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.
Nell Smircina, MBA, DAOM, LAc, Dipl. OM
Dr. Nell Smircina is a practitioner, advocate and investor with a passion for helping others become more proficient with the business of acupuncture. She draws from her experience as the founder of COGENT Acupuncture (formerly PIQUE Health), as well as a past president of CSOMA and former vice chair of public policy for the American Society of Acupuncturists. Dr. Nell is constantly looking for ways to strengthen the industry of acupuncture: she is currently partnering with an investment firm to acquire a business in the integrative health space and help the company toward its next stage of growth. Learn more at drnell.com.