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.
Lee Hullender Rubin, DAOM, MS, LAc, FABORM
Dr. Lee Hullender Rubin is an internationally recognized, award-winning doctor of acupuncture, clinical researcher, and a leader in the field of integrative reproductive medicine. She practices in Portland, Ore., and provides continuing education at Rosefinch Academy.