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.
Alan Uretz, Phd, LAc
Alan Uretz's, Phd, LAc, areas of expertise include the fields of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Integrative Medicine, Academics and Pain Management. His clinical internships at Guangzhou University covered all branches of medicine including gerontology and pain management. Alan now serves as Dean of Chinese Medicine at the Midwest College of Oriental Medicine. He is also a Founding Director of CCAM Research Partners.