I'm Dr. Alan Doyle, a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Eastern Virginia Medical School. Acupuncture is an extremely safe treatment. In fact, there are no long-term adverse effects associated with its use. There are more side effects noted with many of the prescription drugs that patients take for these conditions. Acupuncture is several thousands of years old, and in many countries it is an integral part of a patient's treatment.
Acupuncture involves the insertion of multiple stainless steel needles into the skin.
The needles are placed into specific points. Usually, several treatments are needed to achieve this process. Just as not all patients will respond to a prescription medication, not everyone will respond to acupuncture. It usually takes between four to six sessions to know if an individual will have benefit from this type of treatment. Neck and back pain appear to respond well to acupuncture.