Since Kim Ng opened Kim’s Healing Center in 1996, she’s seen more people turn to holistic modalities such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to promote balanced wellness and manage their health. Kim and her staff of five massage therapists and practitioners offer deep tissue bodywork such as tui na massage; cupping; reflex therapy; and herbal remedies, using methods from Chinese elders that have been passed down through generations.

Kim, a Pennsylvania State board certified massage therapist, learned Chinese healing arts from her grandfather while growing up in Haitou, a village in China. Under his guidance, she became well versed in acupuncture points, herbal medicine and tui na massage—a style in which the therapist brushes long, firm strokes to help relax muscles and tendons.

After moving from China to the U.S. in 1989, Kim worked as a nurse’s aid in an Easton nursing home while saving money to open Kim’s Healing Center. She opened her first location in 1996 on 16th and Lehigh. Her business grew mostly by word-of-mouth, and she built a solid client base. She moved to her current location on Butler Street in 2008.

“I brought my grandfather’s knowledge here,” says Kim. “From him, I learned bodywork, cupping and moxibustion (a therapy in which dried mugwort is rolled tight and lit near the affected area on the body). He was the only practitioner in our town of 500 people.”

Cupping, a therapy recently popularized by U.S. Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps after his purple cupping marks garnered attention during the 2016 Olympic games, uses small glass suction cups applied to the skin on the problem areas. The procedure draws up skin tissue, which increases blood circulation to allow more nutrients to an area.  Cupping is commonly used to relieve tense, sore muscles.

Kim also specializes in reflexology, a study of reflex therapy in which the practitioner works one area of the body to affect another area. In foot reflexology, the therapists at Kim’s Healing Center apply gentle pressure to the feet to stimulate and promote blood flow to the organs. While there are many types of reflex therapies—there are 40 micromaps of the body, and different cultures have their own reflex therapy maps—Kim notes that foot reflexology is the most common.

Kim’s Healing Center also offers tui na and acupressure services. They have an infrared sauna to aid in body detoxification. Similar to a steam sauna, an infrared sauna produces heat, but without the bacteria generated by steam. The infrared light penetrates deeper into the muscles and tissues to promote internal detoxification.

Clients at Kim’s Healing Center can join a membership program to get a discount on services. There’s also a retail component for clients to purchase Chinese herbs and tea. Kim uses a combination of different herbs to augment the efficacy of each other. She also helps treat skin problems. “I do a lot of combination herbs and will individualize herbal remedies to make custom blends for each person,” she explains. Kim often prepares the raw ingredients for customers to take home and steep to drink in tea form. There are also packaged teas available to aid in routine conditions like constipation and sleep issues.

As Kim carries on her grandfather’s healing ways, she uses intuition to help her clients get well, and she truly cares about her clients getting better. As a spiritually motivated practitioner, she will, with a client’s permission, pray to Buddha for them. “My heart is open and I really desire to help. They know that I have love in my heart, and that connection is part of what helps people get well.”

Kim’s Healing Center is located at 1223 Butler St., Easton. For more information, call 610-559-7280 or visit KimsHealing.com. 

Sheila Julson is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Natural Awakenings magazines throughout the country.