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.
Jennifer Blake-Holden, LAc, DAOM
Dr. Jennifer Blake-Holden had the privilege to study acupuncture and Chinese medicine concepts, as well as complete observation rounds, during her undergraduate years in Beijing, China, at the University of Economics and International Business Hospital She later received her master’s and doctorate degrees from Emperor’s College in Los Angeles. Before opening her own practice, Dr. Blake-Holden worked in hospital settings such as Venice Family Clinic (a subsidy of UCLA). Most recently, she completed a two-year residency with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, focusing on treating PTSD, substance abuse disorders and chronic pain. Currently, she holds hospitalist privileges at Providence Roy and Patricia Family Cancer Center.