This may not help you very much, but the latest acupuncture news from the Guardian is good news for anyone with back pain in the UK.  The National Health Service (NHS), which is the publicly funded health care system, is expected to adopt new guidelines for treating low back pain this week.  Primary care doctors will be able to "recommend... up to nine sessions with an osteopath, chiropractor or physiotherapist who is trained in manipulation, or an acupuncturist."  How civilized!  Maybe it'll catch on and they'll recommend it for treating other common ailments too. 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/may/24/back-pain-sufferers-acupuncture-nhs

Hot off the presses - Obama endorses the use of acupuncture as one of the alternative modalities in his new health care plan.  “We should do what works,” President Obama said. “I think it is pretty well documented through scientific studies that acupuncture, for example, can be very helpful in relieving certain things like migraines and other ailments – or at least as effective as more intrusive interventions.”  Wow - what a breath of fresh air!

http://www.npicenter.com/anm/templates/newsATemp.aspx?articleid=23910&zoneid=2