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.
Katya Chizayeva, LAc
Katya Chizayeva is a licensed acupuncturist based in New Orleans, La. In private practice since 2012, she is informed by Classical (Jeffrey Yuan lineage) Acupuncture. She received a Master in Chinese Medicine diploma from Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences in Oakland, Calif. Her current practice is VA-based, with a focus on orthopedics and mental health. Learn more at www.librewellness.com.