Al Ueda, DC, ART, CCEP

I started seeing Dr. Ueda at Concentra Medical Center for a work-​related injury: I had severe tendonitis/​tennis elbow in both my forearms and pretty bad pain in my right neck. The pain would be so bad that I couldn’t type, lift regular dishes, or write for more than a few seconds. I was also experiencing numbness and tingling in my fingers. He treated me with regular treatments, including adjustments, physical therapy, stretches, and electrical stimulation.
But I feel like Dr. Ueda completely got rid of my pain with a fairly aggressive technique called «gua sha.» It’s based on ancient Chinese medicine. The practitioner uses a little bit of cream and a small tool to «scrape» the affected area. This is supposed to release the stagnant qi, but I think it breaks up the scarred tissue and forces your body to generate new tissue. You end up with massive bruising for several days, but it hurt less than my tendonitis pain. «Gua Sha» is definitely not for the faint of heart, but it truly worked for me!
For more info on «gua sha,» check out:
Dr. Ueda is a Bay Area pioneer in this technique. He is really strong, but a really nice guy too. While I was seeing Dr. Ueda, physical therapy was the area of my life that was going the best. That’s how good he is!