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.
Lenore Cangeloso, LAc, MSAOM
Lenore Cangeloso is a state-licensed and board-certified acupuncturist and herbal medicine practitioner. She is the owner of Wild Earth Acupuncture in Portland, Ore. Lenore has spent many months traveling to deepen her knowledge of the human body, and is a dedicated and skilled practitioner who strives to help achieve optimal states of well-being. Her writings have been showcased in publication such as Forbes Health, Dao Labs and the Qi Journal. You can learn more about Lenore at wildearthacupuncture.com.