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.
Acupuncture Awareness Day at California State Capitol
Participation is an essential component of advocacy to policymakers and the public. The American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine has asked for AOM practitioners to consider volunteering their skills to demonstrate acupuncture on legislators and members of the public on Acupuncture Awareness Day. Details available here and registration for the event is also available on the AAAOM Web site.
The event will be held April 23, 2009 at the California State Capitol, 12th & L Streets, Sacramento, Calif. (Across from The Hyatt Regency Capitol Park)
Schedule of events:
Awareness Day and Rally Activities 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Acupuncture demonstrations, AOM product/services displays, fact sheets, presentations and discussions, and press events.
Capitol Rotunda Reception 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
There will be a hosted, catered, wine and hors d'oeuvres reception in the elegant historical Capitol Rotunda where participants can celebrate the brave journey traveled - honoring leadership and the open road to the mainstream of American health care. Sponsored by: Assembly member Mike Eng, 49th District
There will also be a keynote address, delivered by Dr. Choi Seung Hoon, dean of the College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University in Seoul, Korea. He was also the 2004 Appointee: Regional Advisor in Traditional Medicine at the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific. Sponsored by AAAOM and Acupuncture and Integrated Medical Society (AIMS), California State Oriental Medical Association (CSOMA) and others.