A student stands over a patient, needle poised. They have a “perfect” prescription: a textbook combination of points harvested from a lecture slide on chronic lower back pain. But as the needle meets the skin, the student hesitates - the symptom of a quiet habit that has taken hold of our profession. We routinely say we “prescribe” points. It sounds efficient. It echoes the authority of biomedical culture and fits neatly into the insurance field. But vocabulary is never neutral; repeated long enough, it dictates behavior.
Correction
In the September issue, Acupuncture Today published "Weight Loss Reduction in China" by Mary K. Christian, LAc, Dipl. Ch. The original version that appeared in AT did not include any descriptions of the points and electrical stimulation used in treatment. However, a revised version of Ms. Christian's article, including a description of the points and treatment protocol, has been posted on our Web site. Readers can access the complete version of Ms. Christian's article at acupuncturetoday.com/archives2004/sep/09christian.html.
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