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.
MG McCullough, DOM, Dipl. OM
Dr. MG McCullough, a graduate of Southwest Acupuncture College, is a doctor of Oriental medicine practicing in Albuquerque, N.M. Having recovered from migraines and autoimmunity thanks to the complement channels, this is the focus of her practice. She is the current host of Ann Cecil-Sterman’s classes in North America; for more information, visit www.drmgmccullough.com.