James Chung, DAOM, L.Ac

Dr. James is an amazing healer.
My problem:
I have a herniated disc and have exhausted pretty much every non-​surgical option western medicine offers — steroids, physical therapy, massage, muscle relaxers, facet joint shots, epidurals, selective nerve root blocks, and trigger point injections. While the trigger point injections helped, my back is still weak and susceptible to bouts of extreme pain if I do the wrong thing.
Well, a couple months ago I did the wrong thing. I tried doing some fast yoga that involved no warm up stretching and tweaked my back BAD. It felt like my spine was being compressed in a vice. It was a few days before my birthday, and I had planned a trip to Joshua tree for the upcoming weekend. I was hoping to at least be able to walk around, but couldn’t imagine what to do for relief.
Enter Dr. James.
I found Dr. James on Unilocal and can’t say how lucky I feel. We did an initial consult, where I told him what was bothering me, and about my past issues and treatments. He asked me some questions, and I could tell by what he asked that he really knows his stuff. He wrote his dissertation on herniated discs! I could tell I was in good hands when he told me that. Because I’d had acupuncture before, and because of the upcoming weekend trip I had planned, he did his full treatment routine on me the first time (usually he just does acupuncture the first time to see how his patients handle it).
The treatment:
I’ve never experienced anything like Dr. James’ treatment style before. First, he does the acupuncture. I know some people are scared of needles, but acupuncture needles are thinner than a sewing needle and really aren’t a big deal. Just feeling around my back, Dr. James could tell what needed to be done. So he did the acupuncture combined with heat from a lamp. After that he did what I’d compare to a quick sports massage, really digging into the spots that were killing me. I’d been getting massages every week, and Dr. James massaged a spot in my back that my massage therapist sometimes can’t even get to! After massaging the tight muscles, he then did an adjustment of my back and ankles.
Conclusion:
It was intense, but I kid you not — by the time he was done my spine didn’t hurt! I couldn’t believe it. In all the treatments I’ve undergone for my unrelenting back pain, this is the only one that has helped me in such a short amount of time and with no negative side effects! He’s treated not only my back, but also tight muscles in my entire left leg, from my hamstring to my calf (these no doubt contribute to my back issues).
If I had to do it all over again, I would have gone to Dr. James first. I can confidently say if I’d seen him first, I would have saved a lot of time and money on unnecessary treatments.

Dr. James works wonders. As a taekwondo athlete we build up scar tissues through years of continuous injury. Dr. James is able to break the scar tissues through accupuncture and deep tissue massage. The treatment is intense but definitely worth it for the long run.
I had my first treatment with Dr. James in 2014 while training for Nationals and World Championships. I had my hip treated and was able to compete comfortably and made national team for the first time and went on to medal at World’s.
I’ve tried other conventional methods of treatment before such as taping, rolling, pain medication, and stretching but nothing has produced results like Dr. James has.
I’m currently having my hamstring treated as well as my hip and back. He doesn’t just target the area of injury, but also other areas that affect the injured area. It’s not just a treatment but also a preventive measure.
If there’s anything I can rely on in preparing my body for competition it’s definitely Dr. James.
Thank you Dr. James!!!

Dr. Chung is truly someone special in medicine. He’s one of those ‘I know this amazing guy’ people, you know… the type that people will travel far to get treatment from.
He is the only person that can trust to knock out substantial physical pains that get from time to time. Neck, lower back are always 90−100% better from one treatment. He takes time to explain what I can do between sessions to increase the longevity of the effects. I know I have to keep better physical shape to avoid the pains, but I have a two year old and… well, yah.
Go to him first. You won’t need a second.

2 weeks before the 2014 taekwondo national team trial I have been complaining to my coach how i have been having sharp pains around my hamstring area. I wasnt able to kick or do simple taekwondo motions. Being a taekwondo athlete it is important for me to be able to perform my 100% on the mat without physical complications. But unfortunately my injury wasnt simple. Apparently i have scar tissues deep within my hamstring that caused the pain.
With the help of my coach i was able to get treatments with Dr. Chung. He was honest on how bad the injury is and that its possible to treat, and that i would be able to compete in 2 weeks. The acupuncture treatment i went through was intense. I had a bunch of needles working on my leg. He made sure that all the areas that i felt pain was targeted. Afterwards, he massaged my leg to break down the scar tissues and even offered to massage areas that were stiff such as my neck and shoulders. He even readjusted me after the session.
Dr. Chung even worked on my ankle that i twisted 2 yrs ago. He was able to make it flexible again when i thought it was impossible since other doctors could not assist me.
In the same year that i was part of the national team we were fortunate enough to have him assist us for the world champions in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Until now my taekwondo team would go to him for maintenance. Every time i go to him is worth it. My injuries are getting better, and im still able to compete.
Thank you Dr. Chung!

Dr. Chung is a miracle worker. He is very straight forward and knows his stuff. I was apprehensive on the idea of acupuncture until I was at week 10 of a 3x a week chiropractor orders. I drive for a living and needed to go back to work, so I went to Dr. Chung and he saw me for only 6weeks and fixed my lower back issue. After 2 weeks I was back to work and have been feeling great. I do have low back dislocated and herniated discs, so now I just go to him for maintenance and per his instructions, I do lots of stretching and do not sit for extra long periods of time. I am so happy I was referred to him and thankful for his great work and care. I highly recommend him for not just back pain, but also other pains and even fertility.
Good luck and I’m sure with his help, you will start to feel great again!
I did, and there were days I thought I’d never be normal again… Lol. Back pain sucks!

This guy is AMAZING. I had constant lower back pain for a month, went to see Dr. Chung and after just two 1-​hour sessions with him, the pain was completely gone. He is currently working on my upper back problems and already I feel a big improvement. He is passionate about what he does and is GOOD at it. I can’t recommend him enough. He’s awesome!

Dr. James Chung is a great medical practitioner. As a member of the USA National Taekwondo team we were fortunate enough to have him along for our 9 day trip to Aguascalientes, Mexico for the 9^th World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships. Leading up to competition, I had about 2+ months of shin splints and they never went away. After just two sessions with Dr. Chung in Mexico, the discomfort and muscle tension was gone. I was amazed at the results. I could train without having to wear my compression sleeves, which I had been wearing to alleviate the discomfort. What I liked best was that I didn’t have to rest it or take it easy. After the first treatment he told me to just go for it. I highly recommend Dr. Chung for quick and effective results!

Dr. James Chung is a phenomenal healthcare practitioner!!! He is extremely nice, gentle, compassionate and has a genuine interest in helping his patients be pain free and healthy!!! I’ve actually seen a lot of acupuncturists looking for the «right one.» I’ve had long term back and neck problems, and he helped me tremendously. Dr. Chung does not do only acupuncture, but has an integrated approach– and does acupuncture, body work (so helpful!) and herbs/​formulas. He treats every kind of patient– so whatever your problem is, he can help! He is especially fantastic with any kind of pain– whether you injured yourself, or have chronic problems! Life’s too short to be in pain– go see Dr. Chung!
:-)
~happy patient