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.
Chris Ruth, DAOM, LAc, Dipl OM
Dr. Chris Ruth has been practicing since 2011, treating patients and teaching future practitioners. He supported students in teaching clinics and in the classroom in acupuncture anatomy, techniques, and physical exam courses. He previously served as the associate dean of the DAOM program at Emperor’s College, where he guided students through their capstones, medical presentations and software training.