There is some skepticism regarding the claims of acupuncture. However, respected medical journals such as the British journal The Lancet have reported that these treatments may work well for certain patients with chronic back pain or painful joints. There is less proof for treating other ailments. If you decide to try acupuncture for pain relief, and we are not specifically recommending it here, you should take care in choosing a practitioner. There is a problem of poorly trained and not very ethical acupuncturists.
State laws vary with recognition of acupuncturists.
You'll have to check with either a local medical society or the state board of medical examiners. In general, you're acting on faith alone. Cleanliness is always of concern when there is an invasive procedure of any kind. In this age of AIDS it becomes a matter of life and death. The needles do pierce the skin, and you should allow only disposable needles to be used in acupuncture.