IRINA TOKAR L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.

I have had an incredible journey in the field of medicine. After completing my graduate studies in biochemistry, I spent ten years researching Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, from both the genetic and environmental perspectives. For example, I studied how different chemical substances, like pesticides and heavy metals, cause genetic aberration and cell death in the brain. The observation that gene function is affected by environmental factors is the foundation of the field of epigenetics, which is itself the foundation of functional medicine.

Eventually, my own health problems with severe migraines forced me to take a sabbatical from my research. However, they led me to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). TCM recognizes that the root cause of a disease is often not obvious from its symptoms, but stems from imbalances in the body. Therefore, it approaches the body as a whole and seeks to restore its balance, in all of its facets. This includes the balance between heat and cold and dryness and moisture in the body, the balance between the various organs in the body, and the balance between the body, mind and spirit in an individual. Once these balances are restored, the body and mind are able to cure themselves of many seemingly insurmountable conditions.

Inspired to help others, I decided to become a practitioner of TCM. After five years of rigorous study and clinical work, I became a licensed acupuncturist. I have since used the ancient wisdom of TCM, along with my deep knowledge of medical research and biochemistry, to help many people with a variety of illnesses, such as autoimmune conditions, gastrointestinal issues, chronic pain, headaches, infertility and more. Every time I successfully used TCM to provide relief from an otherwise intractable problem, I was amazed by its power.

This is especially true when it is used in conjunction with functional medicine. The symbiosis between these two complementary approaches appealed to me greatly as both a scientist and a TCM practitioner. I therefore adopted functional medicine in my own practice, offering my clients multiple lab tests in order to solve the puzzle of the root causes of their health problems. Often, we discovered it was toxic overload, food sensitivities, micronutrient disbalance, or gut issues. Using a well-crafted program of nutritious diet, exercise, vitamin supplements, herbs, and acupuncture, we were able to address these root causes and resolve the health problems that my patient was facing.

TCM and functional medicine share a common theme of discovering hidden root causes to illnesses. They do this in complementary ways. While TCM relies on thousands of years of empirical observations and diagnostic techniques such as tongue and pulse diagnosis, functional medicine relies on modern techniques such as lab tests and epigenetics. As both a scientist with years of experience reading medical literature, and a TCM practitioner with a wealth of experience, I endeavor to use both to help my patients overcome their acute health issues, as well as improve their overall health.