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who mentored me throughout my career as a naturopathic physician. Third, Sensei Morinaka (holder of advanced degrees in multiple martial arts and until his death, was a disciple at the Chozen Ji Zen Temple in Hawaii) who taught me traditional mar- tial arts soft tissue therapy for injuries, in- cluding the basis of the concepts and tech- niques that I continue to utilize in my pain management practice even today. Lastly, Dr. Myk Hungerford who taught me the foundational work in sports massage and rehabilitation. Dr. Hungerford (considered by many as the “mother of sports massage” and credited for bringing massage into the Olympics) challenged me to think outside the box. Both Dr. Hungerford and Sensei Morinaka gave me a unique foundation of soft tissue injury management that is un- common in my field of naturopathic pain management.”
Deemed by many as a unique field of medicine, naturopathic practices may not be for everyone. Dr. Inouye came across the then obscure field of medicine initially triggered by his own pain issues and sub- sequently observing the injuries and treat- ments in his involvement in the martial arts over the decades.
“I had two bouts of extreme lower back pain due to herniated discs – one in high school and one in college – that were cured by alternative practitioners,” Dr. Inouye explained. “Prior to consulting the shiatsu therapist and chiropractor, re- spectively, my conventional medical doc- tors prescribed pain killers and muscle relaxants.
“After three weeks of constant pain, in both instances, I eventually sought out alternative practitioners,” he continued. “Within only two treatments, the pain was completely alleviated. A few years later, in a diving accident, I suffered multiple frac- tures in my neck; one of which was com- pletely shattered. With the help of a gifted orthopedic specialist and a chiropractor, I fully recovered in record time without having to undergo surgery to my neck or any of the pain returning.”
In addition to this personal experience of the healing powers of alternative thera- pies, Dr. Inouye credits his grandfather for inspiring him down the path less traveled.
“He always promoted natural foods as the core of a healthy diet,” he said of his
grandfather. This inspired him to find pri- mary care physician Dr. Jack Burke, in his hometown in Hawaii who was also a li- censed naturopathic physician.
With a wife and four children, he eventu- ally made the decision to return to school to pursue his pre-med education and even- tually left his job as a sales manager for a national firm and made the move from Honolulu, Hawaii to Tempe, Arizona to pursue his naturopathic medical studies. He reflects on this decision saying that he is forever grateful for his children and especially his former wife Clarice’s sacri- fices and could not have made this journey without her support.
In 1997, Dr. Inouye graduated from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine headed by President Dr. Paul Mittman. He opened his private practice the following year. Today, he devotes al- most 70 percent of his practice to pain management. His treatment for pain due to functional as well as structural pathol- ogy can include such therapies as prolo- therapy, PRP regenerative joint injections, trigger point injections, rehabilitation and corrective exercises, acupuncture, tradi- tional oriental soft tissue manipulation and dietary advice for maximal healing. The remainder of his time is filled up with aesthetic and anti-aging therapies, such as PRP facials, PDO Threading (non-sur- gical facelift procedure) and Lipodissolve (fat burning injections). Additionally, he administers various types of IV therapies for optimal health.
“The main goal of my practice is to ob- tain the optimal health of my patients,” Dr. Inouye explained. “I have a holistic and nontoxic approach to therapies with a strong emphasis on disease prevention and the reversal of premature aging and will prescribe various modalities to opti- mize the body’s inherent ability to heal.”
Giving Back to the
Community
Dr. Inouye serves as a Clinical Supervi- sor for pain management shifts at the Pain Relief Center (PRC) at his alma mater, the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medi- cine in Tempe. In this role, he supervises students interested in pursuing pain man- agement as an integral part of their prac- tice. At the PRC, patients with complaints
of pain are evaluated and treated. Dr. In- ouye oversees the intake, evaluation and administration of treatment.
“It gives me so much pleasure to assist these students as they begin their transfor- mation from pupil to doctor,” Dr. Inouye said. “I am also glad to have the opportuni- ty to give back to the school that helped me enter such a rewarding field of medicine.”
Dr. Inouye also offers naturopathic phy- sicians a series of seminars developed after many years of research and experience in pain management called, “The Compre- hensive Approach to Pain Management,” in which he addresses both, structural
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