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.
Trevor Shaw, DC, MS, DACRB, CSCS
Dr. Trevor Shaw is a Florida-licensed DC and strength and conditioning specialist. He also has a master’s degree in exercise science and is an associate professor at Palmer College of Chiropractic (Florida campus), running the rehab and sports performance department for the Palmer Clinic.