I echo most of the reviewers and Anna's patients here in saying that Anna is a wonderful, caring, professional, and highly competent acupuncturist in the OC area. Last September I was experiencing excruciating shoulder pain that might have resulted from chronic bad posture and overextension from weight training. I was in sharp pains and could not move out of bed. I arrived at Anna's office in tears after she squeezed me into her busy schedule due to the severity and urgency of my situation. She was able to quickly asses my conditions and began her treatment. It is important to understand that most pains, especially chronic ones, require several intensive sessions of treatment before any observable changes can happen. My pain started to become more tolerable after the second treatment. I continued treatment with Anna at a twice a week to once a week frequency, each time about 1 hour to 1.5 hours (as she graciously encouraged me to stay as long as her schedule allowed for the needles to penetrate more deeply into the points), for 8 treatments in total. During this time, because I was dealing with a severe back pain, my immune system was down and I caught a bad cold. Anna was able to integrate both treatments of shoulder pain and my horrible coughs and shortened the length of time it required for me to recover from the cold.

There are many different approaches to acupuncture, and Anna practices Dr. Tan's method in which the practitioner does not insert needles directly into the spots of pain. Instead, the practitioner, with their understanding and appreciation of the holistic nature of the human body, utilizes needles in different parts of the body in a corresponding and balanced way. I am not a professional in acupuncture, but I am a mental health practitioner and I appreciate Anna's approach, professionalism, and genuine care for her expertise and her patients. I also appreciate that she takes efforts to do a thorough initial consultation/assessment before starting her treatment with a new patient, as this is extremely crucial for any kind of healthcare profession to remain ethical and effective. Anna also maintains an open communication with her patients, and does not hesitate to modify her treatments based on the patient's needs. I highly recommend Anna and encourage potential customers to give her a try, with understanding that the more severe or chronic pains will definitely take a longer time before healing becomes noticeable. No magic pills are dispensed here, and that is not what Anna is offering. What she offers is patient, consistent, and genuine care that can go a long way when needed.