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.
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Qi Detective Work
I was delighted to read Dr. Andrew Rader's article about cell phones in the October issue of Acupuncture Today. As a licensed acupuncturist, massage therapist and feng shui practitioner, I also consider the client's environment. I am concerned about the electromagnetic influences that can have a toll on the qi of the client. I call this "detective work." Here are some questions I may ask if there is insomnia or allergies:
- Where do you sleep?
- Do you like your bedroom?
- Where is the location of the bed?
- Is the bed made of wood or metal?
- Are there any electrical plugs behind the bed?
- What is above/behind the bed?
- Is the TV in the bedroom or is there a work station/laptop on the bed?
- What kind of heat do you have?
- Do you share the bed?
- How many animals do you have?
As a practitioner of kinesiology, I use my skills to discover probable causes of the client's symptoms. In addition, I will test the cell phone to determine its energetic influence. Living in proximity to cell towers, radio towers and even refrigerators or water beds can influence the qi of the room, home and health of the client.
Maxine Shapiro
Via e-mail