March 2002

[Show #73] 3-30-02

Shoulder Pain - (Paul from Huntington Beach, CA, Retired) This 72 year old started having excruciating pain in his shoulder 4 1/2 years ago.  His doctors gave him pain pills including Vioxx, Celebrex, and Vicodin, which did nothing to relieve his pain.  One year later, he woke up with severe pain in his right shoulder which radiated all the way down his arm and up his neck.  It was so painful that he could not turn his neck or sleep.  A friend referred Paul to Dr. Tong last November.  In January, he received 5 treatments from Dr. Tong.  He has seen much improvement in his shoulder pain.  He can sleep now, can turn his neck, and is generally feeling much better.
Osteoarthritis - (Bob, see #66 2-2-02, from California City, Retired) Was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in the hips, upper legs, and knees 5 years ago.  The pain he experienced in the last two years have been severe.  He has always been skeptical of western doctors and never took the medications that were prescribed to him.  Instead, he learned to "live with the pain," and just suffered.  Because of the pain in his legs, he sat most of the time and the muscles in his legs were starting to atrophy.  He has had 4 treatments with Dr. Tong, and he woke up this morning virtually pain free, whereas in the past, he would always wake up in excruciating pain.  He stopped treatment with Dr. Tong for 2 months because of transportation problems and a cataracts surgery.  In that amount of time, his condition regressed considerably.  He came back to Dr. Tong and received 2 treatments.  He is now feeling much better and has returned to following Dr. Tong's recommended diet program.
Nerve Pain, Brachial Plexus Injury - (TJ from Burbank, CA Stage Technician for NBC) T.J. builds sets for NBC and lifts walls up to 400 pounds.  He damaged his ulnar nerve while working and suffered from a brachial plexus injury.  He could not feel his fourth or pinky finger and he suffered from nerve pain in his arm.  He consulted orthopedics, a neck specialist, and a pain specialist.  He received 2 EMG's which caused him even more arm pain.  After the EMG's his whole hand became numb and the pain in his shoulder and neck became more severe.  He started experiences severe headaches and was put on different pain medications which caused him to break out in a rash.  He went through physical therapy and traction which caused even more pain and damage to his arm.  He even tried a ganglion nerve block in his neck, which caused him to become sick for 4 days.  He finally came to see Dr. Tong.  His headaches are now gone.  However, because of the severe damage to his arm, his pain still returns.  With continued treatment, he hopes to be rid of the severe arm pain.

[Show #72] 3-23-02

Epilepsy - (Dickie, see #40 7-7-01 #46 8-25-01, from South Orange County, San Clemente)  Nutritionist with a 53 year old son, Jeff, who has suffered from epilepsy since he was 13 from head injuries.  He was prescribed with all different kinds of medications which have not rid him of his frequent seizures.  He has also been hospitalized numerous times.  Before seeing Dr. Tong, he was not in good shape.  He would be fed intravenously, he has had loss of memory, and he cannot walk straight.  His speech was slurred and he was incoherent.  Since seeing Dr. Tong, Jeff is now talking, he understands what is being said to him, he is active and walking, and he is also doing wonderful artwork.  His outlook in life has also improved.  He is happy that he has finally found something that is helping him improve.  However, because he is on Medicare, he cannot get treatments as frequently as is needed for rapid improvement.
Dr. Tong also treated Dickie from a work injury which caused her to have excruciating back pain.  She could not sit, walk, turn from side to side, or stand from a squatting position.  After 2 treatments with Dr. Tong, she could sit up from lying flat on her back with no pain, and she was dancing down the hallway.
Acute Bronchitis - (Jason, Dr. Tong's son, sophomore at UCLA) - Jason got sick last Thursday night before his final on Sunday.  He had a stuffy nose and had trouble sleeping, so he took Nyquil on Saturday for his sleep so he could take his test.  After he took the Nyquil, his heart started beating rapidly, he couldn't talk, and he had a difficult time moving.  He was then taken to the emergency room.  The toxicology tests showed no overdose.  Dr. Tong gave him a treatment but did not treat him for his bronchitis.  The next day, Jason took his exam.  He lost his memory, he couldn't think clearly, and could not concentrate.  Dr. Tong then gave him treatments after his exam, and his bronchitis was gone in 2 days.
Joseph (caller) - 17 year old diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at age 5, diagnosed with cataracts 3 years ago and had surgery for it.  He has no peripheral vision.  
Arthritis - (Elizabeth from Anaheim, CA ) Suffered from crippling arthritis for 26 years.  Received one treatment with Dr. Tong and can now get up out of a chair.  She feels that the current medical system is terrible.  Patients are put on drugs to keep them sick.

