Asian medicine is gaining popularity as baby boomers age and look for more natural ways to improve their health.

Although Asian medicine has been practiced for more than 3,000 years, people in the U.S. are only recently learning about the benefits it has to offer.

One branch of Asian medicine is called constitutional medicine, which is based on the concept of a person's body type and the roles of yin and yang.

Yin and yang is a system used to define and establish equilibrium. Everyone has a combination of yin and yang. It exists at every level of the body, but one factor will always be more dominant. Health problems such as food sensitivities, hormonal imbalance, skin conditions, weight issues, digestive problems, sleep disorder, anxiety or depression, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, cancer, gallstones, or musculo-skeletal pain can result when yin and yang are out of normal range.

Understanding a person's body type is the most important step in treatment protocol. Body type is defined by the combined physical, psychological and physiological makeup of a person.

For example, on a physiological level there are people who are lactose intolerant and those who are not. There are people who can go into anaphylactic shock smelling a peanut and those who can eat a whole jar undisturbed.

On a physical level this might show up as extreme muscularity and athleticism or small bones and frailty. On a psychological level some people are very organized while others thrive in chaos. Each body type and its specific health needs require individual attention and customized treatment.

During the course of treatment, a person's unique health concerns may improve. Their mood and outlook may change. Their pain may recede, their asthma may be healed, but their body constitution remains the same throughout life. Knowing your body type and how it works can be used not only for treatment, but also for prevention. When you know your body type, you will understand yourself better and live a healthier, more fulfilling life.

David Lee, PhD, is a Koreanborn licensed acupuncturist and herbalist specializing in constitution medicine. For information, call (805) 497-6200, e-mail meditreeclinic@yahoo.com or visit www.davidleeacupuncture .com.