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.
Linda Morse, LAc, PhD, Dipl. OM
Dr. Linda M. Morse is a nationally recognized acupuncturist, herbalist and educator. She has helped thousands of students prepare for licensing exams over the past 25 years, with a high California and national pass rate. A summa cum laude graduate of both her master’s and doctoral programs, she is also the author of the widely used Examination Workbook for Traditional Chinese Medicine. She maintains a private practice in southern Maine. Learn more about her courses and materials at acupuncturereviewclasses.com. You can also connect with her on Facebook: @acupuncturereviewclasses | Instagram: @acupuncture_review Email: lindamorselac@hotmail.com.