June 2026 Office Hours

This monthly practitioner session was hosted by CEO Greg Pepping and led by Darren Huckle, Kan's lead herbalist and licensed acupuncturist in practice since 2003. The core message: herbs are an underutilized tool in musculoskeletal care, and integrating them topically and internally alongside acupuncture can meaningfully accelerate recovery.

Chapters

0:00 — Welcome & Kan Overview Greg introduces the Office Hours series (2nd Wednesday of every month, 10:05–10:55am PT). Kan has been manufacturing over 300 formulas — tablets, extracts, and mushrooms — in-house in Santa Cruz since 1987.

3:00 — Acute Injuries Darren walks through the acute phase: redness, swelling, bruising, and blood stasis. Key formulas include Great Mender and Invigorate Collaterals (topically and internally) to move Qi and blood, clear heat, and resolve stasis quickly.

5:00 — Subacute Injuries As the acute phase settles (days to a week out), the focus shifts to formulas like Great Mender, Meridian Passage, Invigorate Collaterals, and Peony & Licorice to continue moving stasis and support tissue repair.

20:00 — Chronic Injuries For long-standing injuries, the approach shifts toward tonification. Meridian Circulation (Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang) addresses kidney/liver deficiency and wind-damp. Graceful Branches targets upper body. Dispel Stasis in the Mansion of Blood is highlighted for chest, upper body, and rib pain.

26:00 — Prevention & Athletic Use Darren shares a personal story about using Invigorate Collaterals prophylactically while skiing. He positions it as a safer alternative to ibuprofen for pre- and post-workout stasis. Practitioners can also add formulas like Dynamic Warrior or ginseng-based extracts to a patient's water bottle before intensive activity.

39:00 — Location-Based Formula Selection Lower back and lower body: Meridian Circulation. Upper body, neck, and shoulders: Meridian Comfort and Graceful Branches. Sides of the body/rib injuries: Minor Bupleurum (Xiao Chai Hu Tang) combined with Invigorate Collaterals or Great Mender.

44:00 — Bonus Q&A: Hand Eczema & Bronchospasm For hand eczema: Colorful Phoenix Pearl Combination for blood heat, with Initial Defense added if there's significant itch (wind). For allergy-related bronchospasm: address postnasal drip harassing the lungs with Pe Min Kan Wan (acute/runny nose), Fragrant Jade or Jade Windscreen for chronic allergies, and Lung Qi Release or Wise Judge for bronchospasm and chest tightness.

Next Office Hours: July 8th. Questions or formula consultations can be submitted via the practitioner portal or by contacting Darren or Cath directly.