Interview with Jorga Houy, LAc, Emperor’s College Alumnus and Owner of LA Sports Acupuncture
Emperor’s College master’s program alumnus Jorga Houy, LAc, is founder and owner of LA Sports Acupuncture. In his private practice, located in Atwater Village, California, Houy uses acupuncture and Oriental medicine to treat and prevent all sorts of sports injuries, including pain management. He also serves as the official acupuncturist of the LA Derby Dolls, the Los Angeles roller derby team.
1. Can you explain in what way athletes and other patients with sports injuries can benefit from acupuncture?
Jorga Houy, LAc
I have found that in the case of acute injuries, acupuncture and Oriental medicine can frequently cut recovery time by half, getting athletes back into their games faster.
In the case of post season recovery, it can be a great way for athletes to recover from the various pains and injuries that are an inevitable part of serious training and playing schedules. Herbal medicine can also be used to speed healing, recover from dehydration, and enhance performance.
2. How do you use acupuncture and Oriental medicine to help patients prevent injuries and keep their bodies in top condition?
In the case of prevention, I find that balancing the meridians is an effective tool. Optimizing circulation of blood and vital fluids is also important.
Of course taking constitution into account is vital in prevention and performance optimization; you have to have good soil to grow good crops and in the same way, you have to make the best of what you have if you want to perform at your best.
3. You are the official acupuncturist of the LA Derby Dolls. Can you tell us more about the care you provide for the players?
Ah, the Derby Dolls; I am so thankful to be able to work with such an amazing group of people.
LA Ri-Ettes all stars team
With them, I am part of a medical team which consists of some chiropractors, me, and another acupuncturist. Before the games, the players will come into the medical room where we will stretch them out, I perform acupressure to loosen them up.
I use acupuncture to ease pains, and other occasional problems like headaches, nausea, menstrual cramps, or pre-game anxiety. I also make liberal use of topical herbal preparations. In the case of injury during a game, I may also needle them for that.
4. How did you become the official acupuncturist for the LA Derby Dolls?
I went to my first roller derby game in February of 2008 and it was amazing, so much fun to watch. While I was watching the game the thought occurred to me that they probably get hurt a lot and that I had some skills that would be beneficial for them.
I spoke with one of the athletes after the game and she directed me to their website where I managed to get in contact with the person managing sponsors. From there, one thing lead to another and I ended up on their medical staff.
5. At what point in your education as a master’s student at Emperor’s College did you know that you wanted to focus on sports acupuncture?
Honestly, it wasn’t until two years after I got licensed that I decided what I wanted to focus on. The entire time I was in the master’s program and for the first two years of my practice I was just treating whoever walked through the door and for a while it looked like I was going to focus on gynecology.
The day I made my offer to the Derby Dolls was the day I figured out that I was going to focus on sports medicine; it made sense, though, I have a background in martial arts and I understand what it’s like to be an athlete and have injuries prevent you from doing the thing you love. I would definitely recommend that master’s students try to decide what they want to focus on while in school as it will give you a head start when you get out into the world of private practice.
6. What is your favorite aspect of Oriental medicine and how do you use it in your life?
The thing I love most about Oriental medicine is that there’s no end to it; the deeper I delve, the deeper it goes.
As far as using Oriental medicine in my own life, it has changed almost everything, it’s changed the way I think and look at the universe around me. I use it in choosing my foods, I practice tai chi, I even treat myself when I have the occasional ache or pain. I also take herbs pretty regularly.
Jorga Houy, LAc, is an acupuncturist specializing in orthopedics, sports medicine, and pain management. Jorga received his master’s degree from Emperor’s College of Traditional Oriental Medicine in Santa Monica, California. In addition to running his own private practice clinic, he is a staff acupuncturist for the LA Derby Dolls, and a faculty member of Matrix International University. www.lasportsacupuncture.com
Featured image adapted from the photograph “Roller Derby” by Justin D Miller, available under a Creative Commons license.