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.
Perry Nickelston, DC, FMS, SFMA
Dr. Perry Nickelston is a 1997 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic. He practices in Ramsey, N.J., serving as clinical director of the Pain Laser Center and focuses on performance enhancement, corrective exercise and metabolic fitness nutrition. Dr. Nickelston has been involved in the fitness industry for more than 20 years and is currently in the process of publishing several books on health, fitness and laser therapy.