Some will sing praises of acpuncture and others say the placebo effect makes people feel less pain. Studies have shown that acupuncture has been helpful for low back pain. I tried it after I strained my lower back (Quadratus Laborum) muscles last fall and believe that the needles helped release the trigger points (muscle knots) that had formed in my low back. Several small needles placed at strategic points of the body are supposed increase the body's opioid response. Makes sense to me.
I recently strained my QL muscles again and physical therapy, massage, and chiropractic have had minimal effect. Some claim that acupuncture is too expensive, but I say that I paid out more in insurance copays to get pain relief than I probably would have by seeing an acupuncturist
I understand the concern about cost. Some acupuncturists charge $65 to $75 for a first visit. I managed to find a decent doc that charges $55. Most health insurances don't cover acupuncture because it doesn't guarantee good results. Perhaps insurers could cover treatment if a patient has tried other modalities without luck. If a pain problem is currently unresolvable because of a chronic condition, acupuncture may be the only hope for pain relief.
A post that appeared on a website in my city, received a number of positive responses about acupuncture that also mentioned recommended practitioners.
http://alloveralbany.com/archive/2011/09/26/a-good-acupuncture-place
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