East-West Rheumatology

09/03/2025

💡What is Prolotherapy:

Prolotherapy is a regenerative injection therapy that stimulates the body’s natural healing response. By introducing a small amount of dextrose (a sugar solution) into targeted areas such as ligaments, tendons, or joints.
This gentle stimulation signals the body to send healing cells to the area, encouraging tissue repair, reducing inflammation, and strengthening weakened structures.
Over time, prolotherapy can help restore stability, improve function, and relieve chronic pain—especially in cases where tissues have become lax, irritated, or slow to heal.
Unlike treatments that simply mask symptoms, prolotherapy works with your body to rebuild and repair, offering a more sustainable path to recovery.

Click the link to learn more:
https://eastwestmd.com/restore-whats-worn-rebuild-whats-weak-renew-whats-possible/

09/03/2025

Dr. Zarbalian:
"Microplastics have grave impacts on human health and our immune systems that have important implications for preventative medicine. While still an early area of research, so far signs point to negative downstream impacts in terms of exacerbating disease and likely even causing disease via disruption of the gut microbiome. The Guardian's shining a light on the research work coming out of University of Toulouse is important as we grapple with the fact that our exposure to microplastics is even higher than previously estimated.⁠ "

The Guardian:
"Every breath people take in their homes or car probably contains significant amounts of microplastics small enough to burrow deep into lungs, new peer-reviewed research finds, bringing into focus a little understood route of exposure and health threat.⁠
⁠
The study, published in the journal Plos One, estimates humans can inhale as much as 68,000 tiny plastic particles daily. Previous studies have identified larger pieces of airborne microplastics, but those are not as much of a health threat because they do not hang in the air as long, or move as deep into the pulmonary system.⁠"
⁠
Lihua, Chang, and Tang Zhiyin. "Microplastics aggravates rheumatoid arthritis by affecting the proliferation/migration/inflammation of fibroblast-like synovial cells by regulating mitochondrial homeostasis." International Immunopharmacology 120 (2023): 110268.

Urrutia-Pereira, Marilyn, et al. "Microplastics exposure and immunologic response." Allergologia et immunopathologia 51.5 (2023): 57-65.

05/23/2025

As a physician board-certified in internal medicine and rheumatology with additional expertise in acupuncture and herbal medicine, Dr. Yousef Zarbalian is uniquely qualified to provide comprehensive medical care for a wide variety of medical conditions. There are many medical conditions for which modern rheumatology has limited treatment options. The ability to look through a different lens (traditional medicine which includes acupuncture, nutritional modification, and herbal medicine) at each person’s unique condition opens up options which would not even be considered in a standard western medical clinic. We can provide the best of both approaches (western pharmacology as well as holistic modalities) to our patients.

With regards to hypermobility syndrome and EDS, Dr. Zarbalian brings a wealth of experience as an internist and rheumatologist with diagnosing and managing these conditions.

As a physician board-certified in internal medicine and rheumatology with additional expertise in acupuncture and herbal medicine, Dr. Yousef Zarbalian is uniquely qualified to provide comprehensive medical care for a wide variety of medical conditions. There are many medical conditions for which mo...

01/17/2025

Did you know? Your “doctor” might not actually be a physician (MD/DO). In healthcare settings, nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PA’s) are increasingly using the term “doctor” when they take care of patients. Their doctorate degrees – Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Doctor of DMSc – do not include the classes or experiences that are critical to patient care. Instead they are largely classes on management and quality improvement.

A board-certified physician (MD/DO/MBBS) has multiple years of standardized classes and experiences that are critical to patient care.

Know your rights: Ask for clarity about your healthcare provider’s qualifications.

PPP is a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring physician-led care for all patients and to advocating for truth and transparency regarding the credentials of healthcare practitioners.

10/15/2024

Join us today for our Seasonal Qigong Workshop! Boost your immunity leaf by leaf 🍁

10/03/2024

Join us for a nourishing seasonal alignment workshop and qigong session led by Nevin Turk, a licensed acupuncturist and yoga/Qigong teacher.

Experience the meditative movements of qigong as we welcome the change of seasons with meditative movement, deep breathing, and stillness. Nevin will guide you through this ancient practice to help restore balance and promote overall well-being.

In addition to seasonal information and qigong, we will also discuss acupressure points for supporting the body as we enter autumn

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/Eastwestrheum

Boost your body's immunity through the practice of Qigong, guided by Nevin Turk, LAc

06/21/2024

🌞Summer solstice : Traditional medicine's wisdom for living with the seasons - See our own Nevin Turk, LAc's video and blog post : *|https://eastwestmd.com/enhancing-health-with-a-seasonal-approach|*

05/13/2024

01/20/2024

The face-to-face encounter between doctor and patient using the core tools of history-taking, pulse and tongue diagnosis.
“By using herbs to heal, the very plants we walk alongside on the earth, we not only create empowerment within ourselves, but also identify and connect with dis-ease, allow it a swifter passage for greater healing to be made”. - Niki Senior