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.
Christina Captain, DAOM, MSAOM, MSHN, LAc, Dipl. Ac.
Dr. Christina Captain is the founder and director of the Sarasota Center for Acupuncture and Nutrition and Advanced Continuing Medical Education in Sarasota, Fla., where she specializes in advanced Eastern medicine techniques including acupuncture injection therapy. With over two decades of experience in clinical practice, education and public speaking, Dr. Captain is a passionate advocate for preserving and elevating the role of licensed acupuncturists in modern healthcare. Learn more: https://www.christinacaptain.com/.