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.
Tiffany Smith, LAc, MSAOM
Tiffany Smith, LAc, MSAOM, earned her master's degree in microbiology and immunology from Texas Tech University before obtaining her degree and license in traditional Chinese medicine. She teaches at Texas Health and Science University and maintains a private practice.