Community Corner
The Best of Both Worlds Neurologist Blends Ancient Chinese Medicine with Western Treatments
A graduate of Long Island Jewish Medical Center who completed her pain management fellowship at Beth Israel Medical Center in NY, Dr. Yan Ling Gao brings over 25 years of neurology and acupuncture clinical experience to her home practice in Croton-on-Hudson. A practice that defines complementary medicine, Oriental Neurology and Acupuncture Center marries a nearly 2,000-year-old method of using needles to release qi (pronounced “chee”), or internal energy flow, with the expertise of a medical specialty dealing with the disorders of the nervous system. The advantage of seeking the care of a board certified neurologist/certified physician acupuncturist lies in the additional medical training, including five years of medical school, a one year internship and three years of specialized training in neurology. The fellowship that follows adds a further year of specialized training.
In 1992, Dr. Gao was awarded the coveted Jacqueline du Prè Fellowship by the International Federation of Multiple Sclerosis Societies. Jacqueline Du Prè was Great Britain’s most acclaimed string player who had to give up her instrument in 1972 when the first signs of multiple sclerosis (MS) appeared. Many of Dr. Gao’s publications consequently focused on demyelination issues; myelin is the fatty sheath around nerve endings that is destroyed when the body attacks itself in MS.
“To go from making $20 a month as a neurology attending in my native China, to doing research in neuropathology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine was indeed a great honor, and defined my path these last 23 years,” said Dr. Gao, who grew up during the Cultural Revolution. She began to practice acupuncture on herself at age 11, and was sent to the countryside after high school prior to attending Norman Bethune University of Medical Science in Jilin Providence. “I worked as a farmer during the day, and treated farmers suffering from headaches, sciatica, lower back and neck pain, and other medical issues with acupuncture at night. I was what they affectionately referred to as a ‘barefoot doctor’.”
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A Bell’s palsy patient recently wrote a testimonial describing Dr. Gao’s treatment of her facial paralysis with traditional Western medicine – prednisone to reduce the inflammation – and traditional Chinese medicine – acupuncture to improve deficient qi. “By the end of my fourth week of acupuncture treatment,” she stated, “I was fully recovered.” She has a family history of facial palsy, which left her mother and aunt with permanent symptoms.
Sid G., another of Dr. Gao’s patients seeking treatment for nerve damage said, “Like many people, I was a bit skeptical that needles were going to solve my multiple issues, including right leg nerve damage, lower back disk deterioration, sciatica, (an) arthritic hip and chronic pain. My confidence in her has reached the level where I have cast off my ‘Park Avenue’ neurologist and put my life in her capable hands. I may need to walk with assistance, but I will never need a wheelchair as long as I have Dr. Gao and her ‘magic touch’".
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According to the 2004 British Society for Rheumatology Journal Vol. 43 No. 5 (c), the first document that unequivocally described an organized system of diagnosis and treatment recognized as acupuncture is The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, dating from about 100 BCE. Acupuncture finally reached its present level of acceptability in the US when a National Institute of Health consensus conference reported that there was positive evidence for its effectiveness. In 2007, 3.1 million people tried acupuncture to relieve discomfort caused by fibromyalgia, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, low back pain, and other ailments.
To date, Dr. Gao has treated over 720 patients who have logged over 6,000 visits, with medical issues ranging from headaches and migraines; neck, back, shoulder and arm pain; stroke and hemiparesis; seizures and epilepsy; Alzheimer’s Disease; and peripheral neuropathy. Each has benefitted from the complementary approach. Additionally, her acupuncture treatments have helped individuals lose weight, quit smoking, quell their anxiety, strengthen their immune systems, and reduce stress. Dr. Gao sees patients in her Croton office on Wednesdays and Fridays, and can be reached at (914) 271-8686 for an appointment. Further information on the Oriental Neurology and Acupuncture Center and Dr. Gao can be found at http://doctorgao.com/.
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