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.
Shellie Rosen, DOM, LAc
Dr. Shellie L. Rosen is a doctor of Oriental medicine (NM), state-licensed acupuncturist (NM, TX), and nationally board certified (NCCAOM) diplomate of Oriental Medicine. She works with industry members, practitioners, and patients advocating for Chinese herbal medicine and East Asian wellness models of care.