Ming Wong, MD

I have seen Dr. Wong twice thus far and have been on his herbal remedies for about three weeks now. I *have* noticed a difference. I anticipate this will be a long review, but I want to share some insights both about him and about traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in general since, well, some of you may be considering this route for the first time and not know what to expect.
Dr. Wong is caring and kind. He takes his time and listens. The office has a bit of a weird set up. No one really greets you or directs you and the woman in the front who prepares herbs does not speak English well. Be prepared to be proactive and try not to be weirded out by the way things look. Also, the office weirdly sells random trinkets in the front for their Chinese population, like little baby shoes. I just ignore this because, well, it’s really weird to me. It made me skeptical about his practice but I have noticed improvement and will continue to see him. Please note that he no longer practices western medicine nor does he accept health insurance. Herbs cost about $ 6.00 per «pack» and a pack gives you four doses (two days worth). A month’s worth of medicine as well as a visit typically runs me about $ 150.00.
I had lyme disease in 2009 and was hit with chronic fatigue afterward. I never quite recovered and despite antibiotics and lots of various treatments, I still felt like ass. I rarely had energy and the medications that I was put on by my specialist caused all kinds of sexual side effects that really were no fun for me. Despite my typical need for evidence based medicine and hard science, I decided out of desperation to give this a try. Disclaimer: I’m Korean by birth and grew up around TCM and herbal tonics. This wasn’t that much of a leap for me… it may be for you. Dr. Wong is indeed a healer and he knows what he’s doing. The bonus for me — it comforted me to know that he had an understanding of Western medicine and pharmaceuticals. I was worried about potential drug interactions between what my PCP prescribes and the herbal solutions. He was familiar with all of the drugs I listed. It was helpful for me to know that when I said, «Lyme disease», he knew what that was from both an Allopathic and alternative medicine perspective.
How it works: TCM doctors take your pulse and «read» your body by this. They also will look at your tongue. Some will also look at the whites of your eyes and quite literally smell you. Dr. Wong just does the pulse and tongue method. He didn’t take a whiff of me. From there, the practitioner prescribes a mixture of herbs that you bring home and boil to drink. I’m not going to lie — it makes your place smell like crap and it tastes pretty bitter and awful. Some TCM doctors boil the medicine for you and seal it in small bag doses. Unfortunately, Dr. Wong does not do this, so… I guess I won’t be having any guests over my house anytime soon. You know something is bad when even your dog turns away from your mug of herbal tea. :) I know that having a doctor diagnose you just by taking your pulse seems odd, but try to go with it.
So.some tips for first timers to Dr. Wong and to TCM in general —
1. Do not mistake his heavy Chinese accent and inability to pronounce certain English words for ignorance or stupidity — Dr. Wong is educated in both Western and Eastern medicine and really knows his shit on a deep level. When you meet with him for the first time, he will try to educate you on how TCM works. It was hard for me to follow it, but please do pay attention; he has good things to say. Sorry to be preachy. It took me hearing «thermodynamic» four times from his lips for me to finally understand what word he was saying.
2. Don’t expect a quick fix for chronic health conditions/​autoimmune conditions. It took time for your body to break down and it takes time to turn it around. Improvements are incremental, but noticeable. The difference between Western medicine and Eastern medicine is that Eastern medicine tries to deal with the whole body as a system whereas Western medicine often remedies symptoms, but not the disease itself.
3. The herbs interact with metals, so boil your herbs in enamel or clay. Even stainless steel is acceptable, but avoid copper/​aluminum/​etc.
4. Don’t sweeten your tea unless approved by your TCM. From what I understand, it can alter the characteristics of the herbs.
5. Any noticeable significant/​substantial improvement that happens right away is most likely placebo. Dr. Wong will tell you this as well. Building up your yin/​yang is a slow process.
6. Be kind to yourself, your body, and be prepared to make alterations to your lifestyle that facilitate health. Proper sleep, proper nutrition, and exercise can only help and speed up your healing.

Dr Wong is a skilled healer. I met Dr Wong about a year ago, after wasting too much time with allopathic physicians who couldn’t or wouldn’t cure what ailed me, but instead wanted to treat the symptoms with pills and ointments for the remainder of my life — I ain’t even middle-​aged. If you can name it, odds are in favor of Dr. Wong healing it! Another great discovery. Thanks Unilocalers!
Also, while I don’t recall the cost of the initial appointment, subsequent appointments are $ 65 plus $ 6.00/ packet of medicine. Generally, you go home with enough medicine for a month. Occasionally, Dr Wong will ask you to come back in two weeks to be sure that you’re responding appropriately to his curative. I’ve found my cost to average around $ 120 per visit. Insurance is not accepted. Based on my experiences, progress has been seen in as little as 4 days — two weeks. Be prepared to adjust your diet, add exercise, and go to bed earlier to balance your yin and your yang.

Dr Wong is no longer practicing Western medicine however still practicing Chinese medicine. He has moved to a different location in Allston,

My experience with Dr. Wong has been consistently AMAZING. I had heard about him through several different people. One person he had helped with lyme disease. Another he had helped with depression. And still another said after his son’s second appointment with Dr. Wong he stopped having seizures!
I had had chronic illness issues since childhood. Depression, Eczema, Emotional imbalance, fatigue, trauma, severe migraines and cluster headaches that would occur 3 – 5 times a week! I had tried everything! Years of conventional medicine had not helped me, so I had long left that behind. I had tried other forms of alternative medicine and healing, many of which helped me deepen my understanding of the issues, but none which had relieved, healed or dramatically, at least from a physical standpoint. I was desperately trying things, and had heard my eczema could not be cured. It was a depressing cycle of trying things and not having them work. This combined with what I had heard about him, led me to travel the distance to Boston to give a new thing yet another try. THAT WAS ONE OF THE BEST DECISIONS OF MY LIFE! I immediately began to see small improvements, which became more and more profound over time. My headaches eventually went from 3 – 5 a week to 1 every 2 weeks. Then to only just before my period. My skin got remarkably better, as did my depression, and emotional states. Dr. Wong often adjusted the formula according to the prevalent issues, my feedback, the season, time of month/​cycle, as the these had been life long issues and they can change and get worse or better depending on other things. I had never had anyone help me like he has. I developed 100% trust in him and Chinese medicine. So much so that when I moved I sought out Chinese medicine, but unfortunately, have not been able to find a Chinese medicine doctor with his skills, experience and results. I am now floundering at what to do, and will be back in January to see him. He is a miracle worker! A Genius! I believe that Chinese Medicine in the hands of the right Doctor can be life changing, life healing, and bring hope and healing where there was none before.
Please note* he has moved his office to a really nice space at
39 Brighton Ave, Allston, MA 2 134.

I am very grateful for Pat B.‘s review!
Dr. Wong is a great doctor, and if you’re open to TCM, he can make a big difference.
His latest receptionist (as of December ’09) was not my cup of tea, but he himself is a healer.