Drew Nystrom, LAc

Licensed Acupuncturistc

Drew was introduced to massage at a young age, as he and his older brother used to massage his Dad's sore back after long days of construction work. Finally at age 21, Drew enrolled in a year-long massage program.

With more than 1,000 hours of massage training completed, he graduated with honors from Maric College (now Kaplan), acquiring a Holistic Health Practitioners Degree. After working in the massage field for a few years, Drew realized that there was so much more to learn.

While researching possible schools to further his education he found, right here in Los Angeles, the highly respected Emperors College of Traditional Oriental Medicine. Being well versed in martial arts (Ninjutsu and Kung Fu) he was already familiar with Chinese Medicine.

"Continuing my education in this field helped me understand the balance between healing arts and martial arts and the balance one needs in life. I found my calling. Four incredible years later in 2011, I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Masters in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine."

Drew's time at Emperors allowed him to work with some outstanding doctors. He was also able to work within the Los Angeles community at the school's onsite clinic and at the UCLA Arthur Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center.

"My goal as a health care practitioner focuses on bringing the individual back to a desired state of health. An analogy I like to use is how a plant needs a certain amount of sunlight and water. With the correct sunlight and water the plant will flourish and grow strong. However, if the same plant is a full sun/outdoor plant that's locked inside with minimal light, it will not grow strong, even if you water it correctly and give it fertilizer. This is the same for people. Not everyone is the same and I enjoy solving the puzzle of how each patient differs and what is needed for that individual to flourish and achieve optimal health. In other words, find the 'root' of the problem."

After graduating in December 2011, and passing the state boards, Drew moved back to his hometown of Temecula where he married his sweetheart. One year later, he and his bride moved back to Long Beach to make this beach town their home.

In his spare time Drew enjoys the outdoors - surfing, practicing and teaching Martial Arts (Tai Ji Chuan and Qi Gong), and spending time with family and friends.