Edith Chan, L.Ac.
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Edith Chan, L.Ac., is a Licensed Acupuncturist, Herbalist, and Bodywork Therapist who specializes in treating athletes. A Doctoral Fellow at Five Branches University (specializing in Endocrinology & Neuromuscular Medicine), Edith holds a four-year graduate degree from American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and a bachelors with magna cum laude from Harvard University. Edith has worked in a rich array of hospital and clinical settings, including CPMC Stroke & Rehab Center, SF Women's Community Clinic, and Maxine Hall Health Center. Her clinical practice is strongly influenced by a rigorous four-year apprenticeship with Master Yu-Tai Fu, an award winning Medical Bodywork & Orthopedics expert from Beijing, China. Beyond her medical training, Edith's clinical practice is also informed by her background as an athlete, coach, and student of QiGong and Yoga. |
Clinical Specialty
Edith specializes in Holistic Sports Medicine. She is known amongst her patients for her skilled treatment of all types of orthopedic conditions and sports injuries. She also delves deeper to help patients address chronic internal conditions such as digestive disorders, poor sleep, chronic fatigue, endocrine imbalance, women's menstrual issues, stress, etc... Edith is a strong advocate for empowering each patient to understand how lifestyle and habits can powerfully affect one's self-healing abilities. Her holistic approach allows patients to not only heal from existing conditions, but to achieve optimal wellness and sports performance, and prevent future illness or injury.
As an experienced athlete and coach, Edith especially understands the demands of competitive sports. She customizes treatment plans to be in sync with each athlete's unique training and competition schedule, using acupuncture, bodywork, and herbal medicine to stimulate post-workout recovery, prevent injuries, and enhance sports performance. She finds great joy in collaborating with sports coaches and other healthcare providers to help athletes reach optimal health and peak performance!
Personal Background
Born in Hong Kong, Edith was exposed to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) at a young age. She saw how powerfully natural herbs, QiGong energy work, manual therapies, and acupuncture can heal a variety of conditions, especially in cases where conventional Western medical treatments are lacking. As a child, she was a great fan of Martial Arts movies and dreamed of becoming a traditional Chinese healer. But finding an apprenticeship under a true master was deemed impossible. So the dream was put on the back burner.
During her studies at Harvard, Edith explored many seemingly unrelated interests. These included mathematics, Chinese language and philosophy, music, volunteer service, and rowing on the NCAA Division I crew team. Next came four years in computer software, which left her restless to pursue her childhood dream. Once the decision to study TCM was made, a chain of magical and serendipitous events ensued, including meeting Dr. Yu-Tai Fu, a brilliant master healer who took Edith in as apprentice with open arms and unconditional loving-kindness.
Today, Edith reflects on this journey with great fondness and understands that the seemingly circuitous route was no accident at all. Her software career, while short-lived, has greatly enhanced her work with patients suffering from computer/stress-related conditions. Her diversed academic background has become key to bridging the gap of understanding between Eastern and Western medicines. The decades of experience in sports makes her uniquely skilled with treating athletes. Edith is currently finishing her doctoral specialization program (Endocrinology & Neuromuscular Medicine) and enjoys a regular practice of Qigong, Yoga, and Triathlons.