As part of our complementary therapies week, we interviewed Dr. Fenya Hacobian, who holds a Doctoral Degree in Raphaology Medicine, a Master’s Degree in Chinese Medicine, is a Licensed Acupuncturist, and an Intuitive Healer, on her experiences in working with lung and pulmonary patients. Dr. Hacobian combines Acupuncture, Peak Frequency Plant Medicine, Phyto-nutrients Therapy and Interactive Determination Therapy to help her patients attain the “optimal health and vigor in their lives.” Dr. Hacobian believes in balancing the mental, emotional, and digestive systems in order to heal the body as a whole in order to promote harmony and wellness.
PF Now!: How long have you been practicing?
Dr. Hacobian: I have been practicing for about 12 years.
PF Now!: What is the thought or concept behind your healing process?
Dr. Hacobian: The thought or concept behind any alternative medicine modality, I believe, is balance – mainly chinese medicine. How I practice chinese medicine is by focusing on the person and not necessarily on the disease. We have a great saying in chinese medicine that we always support the righteous when we are treating an ailment or disease or discomfort. So rather than killing the virus or bacteria, we are focusing on supporting the rest of the body in order to bring it back to balance. That is really how I treat my patients, how I live, and what I preach.
PF Now!: Have you treated any patients with lung or pulmonary conditions? If yes, how was your experience?
Dr. Hacobian: I have treated many, many patients with lung issues. Not necessarily pulmonary fibrosis as it is diagnosed, but a lot of people with lung issues; anything from congestion to incessant coughing or idiopathic coughing – the results are generally very good.
PF Now!: Is there one specific case that has stood out to you where you saw a significant difference in a patient with a lung or pulmonary condition who you worked with?
Dr. Hacobian: I have a great example of this from about a month ago: a woman in her mid-50’s who came to me with a very dry, very severe cough where she would actually turn blue because she couldn’t breathe. She had been to every doctor and specialist and they couldn’t really do anything; they would administer steroids which helped temporarily but the issue would come back. She had been suffering for about 12 years, and my first question to her was, “What was going on in your life 12 or 13 years ago?,” and she said nothing special. I then asked if there had been anything emotional or if anyone had passed away, and she said yes. I asked if it had been her father who passed and she said yes and asked if I was psychic. I didn’t need to be psychic because the lungs in Chinese medicine are depleted with loss and grief, and the family member associated with the lungs is the father. I have always said if something isn’t physical, it is emotional, and so if there’s no absolute physical reason for the lungs to be in trouble, then there has got to be an emotional factor. So, my questions were answered, and with one treatment, this woman’s life changed completely. The coughing completely stopped. Now, I am not a magician. She put two and two together and understood that she had not let go of the grief; during our first session, she cried for 45 minutes straight while i was doing the needles and helping the lungs really recover.
PF Now!: When you position the needles and find the points of insertion, what decision goes into that?
Dr. Hacobian: Traditionally, the way we diagnose a patient includes asking the patient ten questions about their habits and lifestyle, and then we take their pulse – on the left and right sides, we have 12 organs that we check for excess or deficiency. Then, we look at the tongue – we can determine the condition of the person’s body just by looking at the tongue because it is where all of the organs manifest themselves. By looking at the tongue, we can determine which organ system is in need of treatment; once we diagnose the patient, then combining the acupuncture points, we come up with a treatment plan. How I would decide what kinds of points to use is by determining which organ system is in need of the free flow of chi, the vital energy of life. In a lung patient, I would choose quite a few lung points, but then there are also supportive points – we need to treat the kidneys for water metabolism, to support the heart for moving of the blood, we need to support the spleen if there is a lot of dampness in the body. So it really depends on an individual basis when it comes to setting up a treatment plan.
PF Now!: What’s one piece of advice you would give to a patient with a lung or pulmonary condition who is looking into complementary therapies?
Dr. Hacobian: Give it a try. I have always told everyone, “If it doesn’t help you, it won’t hurt you” because our medicine, specifically acupuncture, has no adverse side effects. Second, relaxation – at the minimum, acupuncture is very relaxing. What happens to the body with western medicine when you relax, those stress hormones go down, your immune system improves, your mental state improves. All of those combined will help the patient, at the minimum, feel better, even if nothing else changes. This means a higher quality of life and hopefulness, leading to the seeking of something else rather than waiting for a death sentence.
PF Now!: Do your treatments go by session?
Dr. Hacobian: There is a saying in Chinese medicine that it takes you as long to get better as it for you to get sick, so expecting a quick recovery is sometimes unreasonable. I would say that with a chronic issue like pulmonary fibrosis, it would take a few months of treatment. Generally, how I start with my patients is by treating them weekly for about six sessions, and then gradually cutting back on treatments because I don’t want anyone to be dependent on me. I give distance to mainly see how the initial treatments are holding up. Generally, maintenance with chronic cases on a monthly basis is what I recommend.
PF Now!: How long are the treatments, and what would you tell patients to do, other than them coming to you?
Dr. Hacobian: About an hour to an hour and a half – usually, we talk for half an hour and I let them sleep or be on the bed for about an hour. Lung exercises, or chi gung exercises, are a wonderful therapeutic method used in Chinese medicine which literally include a slow standing movement in order to expand and heal the lungs. Other things I suggest include a well-balanced diet, including getting patients away from junk food and sugary foods and drinks, and smoking and excessive drinking, as well as helping them prep their own food. I would definitely recommend herbs or foods that really help relieve the lungs. I have this great formula of cooking pears and cinnamon and honey to help release the lungs. Food is a huge part of my treatment, and it is up to the patients themselves to be compliant.
There is this great recipe that I have my patients make and eat, especially during flu season.
In a pot or pan, cook:
2 pears
the fresh juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons of honey
3 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon of cloves
2-3 pieces of garlic
about 1 tablespoon of ginger
Cook the mixture at a very low temperature for about an hour, and take a tablespoon of that twice a day as medicine.
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