for eosinophilic esophagitis, or EE, a disorder of
the esophagus she's had since she was a baby. It can cause severe
digestive problems.
"We took her to the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center,
where they ran tests and did biopsies. She couldn't digest chicken,
rice, milk, legumes and so many other foods. The doctors said she showed
signs of failure to thrive and osteoporosis, and she was so thin and
weak. Her eyes were sunken and her color was pale," Ballard said.
The hospital wanted the family to keep coming back for biopsies, "and
I just felt that was too much," Ballard said. "We decided to try
acupuncture."
She brings her daughter to Ly's clinic once a week from their home in
Paragould, Ark. Sammi Jo's treatments take one hour.
"She's not afraid of the needles. She calls them 'magic sticks.'
She's been taking the treatments since June, and she's already gained
seven pounds. Now she's taking jazz dance every Monday night, and she's
just full of energy," Ballard said.
As for McConnaughhay, she said her therapy is working.
"I sought help from other doctors, but this treatment has helped me
more with the pain, and I am able to rest much better now."
Lucia Heros, 38, suffers from migraines and a herniated disc. She
said she tried physical therapy and chiropractic treatment, and prefers
a natural method of relief over drugs or surgery.
"I've always been fearful of needles, but Orlando is so gentle and
knowledgeable," said Heros. "Once he began the first treatment I
realized it was not painful. When the needles are in place, I relax
immediately and usually just fall asleep."
Heros, a coffee importer, said she began to get tremendous relief
after the second treatment. For her, Ly uses a "balanced treatment."
"This method helps the body's energy, or chi, to flow easily and
helps carry oxygen to the cells," said Ly. "When patients have pain it's
like a malfunctioning traffic light at a busy intersection. The energy
gets all congested around the malfunction, and this balanced treatment
helps open up the congested area and get the energy flowing properly."
Ly's great-grandfather began his family's practice of Chinese
medicine in China during the late 1800s. Ly and his brother, Frank,
represent the fourth generation of their family to use Chinese medicine
to help people relieve pain and improve their overall health.
Orlando oversees clinics in Memphis and Jackson, Tenn., while Frank
oversees clinics in Nashville and Huntsville, Ala.
Though not a medical doctor, Orlando Ly has practiced the healing
arts for 20 years.
Susan Christiansen, his office manager for eight years, said Ly is
licensed by the Advisory Committee for Acupuncture, which falls under
the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners and the State of Tennessee
Department of Health.
Judi Harrick, a registered nurse and Ph.D., has been a licensed
acupuncturist for 18 years.
"This field is rapidly growing because more people are looking for
treatments for the whole body, keeping the whole in mind even when
treating a specific area of the body," Harrick said.
She said nearly 75 percent of people have utilized some form of
"complementary medicine," which she described as non-Western mainstream
medicine, forms such as massage and acupuncture. She firmly believes in
the use of complementary medicine to promote wellness and healing.
She said her clinic, Acupuncture & Healing Arts Medical Group at
Poplar and Yates, serves as a rotation site for complementary medicine
for family practice residents at the University of Tennessee.
Harrick said some insurance companies offer plans that cover
acupuncture treatments but most do not.
Christiansen said the price of an office visit and treatment at Ly's
clinic is $60.
As for how acupuncture works, Ly's Web site,
memphischinesemedicine.com, points out that research has never
determined a reason.
But Far East theories that have survived for thousands of years
allow that there are "12 pathways of energy, known as meridians, which
run along the human body. Each meridian has a number of pressure points
which support different areas of the body. After thousands of years,
practitioners of Chinese medicine have discovered the various pressure
points, and their healing benefits when stimulated."
"There are over 2,000 pressure points in the human body," Ly said.
"When stimulated, these points can trigger the release of endorphins
that can help the body heal."
Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine
Owner: Orlando Ly
Clinic address: 6248 Poplar
Phone: 323-1202 or 820-040
Sammi Jo Ballard, 5, who
suffered from a rare disease, is now symptom-free after acupuncture treatments
with Ly of Memphis. 
