How to use acupuncture, generally speaking

In this piece I want to focus on how one might use acupuncture to good effect in a more general kind of way.

First of all, as stated previously, acupuncture tends to be uniquely relaxing for the majority of people. So personally, and based on my direct experience as an acupuncturist, I would say one of the absolute best uses of acupuncture is STRESS REDUCTION.

Also, there is a relatively new concept of "subhealth" that has emerged in Chinese medicine which  is relevant here. The idea behind subhealth is essentially that modern life takes it's own unique toll on us. We may not be sick, per se...but with the stresses of modern living we are also not optimally healthy. I think this idea of subhealth touches on two of the best ways to use acupuncture, and two ways of using acupuncture that are highly underutilized: STRESS REDUCTION and PREVENTATIVE CARE.

The community acupuncture model is particularly well suited for using acupuncture in this way because it makes it possible for people to afford to use acupuncture in this way.

If there were one very big message I would like convey to users or potential users of acupuncture it is this: You don't have to have anything particularly "wrong" to benefit from acupuncture. You can use it just to unwind and take care of yourself.