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.
Patricia Burke
Patricia Burke trained as a meridian yoga teacher, and works with colleagues at Safe Tech International - Uniting to Protect Life on Earth, addressing safety and sustainability concerns for new technologies, including wireless and power-quality issues.  She can be reached with questions and comments at patricia999burke@gmail.com.