[Show #71] 3-16-02

Chronic Back Pain, Muscular Dystophy, Allergies, Sleep Apnea, Burping, Sinusitis - (Diana, see #89 9-7-02, from OC, CA) Diana does product and motivational seminars for various cosmetic companies such as Cover Girl, Max Factor, and Olay.  She suffered from chronic back pain for the past seven years and was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy two years ago.  She consulted neurosurgeons, 2 orthopedic surgeons, received cortisone epidurals, and high anti-inflammatories, which were giving her rashes and upset stomach.  She went through numerous tests, CT scans, MRI's, nerve conductions tests, and an electromyography test.  She was then sent to the UCLA Neuromuscular department where she was subsequently diagnosed with muscular dystrophy.  They told her that there was no cure and no treatment.  They advised her to quit her job because she would most likely be in a wheelchair within a decade.  She also suffered from allergies, sleep apnea, burping, and sinusitis.  She found Dr. Tong on the internet and was interested in his holistic approach to treating patients.  She consulted Dr. Tong and her back pain improved after the very first visit.  Now her back is virtually pain free.  Her legs, in about 2 weeks, have visual improvement where the muscle has come back in size and strength.  She can now go down stairs without using the handrails and she can get out of the car without using her hands to lift herself out.  Everything is becoming easier for her to do and her strength is increasing day by day.  She is now off all her prescription and over the counter medication.  Her allergies and her sinusitis are much improved and her burping has also ceased.  Diana also had many emotional problems from the past.  She is now emotionally stable and had the opportunity to get these past events out of her system.  She is happier, more optimistic, and is following a better diet.
Back Pain, Fatigue, Depression - (George from OC, CA, Engineering Manager)  Suffered from back problems for 15 years, which became more chronic in the last year.  He went to an orthopedic surgeon, who referred him to a physical therapist for 3-4 months (3 visits per week).  He got back some flexibility and had slight pain relief which got worse as he continued the therapy.  This discouraged him because of all the time and energy he put into the therapy.  He also tried chiropractors.  He was referred to Dr. Tong five weeks ago and noticed some relief in his pain after the first treatment.  He also suffered from fatigue, depression, and frustration, as well as borderline hypertension, neck pain, and degenerative disc problems in his neck.  Now when he works out, he has more energy, and more strength.  When he wakes up, his neck is not stiff anymore, and his depression has improved.  He generally has a better outlook in life and has more motivation.  He was taking Calcium supplements for his high blood pressure, which did not help.   His blood pressure has now stabilized after receiving treatments from Dr. Tong once a week.  He is now off all his medication and has started Dr. Tong's wellness program of herbs and a healthy diet.       

[Show #70] 3-9-02

Chronic Asthma, Sports Injury - (Joe, see #4 9-30-00, from Costa Mesa, CA) This furniture store owner works was exposed to a lot of dust and had to lift heavy objects due to the nature of his career.  He suffered from chronic asthma for a year and a half, spending over $15,000 on specialists and diagnostic tests all to no avail.  He was able to breathe deeply and normally after the first NBE treatment and after a few months of treatments, his asthma has never returned.  Joe later suffered from a sport's injury while he was exercising at the gym.  He hurt the top of his shoulder while lifting weights and for 2-3 weeks could not lift even 10 pounds because of the excruciating pain.  After 3 months of treatments with Dr. Tong, he is back at the gym lifting over 200 pounds.  Dr. Tong also helped Joe with his furniture business by doing Feng Shui on his store.  
Linda - (caller) - Her daughter was diagnosed with fibromyalgia one year ago.  Dr. Tong explains that the spleen system governs the muscle system and postulates that she perhaps eats too many sweet foods, worries too much, and has a lot of damp in her system.  He says that taking drugs also drains the body's energy.
Back Injury, Depression - (Marie from Southern CA) Marie has owned her own business in the exhibit industry for 10 years.  She injured her back and was under a lot of stress.  None of the medications prescribed to her by conventional doctors worked.  They then found a protruding disc in her neck and lower back for which she was given epidurals and cortisone injections.  She also tried physical therapy, chiropractic treatment, Botox injections and numerous pain killers from 5 doctors which provided her with temporary relief.  She felt that the yoga and stretching helped her the most, although she still had a difficult time getting out of bed.  Marie also suffered from depression due to the stress of her job and has been on anti-depressants for the past 10 years.  After receiving treatments from Dr. Tong, her back pain has improved tremendously and she is no longer on any medication.  Dr. Tong also helped Marie's nephew, Philip, (see #20 2-10-01) who used to suffer from up to 20 seizures per day.  He has not had one seizure for the past year and is strong and healthy.

[Show #69] 3-2-02

Back Pain, Fatigue, Decreased Energy, Shortness of Breath - (Jerry from San Diego, Retired) - Suffered from low back pain for 20 years, fatigue, decreased energy, and shortness of breath.  He could not walk for any distance without having pain.  Every time he walked or stood for a long period of time, he experienced low back pain.  He consulted physical therapists who gave him exercises to decrease the pain, which did not help him.  When he came to see Dr. Tong initially, the treatments did not help him.  He had trouble changing his diet from one of all meat to all vegetable.  Dr. Tong stated that he was eating too much hot and spicy foods and that balance is the key to establishing health.  Jerry has now been receiving treatments from Dr. Tong for 2 months now, and he has noticed a significant improvement in his back pain.  He can now walk long distances with no pain and he is much less fatigued.
Trigeminal Neuralgia - (Margaret from Brisbane, Australia, Company Administrator) - Margaret is not an actual patient of Dr. Tong's.  She e-mailed Dr. Tong and asked for his advice.  She was diagnosed 3 years ago with Trigeminal Neuralgia.  Her pain was horrific.  Her face was in constant pain and was extremely sensitive.  Even the touch of her hair on her face put her in agonizing pain. She was put on Tegretol and blood pressure medication for hypertension (220/180).  After 3 years of being on medication, she was not getting any better.  In fact, with the added side effects of her medication, her condition had progressively worsened.  Her liver started reacting to the medication, she suffered from incontinence, headaches, and she was constantly tired and fatigued.  Her doctor also recommended that she get surgery, which she was also hesitant about because of the side effects.  Dr. Tong advised Margaret to find a Chinese medical doctor, or someone who practiced natural medicine.  She found Dr. Zhang in Australia, who is also a Qi-gong master.  She was put on an herbal diet and herbal pills and received acupuncture for 3 consecutive days.  She also started doing qi-gong exercises daily.  After 1 week of treatment, she cut her medication in half.  Within 3 weeks, she was off all her medication.   It has been a few months since her first acupuncture treatment and she is feeling 100% better.  She sleeps better, the pain in her face has decreased dramatically, and she more aware of what she eats.  Her blood pressure has also dropped to 115/75.  She now has hope, whereas before she did not feel any reason to live.