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.
Jack Alexander, MSOM
Jack Alexander is a licensed acupuncturist practicing out of his private practice , Alexander Acupuncture in Northport, N.Y., on the north shore of Long Island. He has a deep interest in the nature of consciousness and the roots of healing. He appreciates any comments or discourse on this subject; contact information can be found on his practice's website, alexanderacupuncture.com.